Things to Do in Montréal with Kids: The Ultimate Family Guide
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Quick Answer
Looking for the best things to do in Montréal with kids?
Start with family favourites like the Biodôme, Old Port, Mount Royal, Montréal Science Centre, then explore seasonal festivals, neighbourhood parks, splash pads, museums, and live performances.
Whether you’re visiting with toddlers, school-age children, or teenagers, Montréal has plenty of family-friendly activities to enjoy year-round.
Why trust this guide? Prices, dates, and accessibility were verified directly against official websites on August 4, 2026. Confirm details with the venue before visiting — schedules change.
Best Things to Do in Montréal with Kids
Our editorial shortlist of 10 excellent starting points for families visiting Montréal — each links to a deeper section below.
# | Attraction | Best For | Visit Length | Cost | Best Ages | Setting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Year-round wildlife | 2–3 hours | Ticketed | All ages; strongest for 3–12 | Indoor | |
2 | Waterfront sightseeing | 2–4 hours | Mostly free | All ages | Outdoor | |
3 | Hands-on exhibits | 3–4 hours | Ticketed | 4–12 | Indoor | |
4 | Walking, views, Tam-Tams | 1–3 hours | Free | All ages | Outdoor | |
5 | Greenhouses, gardens | 2–4 hours | Ticketed | All ages | Mixed | |
6 | Archaeology, history | 2–3 hours | Ticketed | 4–12 | Indoor | |
7 | Beach, cycling, Biosphère | 3–5 hours | Mixed | All ages | Mostly outdoor | |
8 | Thrill rides, kids’ area | 4–6 hours | Ticketed | 3+ | Outdoor | |
9 | Festivals, outdoor shows | 1–3 hours | Free | All ages | Outdoor | |
10 | Immersive insect exhibits | 1–2 hours | Ticketed | All ages; strongest for 4–12 | Indoor |
More detailed guides are in development. This article will be updated as each sub-topic guide goes live.
Which Montréal Activities Are Best for Your Family?
Family Situation | Best Starting Point | Why |
|---|---|---|
First visit | Old Port + Old Montréal + Quartier des Spectacles | Combines historic streets, waterfront attractions, major museums, restaurants, and central festival programming with manageable transit. |
Rainy day | Montréal Science Centre and Pointe-à-Callière | Two major indoor attractions within walking distance of each other in the Old Port and Old Montréal area. |
Alternative rainy day | Biodôme, Planetarium, and Insectarium | Groups several primarily indoor attractions near métro Viau. |
Toddlers (0–3) | Mount Royal + Botanical Garden + Bibliothèques Montréal | Gentle walks, sensory gardens, and free storytime sessions. |
Kids (7–12) | La Ronde + Montréal Science Centre + Voiles en Voiles | Combines thrill rides, interactive exhibits, and aerial adventure courses. |
Teenagers | Underground City + Old Montréal photography walks + iFLY | Self-directed exploration, an urban photography route, and indoor skydiving. |
Budget day | Mount Royal + Old Port + Tam-Tams + Montréal libraries | Combines major free landmarks with low-cost family programming. |
One-day itinerary | Old Port + Pointe-à-Callière + Montréal Science Centre | Geographically coherent cluster in the Old Port and Old Montréal area. |
Winter visit | Biodôme + Botanical Garden greenhouse + Ice skating | Combines warm indoor attractions with a classic Montréal winter activity. |
Summer visit | Parc Jean-Drapeau or Old Port, followed by an evening festival | Combines waterfront recreation with Montréal’s seasonal outdoor programming. |
Explore Montréal by Area
Montréal is a city of distinct neighbourhoods, each with its own family-friendly character. Use this as your starting map.
Watch Out
From métro Place-des-Arts in the Quartier des Spectacles to métro Viau for the Olympic Park area and métro Jean-Drapeau for the islands, the metro covers most family destinations — group nearby neighbourhoods together to avoid back-to-back transit with little ones. An STM 24-hour pass ($11.25/adult, children 11 and under ride free with a paying adult) covers all buses and metros.
What’s Happening This Week
Need this-week ideas? Our weekly roundup is refreshed every Monday.
👉 What’s Happening This Week →
Updated every Monday with:
- Festivals and free activities for the week
- Weekend events and outdoor movies
- Weather highlights and seasonal programming
- Family-friendly recommendations by age
Things to Do by Season
Montréal’s seasons shape what’s possible. Here’s the full seasonal breakdown.
Spring Activities in Montréal with Kids (April – May)
- Sugar shacks (cabanes à sucre) just outside the city
- Maple sugaring season at family-friendly farms
- Easter programming at Biodôme and Botanical Garden
- Outdoor farmers’ markets reopening
- Dedicated spring guide in development.
Summer Activities in Montréal with Kids (June – September)
Summer is peak festival and outdoor season in Montréal, when the city truly comes alive for families.
- Dedicated summer guide in development.
- Montréal Family Events Guide: What’s On by Season — the full seasonal calendar
- What’s Happening for Families in Montréal This Week — weekly roundup
- Canada Day in Montréal with Kids — July 1
- Montréal Jazz Festival with Kids — late June to early July
- Cirque du Soleil ECHO at the Old Port — May 21 to August 16, 2026
- Montréal Complètement Cirque — early July
- Just for Laughs — mid to late July
- Festival International Présence Autochtone (First Peoples’ Festival) — August 4–14, 2026 (free outdoor at Place des Festivals)
- Disney’s The Lion King at Place des Arts — August 19 to September 6, 2026
- Jurassic Kingdom Canada at RécréoParc — August 21 to September 7, 2026
- Botanical Garden outdoor shows — July 4 to August 23
- Splash pads and wading pools across the city (free)
- Fireworks at La Ronde (L’International des Feux)
Fall Activities in Montréal with Kids (September – November)
Fall offers harvest festivals, apple picking, Halloween events, and foliage.
- Dedicated fall guide in development.
- UCI Road World Championships — September 2026
- Pumpkin patches and apple picking near Montréal — explore more family day trips from Montréal
- Gardens of Light at the Botanical Garden — September to October
- Festival du Nouveau Cinéma — October 7–18, 2026
- Halloween programming across the city
- Christmas market previews (late November)
Winter Activities in Montréal with Kids (December – March)
Winter transforms Montréal into a snowy wonderland with lights, ice skating, and cozy indoor activities.
- Dedicated winter guide in development.
- Montréal en Lumière — February light and food festival
- Igloofest — January to February
- Ice skating at Parc La Fontaine, Old Port, and Place des Arts (free outdoor)
- Tobogganing on Mount Royal
- Christmas in Montréal — December market and light displays
- Indoor museum days
- TOHU circus programming
Tip
Spring and fall can offer smaller crowds, while hotel rates vary according to events, weekends, and demand. May and October suit families comfortable with cool weather.
Free Activities in Montréal with Kids
Montréal offers an exceptional amount of free family fun.
- Dedicated free activities guide in development.
- What’s Happening for Families in Montréal This Week — updated every Monday
- Parc La Fontaine — pond with rowboats (summer), ice rink (winter), playground year-round
- Mount Royal Park — Kondiaronk Belvedere lookouts, Beaver Lake, hiking trails
- Tam-Tams at Mount Royal — Sundays May through September, 12 p.m. to sunset
- Splash pads and wading pools — 100+ free city pools across boroughs
- Bibliothèques Montréal — free summer family programming (storytime, workshops)
- Ciné-Été and Cin’Hoch de l’été — free outdoor movies (June through August)
- Dagobert — Théâtre La Roulotte — free outdoor children’s theatre (June 25 – August 14, 2026)
- International First Peoples’ Festival — August 4–14, 2026, free at Place des Festivals
- Les Lumières de Saint-Michel — free circus festival, August 7–9, 2026
- First Fridays — monthly food truck party, June through September
- Underground City (RÉSO) — 33 km of free pedestrian tunnels downtown
- McCord Stewart Museum — free for children 12 and under and teens 13–17; “Pay What You Can” first Sunday of every month
Good to Know
Many of Montréal’s festivals (Jazz, Just for Laughs outdoor shows, First Peoples’, Complètement Cirque outdoor programming) offer free outdoor stages even when ticketed indoor shows exist. The trick is showing up early to outdoor stages.
Indoor Activities in Montréal with Kids
Plenty of options for rainy days.
Rainy Day Activities
- Dedicated rainy day guide in development.
- Montréal Science Centre — adult $37, child 2–17 $27, family $118
- Biodôme — 4 ecosystems; adult $25.50, child 5–17 $13.50, under 5 free
- Pointe-à-Callière — adult $30, child 5–12 $10, family $60
- McCord Stewart Museum — under 12 free
- Dinos Alive — through August 30, 2026
- Bubble Planet — through August 30, 2026
Watch Out
Bubble Planet is not stroller-friendly inside the exhibit rooms (storage available; plan to babywear).
Indoor Attractions Open Year-Round
- Montréal Science Centre — Kéroul-certified accessible
- Biodôme — 4 ecosystems
- Insectarium — free stroller/wheelchair loan
- Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium — Thursday evenings $13 (movies only)
- Botanical Garden — greenhouses + outdoor gardens
- iFLY Montréal — indoor skydiving in Laval; ages 3+, from $59.99
See Things to Do by Interest for prices.
Things to Do by Age
0 – 3 (Babies & Toddlers)
- Dedicated toddlers guide in development.
- Montréal with a Baby or Toddler — stroller-friendly routes, quiet spaces, and family hacks
- Mount Royal — easy stroller walk to Kondiaronk Belvedere
- Botanical Garden — 75 hectares, paved paths, stroller loan
- Biodôme — 4 ecosystems, sensory-rich, stroller-friendly
- Parc La Fontaine — stroller-friendly, sensory pond, gentle playground
- McCord Stewart Museum — under 12 free
- Bibliothèques Montréal — free baby storytime
Good to Know
Space for Life has five sites: four Espace pour la vie museums (Biodôme, Botanical Garden, Insectarium, Planetarium) plus the Biosphère. The four museums share standard admission (Under 5 free; $13.50 child; $25.50 adult) and are all covered by the Passport. The Biosphère has its own admission on Île Sainte-Hélène and is not part of the Passport. Under 5 is free at the four museums. Selected sites offer stroller and wheelchair loans, subject to availability — check each venue.
4 – 6 (Preschoolers)
- Dedicated preschoolers guide in development.
- Dagobert — free outdoor children’s theatre (June 25 – August 14)
- Voiles en Voiles — ground-level adventure park
- Biodôme — wonder-filled ecosystems
- First Peoples’ Festival — free family programming August 4–14
- Pointe-à-Callière — Heroes of Greece exhibit, Alley-oop interactive
- Ciné-Été outdoor movies — most family-friendly
- La Ronde kiddie area — age-appropriate rides
7 – 12 (Kids)
- Dedicated kids (7–12) guide in development.
- Montréal Science Centre — interactive exhibits, IMAX, daily summer activities
- La Ronde — Six Flags amusement park
- Disney’s The Lion King at Place des Arts — August 19 to September 6, 2026; ages 6+
- Jurassic Kingdom Canada at RécréoParc — August 21 to September 7, 2026
- iFLY Montréal — ages 3+ welcome
- Dinos Alive — through August 30, 2026
- Bubble Planet — through August 30, 2026 (over 3 years)
- Free outdoor festivals — Jazz, Complètement Cirque, Just for Laughs daytime programming
Teenagers (13+)
- Dedicated teens guide in development.
- iFLY Montréal — indoor skydiving from $59.99
- Oasis Surf Dix30 Brossard — indoor surfing (~$60/30min)
- Underground City (RÉSO) — 33 km exploration
- Old Montréal photography walks
- La Ronde thrill rides (see Parc Jean-Drapeau)
- Just for Laughs — evening comedy shows
- National Bank Open tennis
Things to Do by Neighbourhood
Old Montréal
- Dedicated Old Montréal guide in development.
- Vieux-Port de Montréal (Old Port) — waterfront, Clock Tower, Voiles en Voiles
- Pointe-à-Callière — archaeology; Heroes of Greece (until March 2027)
- Montréal Science Centre — interactive exhibits
- Cirque du Soleil ECHO — Under the Big Top, May 21 – August 16, 2026
- Place Royale — historic square
- Rue Saint-Paul — pedestrian-friendly, family cafés
- Marché Bonsecours — historic market building
Downtown
- Dedicated downtown Montréal guide in development.
- Place des Arts — Lion King (Aug 19 – Sep 6, 2026), family programming
- Quartier des Spectacles — free outdoor concerts and festivals
- Underground City (RÉSO) — 33 km pedestrian network
- McCord Stewart Museum — under 12 free
Olympic District
- Dedicated Olympic District guide in development.
- Biodôme — 4 ecosystems, kids $13.50, under 5 free
- Planetarium — cosmic shows, Thursday evenings $13
- Insectarium — visual exhibits
- Botanical Garden — outdoor shows through August 23
- Olympic Park — Tower observation, 1976 Olympic anniversary events
Mount Royal
- Mount Royal Park — Kondiaronk Belvedere, Beaver Lake, Tam-Tams drum circle (Sundays May–September), free lookouts
Parc Jean-Drapeau
- Jean-Doré Beach — summer only; admission applies (adult $8.69, child 3–13 $4.46, family $21.04, free under 2; check official site for current rates)
- Bike paths — Île Sainte-Hélène
- La Ronde — Six Flags amusement park
- Piknic Électronik — Sundays May through October (note: adults-oriented, daytime shows more family-friendly)
Plateau Mont-Royal
- Parc La Fontaine — pond with rowboats (summer), ice rink (winter), playground
- Saint-Laurent Blvd (“The Main”) — restaurants, festivals
- Mile End — Saint-Viateur Bagel, family cafés
Verdun
- Promenade Wellington — pedestrian street, restaurants
- Waterfront parks — bike paths along the St. Lawrence
- Verdun Beach — sandy riverside beach (free, summer only)
Marché Atwater is in nearby Saint-Henri — easy by bike via the Lachine Canal path.
Things to Do by Interest
Venue | Ages | Adult | Child | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Biodôme | 0-12 | $25.50 | $13.50 (5-17) | Under 5 free |
Planetarium | 4-12+ | $25.50 | $13.50 (5-17) | Thu eve $13 |
Insectarium | 0-12 | $25.50 | $13.50 (5-17) | Under 5 free |
Botanical Garden | 0-12 | $25.50 | $13.50 (5-17) | Under 5 free |
Montréal Science Centre | 4-12+ | $37 | $27 (2-17) | Family $118 |
McCord Stewart Museum | 4-12+ | $20 online | Under 12 free | PWYC first Sun |
Pointe-à-Callière | 4-12+ | $30 | $10 (5-12) | Family $60 |
Montréal Museum of Fine Arts | All ages | varies | Under 20 free | Free programming |
Tip
Space for Life Passport Solo ($87) gives one adult 12-month unlimited access to all 4 Espace pour la vie museums (not the Biosphère). Passport Multi ($155) covers 2 adults + 3 kids. Tax treatment varies by museum — check each booking page for the total.
Festivals
- Canada Day — July 1; Montréal Jazz Festival — late June to early July
- Complètement Cirque — early July; Just for Laughs — mid to late July
- Festival International Présence Autochtone — August 4–14 (free)
- Disney’s The Lion King — August 19 – September 6
- Jurassic Kingdom Canada — August 21 – September 7; Festival du Nouveau Cinéma — October 7–18
Parks & Nature
- Mount Royal Park — walking, views, Tam-Tams
- Parc La Fontaine — playground, pond, year-round
- Parc Jean-Drapeau — beach, biking, La Ronde
Zoos & Wildlife
- Biodôme — 4 ecosystems (see Indoor Activities)
- Insectarium — immersive insect exhibits
- Botanical Garden — 75 hectares
- Jurassic Kingdom Canada — animatronic dinosaurs, Aug 21 – Sep 7
- Dinos Alive — through Aug 30
Playgrounds
- Parc La Fontaine — large playground
- Mount Royal — multiple playgrounds
- Parc Jean-Drapeau — playground + splash pad
- Borough playgrounds — 100+ across the city
Splash pads are free and operate citywide in summer.
Water Activities
- Clock Tower Beach at Old Port
- Jean-Doré Beach — see Parc Jean-Drapeau
- Lachine Canal — Lock & Paddle free days
- Oasis Surf Dix30 Brossard — indoor surfing
Adventure Activities
- Voiles en Voiles — aerial courses
- La Ronde — thrill rides (see Parc Jean-Drapeau)
- iFLY Montréal — indoor skydiving in Laval, ages 3+
Planning Your Montréal Family Trip
- Where to Stay in Montréal with Kids — Which area suits your family best
- How Many Days in Montréal? — Find the sweet spot
- Best Time to Visit Montréal with Kids — Seasonal guide for families
- Getting Around Montréal with Kids — Transit, strollers, and parking tips
- Montréal with a Baby or Toddler — Stroller-friendly routes, quiet spaces, and family hacks
- Best Day Trips from Montréal for Families — Easy family escapes within two hours of Montréal
Final Thoughts
Montréal is one of the most family-friendly cities in North America — there’s always something new to discover with your kids. Montreal Family Vacation is designed to help families turn those possibilities into a practical trip plan.
This guide sits at the centre of our Things to Do in Montréal with Kids guide series — the central reference for 22 sub-topic guides covering free activities, museums, seasonal events, neighbourhoods, and age-specific recommendations (see Things to Do by Interest above).
Planning your first family visit? Start with our first trip to Montréal with kids guide for the practical essentials, including when to visit, getting around, what to reserve, and how to plan your first 24 hours.
Looking for things to do right now? Check this week’s events first, then explore the guides above based on your family’s interests and the season. May and mid-September generally bring fewer crowds, while hotel prices vary with events and demand.
Sources and verification: Pricing and hours were verified against official venue websites on August 9, 2026. Tax and hours vary by attraction — check each venue’s booking page. Bookmark this guide; we update it as attractions, prices, and activities change.
