montreal

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is the city’s largest museum, a grand arts complex that attracts over a million visitors each year. It was started in 1860, when a group of wealthy art lovers from Montreal got together to fund a travelling exhibit of art. Stop by this Sherbrooke Street icon to peruse the MMFA’s great international exhibits as well as its local collection, which provides a fascinating insight into a unique Canadian cultural tradition. The original site of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts was the first building in Canada specifically designed for holding art. A long series of expansions has seen the museum become one of North America’s largest art institutions. Now the museum sprawls over five separate pavilions with more than 40000 different objects in its collections.
 

Spread across two islands in the St. Lawrence River to the east of downtown Montreal, Parc Jean-Drapeau offers the most diverse range of attractions of any area in the city. Gamble at a casino, watch fireworks show for free, tour revolutionary buildings and bike on a professional racetrack. Saint Helen’s Island is the northernmost of the two islands. It hosts a landmark of postmodern architecture the Biosphere. Buckminster Fuller designed this dome for Expo 67, the world’s fair held on the island. For a fee, enter the museum inside the sphere to learn about environmental issues and sustainable technologies. Take the Concorde Bridge to Ile Notre Dame, which is a manmade island to the south of Saint Helen’s. 
 

Also known as Vieux-Montreal, Old Montreal carries with it the true essence of the city along with some great dining, shopping and nightlife options. Cobblestone streets, horse drawn carriages, old styled homes and some must visit landmarks Old Montreal would give tourists some of the best moments of their trip. With an enormous range of restaurants, cafes, shops and bars this ethnic neighbourhood gets one in a win-win situation. The Notre Dame Basilica, Town Hall, Old Port and Pointe-a-Calliere Museum are located here.
 

Montreal Botanical Garden is a 15 acre swath garden with Japanese themes including cherry blossoms, koi ponds, Zen gardens and many. A visit to the Japanese Garden requires an open mind and spirit. Visitors should go right to its heart to meditate, to collect their thoughts, to feel and touch the beauty of the stone, water, plants and various architectural elements which make up the garden. It is a place where the slow moving carp or "Koi" float in the shade of broad leaved water lilies as if contemplating the sun's reflection or the rain on the multi coloured stones or even, as if they were listening to the gurgling waters, laughing as they spill over artfully arranged cascades. 
 

The Pointe-a-Calliere Museum is a museum of history and archaeology situated in Old Town Montreal. The museum was founded as a celebration of Montreal’s 350th birthday in 1992, and it showcases an expansive range of artefacts and exhibits beginning with exhibits dedicated to the First Nations. They illustrate the coexistence and interactions of the earliest known population of the area. Additionally the museum demonstrates the influence of the British and French historical presence and the resulting impact on the area’s history and modern status. Three distinct archaeological sites are located within the museum complex and they feature archaeological remains from every distinct period in the city’s past.
 

Thrills, spills and bragging rights are what it's all about on a visit to La Ronde. Part of the Six Flags family of amusement parks the facility opened as part of Montreal Expo 67 features 40 rides and attractions including the Goliath one of North America's highest and fastest roller coasters. Check the thrill rating for each ride online before you arrive. At night the 15 storey tower of Vol Ultime is illuminated by hundreds of multi coloured LED lights adding to the magic and excitement. It's easy to blow the travel budget in amusement parks so involve the whole family in the planning their own predetermined budget for park souvenirs and fast food snacks.