Arts and Entertainment
Casino De Montr?al
1 av. du Casino, ?le Notre-Dame,
Metro Jean-Drapeau and Bus 167
Take a cab ride from downtown or take the M?tro to the Ile Ste-H?l?ne station and transfer to Bus 167 Daily: 9-5.
514-392-2746 or 800-665-2274
The Casino de Montr?al, on Ile Notre-Dame in the St. Lawrence River, is one of the world's 10 largest. A 24/7 chapel of gambling, cuisine and drink. Constructed inside the pavilions of France and Quebec from Expo '67, it's a multi-level experience of joi de vivre. Stop by the glittering Casino de Montr?al for unequaled excitement;  games, variety shows, restaurants and much more add to the stimulating ambiance.

Casino de Montr?al is A 24/7 chapel of gambling, cuisine and drink. Constructed inside the pavilions of France and Quebec from Expo '67, it's a multi-level experience of joi de vivre. Stop by the glittering Casino de Montr?al for unequaled excitement;  games, variety shows, restaurants and much more add to the stimulating ambiance.

Cirque Du Soleil
Montr?al, Qu?bec, Canada
800-361-4595
The Cirque du Soleil is one of Montr?al's most popular venues. The company revolutionized the art of the circus when, in 1984, it began commingling dance, acrobatics, and dramatic presentation in a single show. Now it's an internationally known and packs theaters worldwide. (There are no animals featured in this circus. All of the spectacular dance and acrobatic arrangements are performed by people. ) Every second summer (in odd-numbered years), the circus performs in Montr?al.

L'op?ra De Montr?al
260 blvd. de Maisonneuve Ouest
514-985-2258
L'Op?ra de Montr?al stages four productions a year at Place des Arts.

La Ronde Amusement Park
La Ronde features 35 different rides, something for every member of the family. The park is located on Ile-Ste-H?l?ne, about a 15 minute drive from the city centre. It is open from mid-May to September. For more information, please call 1(800) 797-4537 or (514) 872-4537.

Centaur Theatre
453 rue St-Fran?ois-Xavier, Vieux-Montr?al
514-288-3161
The Centaur Theatre, the best-known English theatrical company, stages everything from musical revues to Eug?ne Ionesco works in the former stock-exchange building in Vieux-Montr?al.

Place des Artes
Touring Broadway productions are staged at the Place des Arts.

Saidye Bronfman Centre
5170 chemin de la C?te Ste-Catherine, C?te-des-Neiges,
514-739-2301 or 514-739-7944
English-language plays can be seen at the Saidye Bronfman Centre. The center is home to the Yiddish Theatre Group.

Th??tre De Quat'sous
100 av. des Pins Est
514-845-7277
Th??tre de Quat'Sous performs experimental plays.

Th??tre Denise Pelletier
4353 rue Ste-Catherine Est, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
514-253-8974
The Th??tre Denise Pelletier stages productions in a beautifully restored hall.

Th??tre Du Nouveau Monde
84 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest, Downtown
514-866-8667
Th??tre du Nouveau Monde is the North American temple of French classics.

Th??tre Du Rideau Vert
Th??tre du Rideau Vert specializes in modern French repertoire.

Th??tre Jean Duceppe
260 blvd. de Maisonneuve Ouest
514-842-2112
Named for one of Qu?bec's best loved actors, the Th??tre Jean Duceppe stages major productions in Place des Arts.

Th??tre St-Denis
1594 rue St-Denis, Quartier Latin
514-849-4211
The 2,500-seat Th??tre St-Denis stages pop-music concerts.

Francofolies
514-876-8989
The annual FrancoFolies festival celebrates the art of French songwriting. In all, more than 1,000 musicians perform in dozens of different styles, including rock, hip-hop, funk, and Latin.

I Musici De Montr?al
934 rue Sainte-Catherine Est,
514-982-6037
I Musici de Montr?al is one of the best chamber orchestras in Canada.

Orchestre M?tropolitain De Montr?al
514-598-0870
The Orchestre M?tropolitain de Montr?al stars at Place des Arts most weeks during the October-April season.

Orchestre Symphonique De Montr?al
260 blvd. de Maisonneuve Ouest
514-842-9951
The Orchestre Symphonique de Montr?al has gained recognition under the baton of Charles Dutoit. Its regular venue is the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at the Place des Arts.

Pollack Concert Hall
514-398-4535
McGill University's Pollack Concert Hall presents concerts, notably by the McGill Chamber Orchestra.

Spectrum
318 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest, Downtown, Montr?al, Qu?bec, Canada
514-861-5851
The most popular performance venue for rock bands is Spectrum.

Stade Olympique
Olympic Park, 4141 av. Pierre-de-Coubertin, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
514-252-8687
Stade Olympique hosts rock and pop concerts.

Th??tre St-Denis
1594 rue St-Denis, Quartier Latin
514-849-4211
The 2,500-seat Th??tre St-Denis stages pop-music concerts.

Museums & Art Galleries
Ch?teau Dufresne
2929 rue Jeanne-d'Arc, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Montr?al, Qu?bec, Canada
514/256-4636
Tues.-Fri. 9:30-noon and 1:30-4:30, weekends 10-5.
The ground floors of this Beaux-Arts palace are open to the public and provide a glimpse into the lives of the Montr?al bourgeoisie in the early 20th century. The lavish decor includes oak staircases with gilded rails, marble-tile floors, stained-glass windows, and coffered ceilings. Many of the walls are decorated with murals by the artist Guido Nincheri, who also decorated many of the city's most beautiful churches.

Le Centre Canadien D'architecture
1920 rue Baile, Shaughnessy Village, Montr?al, Qu?bec, Canada
514/939-7000
Oct.-May, Wed.-Sun. 11-6, Thurs. until 8; June-Sept. Tues.-Sun. 11-5, Thurs. until 9.
Phyllis Lambert, heiress to the Seagram liquor fortune and an architect, designed the Canadian Center for Architecture. The ultramodern U-shaped structure of gray limestone is filled with her collection of drawings, photographs, plans, books, documents, and models. The center's six exhibition rooms house visiting exhibits.

McGill University
845 rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Square Mile, Montr?al, Qu?bec, Canada
514/398-4455
Admission free. Museum: Sept.-May, Mon.-Thurs. 9-5; June-Aug., weekdays 9-5
James McGill, a wealthy Scottish fur trader and merchant, gave the money and the land for this English-language institution, which opened in 1828. A tree-lined road leads from the Greek-Revival-style Roddick Gates to the neoclassical Arts Building at the northern end of the campus. The templelike building to the west of it houses the Redpath Museum of Natural History, which includes a collection of dinosaur bones, old coins, African art, and shrunken heads.

Mus?e D'arch?ologie Pointe-?-Calli?re
350 Pl. Royale
514/872-9150
July-Aug., weekdays 10-6, weekends 11-5; Sept.-June, Tues.-Fri. 10-5, weekends 11-5. An audio-visual show gives an overview of the area's history from the time of Jacques Cartier. Visitors then go down to the bank of the Rivi?re St-Pierre that once flowed past the site and was where the first settlers built their homes and traded with the local natives. Archaeologists have unearthed the city's first Catholic cemetery, with some tombstones still intact. There also remain the stone foundations of an 18th-century tavern and a 19th-century insurance building.

Mus?e D'art Contemporain
185 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest
514/847-6226
free after 6 PM Wed. Tues. and Thurs.-Sun. 11-6, Wed. 11-9.
The museum's permanent collection of more than 5,000 works of modern art contains works by Qu?b?cois, Canadian, and international artists, but focuses on the works of Qu?bec artists. It has, for example, 72 paintings, 32 works on paper, and a sculpture by Paul-?mile Borduas (1905-60), one of Canada's most important artists. The museum has weekend programs, with many child-oriented activities, and almost all are free.

Mus?e Des Beaux-Arts De Montr?al
1380 rue Sherbrooke Ouest
514/285-2000
Permanent collection free, special exhibitions admission fee. Tues.-Sun. 11-6 (special exhibitions stay open until 9 PM Wed.)

The art collection at the Museum of Fine Arts is housed in the older Benaiah-Gibb Pavilion on the north side of rue Sherbrooke and the glittering glass-fronted Pavilion Jean-No?l-Desmarais across the street. The collection includes European and North American fine and decorative art; ancient treasures from Europe, the Near East, Asia, Africa, and America; Canadian art; and Native American and Inuit artifacts.

The Mus?e des Arts D?coratifs de Montr?al is attached to the building.

Mus?e Du Ch?teau Ramezay
280 rue Notre-Dame Est, Vieux-Montr?al, Montr?al, Qu?bec, Canada
514/861-3708
June-Sept. daily 10-6; Oct.-May, Tues.-Sun. 10-4:30.
This colonial building, built in 1702, resembles a Norman castle with its thick stone walls, steeply pitched roof, and stone towers.. The everyday lives of the city's early European settlers are vividly depicted in a series of tableaux in the basement.

Mus?e Juste Pour Rire (Just for Laughs Museum)
2111 blvd. St-Laurent
514/845-4000
Weekends (year-round) 10-5; June-Sept. Tues.-Fri. 9-5; Sept.-June, Thurs.-Fri. 9-3.
This is one of the few museums in the world dedicated to laughter. Its multimedia exhibits celebrate humor. Some visiting exhibits have a serious side, too. There is a large collection of humor videos, a cabaret where neophytes can test their material, and a restaurant where you can watch old videos (in French) while you eat.

Sports
Montr?al Alouettes
McGill University's Molson Stadium
514-790-1245
Canadian professional football returned to Montr?al after an experimental 3-year league with U.S. teams. The team that was briefly the Baltimore Colts is now The Montreal Alouettes (Larks) and has enjoyed considerable success since its return, frequently appearing in the Grey Cup, the CFL's Super Bowl. They play on a schedule that runs from June into October.

NHL Montr?al Canadiens
1260 rue de la Gaucheti?re
Ticket and schedule information
514-932-2582

Molson Centre
The Molson Centre opened on March 16, 1996, and is home to the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens. Tickets can be purchased directly through our Concierge. They also offer guided tours of the Molson Centre.
Hours of guided tours:
In French: 9:45 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
In English: 11:15 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.

M?tro: Bonaventure.
The Canadiens play at the new Centre Molson, which opened in 1996. replacing the beloved old Forum. The team has won 24 Stanley Cup championships since 1929. The season runs from October into April, with playoffs continuing to mid-June.

Blue Bonnets Racetrack (Hippodrome de Montr?al)
7440 bd. D?carie, in Jean-Talon
514-739-2741
M?tro: Namur, and then take the shuttle bus.
This is the host facility for international harness-racing events, including the Coupe des Elevers (Breeders Cup).

Restaurants, bars, a snack bar, and pari-mutuel betting can make for a satisfying evening or Sunday-afternoon outing. There are no races on Tuesday and Thursday. General admission is free. Races begin at 7:30pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday; on Sunday at 1:30 pm

Sightseeing
Basilique Notre-Dame-De-Montr?al (Notre-Dame Basilica)
116 rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Vieux-Montr?al
514/849-1070 basilica; 514/842-2925 museum
guided tour. 8-5 daily; 20-min tours in French and English every hour July-Sept. every 2 hrs (or by prior arrangement) Oct.-June.
This neo-Gothic structure, opened in 1829, is one of the most beautiful churches in North America. The twin towers are 228 ft high, and the western one holds one of North America's largest bells. The interior is neo-Romanesque, with stained-glass windows, pine and walnut carvings, and a blue vaulted ceiling studded with thousands of 24-karat gold stars. With more than 7,000 pipes, the Cassavant pipe organ is one of the largest on the continent. Plan your visit around the daily 12:15 PM mass in the chapel or the 5 PM mass in the main church.

Chapelle Notre-Dame-De-Lourdes
430 rue Ste-Catherine Est, Montr?al, Qu?bec, Canada
Daily 8-5.
This tiny Roman Catholic chapel is one of the most ornate pieces of religious architecture in the city. It was built in 1876 and decorated with brightly colored murals by the artist Napol?on Bourassa. The chapel is a mixture of Roman and Byzantine styles, and has a beautifully restored interior.

?glise De La Visitation De La Bienheureuse Vierge Marie
1847 blvd. Gouin Est,
514/388-4050
Daily 10-11:30 and 2-4.
Far to the north on the banks of Rivi?re des Prairies (a 15-minute walk from the Henri Bourassa M?tro station) is the oldest church on the island of Montr?al, the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its stone walls were raised in the 1750s, and the beautifully proportioned Palladian front was added in 1850. The altar and the pulpit are ornate. In the church can be seen a rendering of the Visitation, is by Pierre Mignard, a 17th-century painter. Parkland surrounds the church.

Jardin Botanique
4101 rue Sherbrooke Est, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Montr?al, Qu?bec, Canada
514/872-1400
May-Oct., daily 9-7, Nov.-Apr., daily 9-5
This botanical garden has 181 acres of plantings in summer and 10 exhibition greenhouses open all year. Founded in 1931, the garden contains more than 26,000 species of plants. Traditional tea ceremonies are held in the Japanese Garden.

Other highlights are the:
 - Insectarium : which houses more than 250,000 specimens
 - Montr?al-Shanghai Lac de R?ve, the largest Ming-style Chinese garden outside Asia.

Oratoire St-Joseph
3800 chemin Queen Mary, C?te-des-Neiges
514/733-8211
Admission free. Mid-Sept.-mid-May, daily 7-5:30; mid-May-mid-Sept. daily 7 AM-9 PM.
St. Joseph's Oratory, a huge domed church sits high on a ridge of Mont-Royal, and is dedicated to St. Joseph, Canada's patron saint. The octagonal copper dome is one of the biggest in the world and the church has a magnificent mountainside setting with sweeping views. From early December through February, the oratory has a display of cr?ches (nativity scenes) from all over the world. Concerts are held during the summer. To visit the church, climb the more than 300 steps to the front door or take the shuttle bus from the front gate.

Parc Du Mont-Royal
Off voie Camillien Houde,
Parc du Mont-Royal
Take M?tro's Orange Line to the Mont-Royal station and transfer to Bus 11 (take a transfer from a machine before you board the M?tro), and get off at the Obs?rvatoire de l'Est. Daily 9-5.
Frederick Law Olmsted, the co-designer of New York's Central Park, designed these 494 acres of forest and paths in the heart of the city. Horse-drawn transport is popular year-round: sleigh rides in winter and cal?che (horse drawn carriage)rides in summer.

Chalet Du Mont-Royal
Off voie Camillien Houde
M?tro's Orange Line to the Mont-Royal station and transfer to Bus 11 (take a transfer, or correspondence, from a machine before you board the M?tro), get off at the Obs?rvatoire de l'Est, climb the staircase at the end of the parking lot and follow the trails to the chalet.
Daily 9-5.
After enjoying the spectacular view of the surrounding mountains, be sure to look inside the chalet, especially at the murals depicting scenes from Canadian history.

Parc Lafontaine
3933 av. Parc Lafontaine, Plateau Mont-Royal, Montr?al, Qu?bec, Canada
514/872-9800
Daily: 9AM -10 PM.
Montr?al's two main cultures are reflected in the layout of this popular park: The eastern half is French, with paths, gardens, and lawns laid out in geometric shapes; the western half is English, with meandering paths and irregularly shaped ponds that follow the natural contours of the land. In summer there are bowling greens, tennis courts, an open-air theater with free arts events, and two artificial lakes with paddleboats. In winter the two lakes are used for ice skating.

Parc Olympique
Avenue 4141 Pierre-de-Coubertin
514/252-8687
reach the park via the Pie-IX or Viau M?tro station (the latter is nearer the stadium entrance). A free shuttle links the Biod?me, Parc Olympique, nearby Jardin Botanique, and the Viau M?tro station.
The Olympic Park, in the city's east end, was built for the 1976 Olympics. Dominating the eastern skyline are the giant Stade Olympique, home to the National League Expos, and the Tour Olympique, the leaning tower with an observatory that supports the stadium's roof. The Biod?me, formerly the Olympic bicycle-racing stadium, is a natural-history exhibit with four ecosystems.

Vieux-Port-De-Montr?al
Rue de la Commune, Montr?al, Qu?bec, Canada
800/971-7678 or 514/496-7678
www.oldportofmontreal.com
Montr?al has been a major North American port since the earliest days of European settlement. The city was built just below the Lachine Rapids, which marked the westernmost limit for oceangoing ships sailing up the St. Lawrence River. Now this waterfront park is one of the most popular recreational spots in Montr?al. You can take a ferry or raft ride, or a harbor cruise, and bicycles and in-line skates are for rent along rue de la Commune. In winter, visitors can skate on a huge outdoor rink.

St. Patrick's Basilica
460 blvd. Ren?-L?vesque Ouest
514/866-7379
Daily 8:30-6.
An outstanding example of church architecture rarely visited by tourists, this 1847 church is an example of the Gothic Revival style in Canada. The church's colors are soft, and the vaulted ceiling glows with green and gold mosaics. The old pulpit has panels depicting the apostles, and a huge lamp decorated with six 6-ft angels hangs over the main altar. The tall, slender columns that support the roof are actually pine logs lashed together and decorated to look like marble. The church is three blocks west of Place Ville-Marie.