Thing to do
Jean-Talon Market
Montreal's largest public market, in Little Italy since 1933, with farmers' stalls, cheese, maple products, bakeries and restaurants, open year-round.
Old Port of Montreal
More than two kilometres of quays along the St Lawrence below Old Montreal, with the Clock Tower, the Science Centre, an urban beach and winter skating.
At a glance
- Type
- Waterfront promenade
- Area
- Old Montreal, Montreal, Canada
- Official site
- oldportofmontreal.com
Good to know
- Riverside promenade
- Clock Tower
- Montreal Science Centre
- Urban beach
- Winter skating
Why we recommend it
The Old Port runs for more than two kilometres along the St Lawrence below the streets of Old Montreal. French fur traders were using the shore as early as 1611, and it remained a working harbour until commercial port activity moved east in 1976. In the early 1990s the site was redeveloped as a public waterfront by the architects Aurèle Cardinal and Peter Rose, and today it is managed by the Old Port of Montreal Corporation, part of the Canada Lands Company. It draws more than six million visitors a year.
The quays each have their own character. King Edward Quay, built in 1903, has housed the Montreal Science Centre, with its IMAX theatre, since 2000. Jacques Cartier Quay, from 1899, is where Cirque du Soleil has regularly set up its big top for new shows, and in summer a ferry leaves from here for Longueuil and Île Sainte-Hélène. The former Alexandra Quay, renamed the Grand Quai in 2018, holds the Iberville cruise terminal.
At the eastern end of the promenade, the Clock Tower Quay is named after the white Sailors' Memorial Tower, built between 1919 and 1922 to honour members of the Canadian and British merchant fleets lost in the First World War. Its clockwork came from the English firm Gillett and Johnson, and the bells planned for it were never installed. An urban beach, Clock Tower Beach, has been open at the end of the quay since 2012, and the Old Port is also home to La Grande Roue, the observation wheel that opened in 2017 and is the tallest in Canada.
The port works across the seasons. Summer brings terraces, nautical activities and walking or cycling along the riverfront, and the Old Port also hosts large events such as Igloofest in winter. When the cold sets in, part of the Bonsecours Basin becomes a public skating rink, and the site even has ice fishing.
It suits everyone, from families heading to the Science Centre to couples on an evening stroll. The promenade is free to walk, so a good plan is to come down from Place d'Armes or Place Jacques-Cartier, walk east to the Clock Tower and then return along rue de la Commune. Pointe-à-Callière, Bota Bota and the start of the Lachine Canal path are all along the waterfront.
Old Port of Montreal FAQs
Is the Old Port free?
Yes. Walking the promenade and quays is free, although attractions such as the Science Centre charge admission.
How long is it?
The Old Port stretches for more than two kilometres along the St Lawrence.
What is the Clock Tower?
The Sailors' Memorial Tower, built between 1919 and 1922 to honour merchant sailors lost in the First World War.
Is there a beach?
Yes. Clock Tower Beach, an urban beach, has been open since 2012.
Can you skate there?
Yes. In winter part of the Bonsecours Basin becomes a public skating rink.
Is there a ferry?
In summer a ferry runs from Jacques Cartier Quay to Longueuil and Île Sainte-Hélène.
Where is the Science Centre?
On King Edward Quay, where it has been since 2000.
What events are held there?
Cirque du Soleil shows and the winter festival Igloofest are among the best known.