Montréal summer fun for the whole family

Montréal has a profusion of parks and greenery that is ideal for exploring. Mount Royal Park is a gigantic green gem at the heart of the city that families naturally gravitate to for activities like kite-flying, nature exploring and leisurely picnics around Beaver Lake. Don’t forget to snap some pics of your crew on the Kondiaronk Belvedere. And, good to know: restrooms and cafés are open in the Beaver Lake Pavilion and Mount Royal Chalet. Whew!

At the foot of the mountain is Jeanne-Mance Park, a vast swath of green where you’ll see people playing soccer, volleyball, frisbee and pétanque, but there’s also a recently-revamped playground for kids. Over at Parc La Fontaine, double it up with a picnic and free performances at Théâtre de Verdure, or explore many other Montréal parks and green spaces, where splash pads offer cool refreshers. Frolic to your heart’s content at Parc Jean-Drapeau's Aquatic Complex, which has an outdoor recreational pool for families, hit the Verdun Beach or check out the city’s pools and beaches open for the summer season. Parks are also a great destination for music lovers: the Orchestre Métropolitain offers a series of free concerts under the direction of orchestra conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE will have you ooh-ing and ahh-ing at its spectacular shows, indoors and outdoors, in the Quartiers des spectacles downtown and several Montréal neighbourhoods from July 3 to 13. Meet your favourite comic book heroes at Montréal Comiccon from July 4 to 6. Groove to the beats at the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique outdoors in the Quartier des spectacles from July 8 to 20. Is electronic more your thing? Every Sunday, thoughout summer, Parc Jean-Drapeau comes alive with Piknic Éléctronik, an EDM music festival that has lots of free stuff going on for kids. 

Explore the many facets of Montréal’s cultures and communities through Haiti on Fire! from July 23 to 27, fall in amore with ItalFestMTL’s Italian week which happens annually in August and go see Scottish piping bands and sports at The Montréal Highland Games on August 3. 

Montréal alleyways are a very popular family hangout, so much so that Montréal has a whole arts festival devoted to them: Le FAR Festival des arts de ruelle from August 25 to September 7. Be sure to catch International First Peoples Festival (IFPF), celebrating First Nations culture and creativity from Canada and internationally (the giant teepee is a must!) from August 5 to 14.

Enjoy the magical realism of Mexico with Cirque du Soleil’s colourful show LUZIA, a celebration of Mexico’s culture, creativity and architecture under the big top in the Old Port of Montréal from May 15 to June 29. 

At night, you can catch the breathtaking L'International des Feux Loto-Québec fireworks competition throughout the summer. The Quartier des spectacles in downtown Montréal surprises with outdoor circus, theatre and dance performances. Pop by next-door’s Jardins Gamelin for snacks and family-friendly stuff like board games, quizzes, multimedia projections and interactive art installations.

Montréal’s Espace pour la vie is another must-see for its five spectacular nature museums. Enjoy the wonderful flowers, plants and trees from across North America, Asia and the world as you tour the Jardin botanique, its huge greenhouse and ponds. Get up close to nature in the Biodôme's five ecosystems, soar through outer space with the Planetarium’s immersive films and exhibitions, and discover the tiny but mighty world of insects at the newly renovated Insectarium.

On the other side of Sherbrooke Street is the Olympic Park esplanade, where Îlots76 is a playland of bouncy castles, snacks and lots of other fun. If your kids are itching to shred it, definitely check out the Vans Skatepark (one of many cool skateparks in the city) or even rock climbing on Nomad Bloc’s supervised climbs (shoe rentals available), or check out these other places for rock climbing and bouldering. If tummies start to rumble, you’re in the right spot: Montréal’s gourmet food trucks set up at the Olympic Stadium (and in the Old Port) for First Fridays starting in June, where you not only get great eats, but music and family activities too. Fans of professional sports will love the open-air Saputo Stadium just next door, where they can cheer on Major League Soccer team CF Montréal. Downtown’s Percival-Molson Memorial Stadium is also home to the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes. Touchdoooooown!

If your kids love all things feathered and furry, be sure to check out the West Island’s Ecomuseum Zoo, where they can see local wildlife in their natural outdoor habitats. How about some spelunking? La caverne de Saint-Léonard is an underground cave you can explore, with helmet rentals available. Upla, North America’s largest outdoor trampoline is another option for kids with extra energy, or you can take it leisurely with fruit picking and finding your way out of a corn maze at Labonté de la Pomme, open summer-long. Got a gang of thrill-seekers? They’ll love the stomach-dropping rides at La Ronde amusement park, a great place to catch the fireworks show too.

The gorgeous Old Port of Montréal is a destination in itself, whether you want to stroll the boardwalk and see ships in harbour, or rent a quadricycle for even more free-wheeling fun. Definitely book a gondola on the La Grande Roue observation wheel – such stunning city views! Be sure to snap a family photo at the big BONJOUR sign (and keep Montréal in your hearts at home). Kids can test their mettle on the aerial bridges of Voiles en Voiles or the maze of SOS Labyrinthe, housed in a former hanger. Tweens and teens will want to buckle up for a whirl on the MTL Zipline, while the little guys might want to build sandcastles at Clock Tower Beach as you relax under the parasols.

Come summertime, pedestrians rule Montréal’s streets. You can soak up the scene, discover cool boutiques and have something to eat and drink as you roam the city’s car-free arteries. While you’re out and about, keep an eye out for the massive, colourful murals that grace the sides of buildings. Watch artists work their magic live during the MURAL Festival in June or the Under Pressure international graffiti festival in August. Take a family-centric guided city tour to discover more about Montréal’s history, food, architecture (and even ghosts).

Nothing says Montréal summer quite like the city’s summer markets and pop-up entertainment. Not only are they go-tos for epic eats and refreshments, but you can expect communal picnic tables, music, sandboxes, lounge chairs, fun activities and major vacay vibes at Village au Pied-du-Courant and POP Montréal’s Marché des Possibles on the weekends. Tired from your busy day? Relax and unwind in Montréal’s many family-friendly hotels.

Did you know Montréal has a 15-kilometre-long boat canal, stretching from Old Montréal to the Musée plein air de Lachine in the west? The Lachine Canal is a real celebration of exercise and eats: ride bikes along the bike path hugging the canal, then stop for a bite at Marché des Éclusiers (Old Port), grab gourmet to-gos from the Atwater Market or order an artisanal cone at Riverside, both in Les Quartiers du Canal neighbourhood. In the north end of the city, the Frédéric-Back Park, near La TOHU circus complex, offers another panoramic ride. Get the feeling Montréal is a cycling city? It is! Get the deets on the  best rides in our guide to all things biking, including kids’ bike and trailer rentals.

Beating the summer heat with water fun is easy here: so much water all around! MTL's river shuttles are both refreshing and fun, and offer six different routes along the St. Lawrence River to large nature parks and other explorable neighbourhoods. The shuttles have built-in racks, so bring your bikes for even more discoveries. Take a cruise from the Old Port and see the sights with AML Cruises, Bateau-Mouche and Le Petit Navire. Not scared of getting wet? Bounce the frothy waves on Jet Boating Montreal ride and have a blast.

Montréal has lots of kid-friendly museums, which are great for rainy days, including the Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex where little swashbucklers can discover Pirates or privateers?, or stroll through a (clean) sewer dating back to the 1830s. Science geeks will go ga-ga for the interactive devices, innovative activities and in-depth IMAX films at the Montréal Science Centre. Explore the beautiful art at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, then let them express their creativity at its Art Hive. Immerse yourself in the feel-good Oasis Immersion at the Palais des congrès: it’s both soothing and interactive, and kids love it! The city has no shortage of indoor activities for kids, including skateboarding and scooter park Le TAZ, iSaute trampoline park and Laser Game Evolution for an epic laser tag battle. 

With all this exploring, there will be hungry tummies. Satisfy their cravings with bagels, sandwiches, burgers or poutine or dine al fresco on these great places to eat with kids. Picnics in the park are easy-peasy in Montréal and brunch options are multitude. Downtown Montréal is home to gourmet food halls that even the pickiest eaters will love, including Time Out Market, Marché Artisans, Le Cathcart Restaurants et Biergarten and LE CENTRAL - Manger Montréal. Pizza is always a smash hit and there are plenty of delicious Montréal pizza parlours where you can enjoy these savoury discs. For lighter, on-the-go drinkables suitable for everyone, check out Montréal’s indie coffee shops and baby-friendly cafés, or pick up delish snacks to go at Montréal's best bakeries and pastry shops. If you’ve got sweet tooths in your midst, they’ll love the city’s fresh-baked doughnuts, churroschocolate shops and candy stores. And when it’s baking hot outside, nothing beats the heat like a locally-made ice cream – perhaps the best Montréal summer scoop of them all!