Summer 2025: Montréal cultural guide for families
Spring Culture, arts and heritage The city
With so much going throughout the year, it’s easy to get your kids plugged into Montréal’s cultural scene with happenings designed just for them. Here’s the scoop on cultural activities created for children 0-17 years.
FESTIVALS
Come summer, Montréal proudly lives up to its international reputation as a city of festivals. As busy as a beehive, the city buzzes with energy as crowds fill the streets and venues to take in unforgettable performances. From theatre and dance to music, circus, comedy, and film—the choice is yours! To get in on the excitement with the whole family, plan ahead to take in the many free outdoor events that are perfect for kids’ schedules and energy levels. Check out our top picks below, and don’t miss our articles on Montréal’s festivals and summertime spaces for even more ideas!
Petit Piknic – May 25, June 1, June 22, July 13 and August 24, 2025, Parc Jean-Drapeau
Colourful, festive, and totally free, these lively afternoon events take place on the Piknic Électronik site from noon to 3 p.m. Expect upbeat electronic music, games, on-site entertainment, food trucks, noise-cancelling headphones (limited quantities available to borrow) and plenty of opportunities to connect with other families. It’s all about fun, fun, fun! And don’t forget—outside of these special family events, Piknic Électronik is open to everyone, and kids under 12 always get in free.
MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE – July 3 – 13, 2025
Presented by TOHU in collaboration with Loto-Québec, MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE celebrates its 16th edition this summer! For 11 exciting days, catch unforgettable performances by circus artists and acrobats from around the globe, taking place in some of the city’s most iconic venues as s well as its parks and streets. Be sure to check out the lineup of free indoor and outdoor shows that are sure to delight kids and grownups alike!
Les Lumières de Saint-Michel – August 8 – 10, 2025
Back for a third edition, Les Lumières de Saint-Michel lights up the outdoor courtyard at TOHU and the welcome pavilion at Frédéric-Back Park with three days of free festivities, including live shows and circus-themed entertainment.
Festival Marionnettes Plein la Rue – August 22 – 24, 2025
For its 14th edition, the Promenade Wellington comes to life with larger-than-life puppets in a festival presented by Desjardins. Featuring performers from Québec and around the world, this unique celebration of the 11th art is sure to captivate and amaze! Get caught up in the magic of these enchanting (and free!) performances.
Festival des arts de ruelle de Montréal (FAR) – August 23 to September 7, 2025
Montréal’s alleyways—true hidden gems of the city—come alive with charm and creativity during the Festival des arts de ruelle (FAR). Now in its 9th edition, this unique event invites you to explore a vibrant and eclectic program in cozy, community-driven spaces.
JOAT Festival – August 26 – September 1, 2025
Celebrate street dance culture with your teens as over a hundred artists take the stage for high-energy battles, breaking, hip-hop, popping, krump and more. It’s a chance to dive into the world of Afro-American vernacular dances that have taken the global stage by storm.
THEATRE, FILM, LIVE PERFORMANCES AND SHOWS
Place des Arts, Quartier des spectacles
Concerts, comedy, circus, theatre, dance, music and musical theatre: everyone is invited to a series of cultural happenings sure to delight, inspire and move you! Teens will love the regular programming at Place des Arts, which offers an array of choices to spark their interest in culture. Choose a show and set aside some special time to bond together.
Théatre de Verdure – June 4 - August 24, 2025, Parc La Fontaine
Right in the heart of Parc La Fontaine, the Théâtre de Verdure offers a full season of free outdoor programming all summer long. Enjoy live music, dance, circus, theatre and film under the stars.
Ciné-été – June 21 – August 31, 2025, Cinéma Beaubien
Enjoy free family movie screenings every Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. presented by the Maison de la culture Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie in collaboration with Cinéma Beaubien and FIFEM.
Dagobert – June 27 – August 15, 2025
Presented free of charge by Théâtre La Roulotte, this delightful family play (in French only) takes place outdoors in parks throughout Montréal’s neighbourhoods.
Luzia – until August 24, 2025 under the Big Top, Jacques-Cartier Pier, Vieux Port de Montréal
Step into a dreamlike Mexico where poetry, acrobatics and the country’s rich, vibrant culture come alive in a dazzling celebration of light and joy. Somewhere between reality and fantasy, this Cirque du Soleil show is a thrilling sensorial experience.
For more inspiration, check out our guides to 10 exciting activities near the Cirque du Soleil Big Top in Old Montréal—and the best places to eat nearby.
MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS
Musée d’art contemporain, Downtown
The MAC family exhibitions and activities are designed for children aged 6 and up, as well as teenagers. Alongside a dynamic and welcoming staff, you can admire original works as a family and open your vision to avant-garde creations. For summer 2025, the workshops on July 4 and 5, as well as on August 1 and 2 are organized around the collective exhibition, "Skyscrapers by the roots," which is inspired by the current presence of the Museum at Place Ville Marie, an emblem of modernism. Imagine retro-futuristic cities as a family using various materials. Free for people under 18.
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts , Downtown
Right in the heart of the historic Golden Square Mile downtown, the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts (MBAM) hosts world-class international exhibitions—and admission is free for visitors under 20! Don’t miss BMO Family Saturday Mornings, when the museum opens its doors free to families from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Explore the collections and get creative with activities designed especially for kids. From June 30 to September 7, 2025, on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., check out the Enchantingly Curious workshop, where families can create artworks inspired by chance, dreams and imagination. Plus, catch the return of the Artcyclerolling through various parks and locations across Montréal, offering fun outdoor art workshops for all ages.
Now on: Bad Girls Only: Women and the Seven Deadly Sins (until August 10, 2025), Berthe Weill, Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant-garde (until September 7, 2025), Worlds of Wonder: The Surrealist Journey of Alan Glass (until September 28, 2025), Two by Two, Together (until October 5, 2025) and Marie-Claire Blais: Streaming Light (June 20, 2025 to January 4, 2026).
In the heart of Old Montréal, PHI offers a wonderful way to introduce young people to contemporary art through innovative and avant-garde programming. Guided tours are available and admission is free for children aged 12 and under. Don't miss the current exhibitions running until September 14, 2025: Lap-See Lam: Shadow Play and Nico Williams: Bingo.
World Press Photo Montréal – August 27 – October 13, 2025, Marché Bonsecours
Explore the 18th edition of this prestigious exhibition showcasing the winning photos from the 2025 contest—chosen from tens of thousands of submissions by photographers worldwide. Admission is free for kids under 10.
IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES
Museum of Illusions Montréal, Old Montréal
An edu-tainment destination for all ages, the Museum of Illusion offers over 70 visual animations, exhibits featuring holograms, stereograms, optical illusions and immersive rooms designed to awaken the senses and play tricks on the mind. Free for children 4 years and under.
OASIS immersion, Palais des congrès
Experience immersive adventures in the enchanting world of OASIS immersion. Located in a 2,000-m² multimedia space, discover three immersive galleries and two luminous experiences with your family. Until August 31, 2025, explore Root for nature, a true sensory bath in nature created in collaboration with National Geographic, focusing on conservation and sustainable development issues, and AMPLIFIED, featuring immersive spaces inspired by the world of music of the legendary magazine, Rolling Stone. Free for children aged 0-5.
The AURA Experience at Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal, Old Montréal
This multimedia experience created by renowned Montréal studio Moment Factory immerses the whole family in a captivating visual and musical universe, projected onto the neo-Gothic architecture of Montréal's Notre-Dame Basilica. Free for children 5 years and under.
SAT, Quartier des spectacles
Exhibitions and immersive experiences come together in this creative laboratory dedicated to the development of digital culture. At the heart of the Satosphère, you and your teens and kids can enjoy a true audiovisual experience. This summer, AdoLabs invites youth aged 13 to 17 to dive into the world of digital arts. Explore animated creation, digital avatars, social media, and concepts of time from July 30 to August 27, 2025.
![Society for Arts and Technology [SAT] – MTL connect](https://api.mtl.org/files/default/styles/square_330_330/public/2024-08/54467.jpg.webp?itok=sxujuea_)
Life Chronicles – until September 1, 2025, King-Edward Pier, Old Port
Presented by PHI, this immersive journey covers 3.5 billion years of Earth's history and living organisms. With a virtual reality headset on, dive into a captivating exploration of the planet's major evolutionary phases: Paleolithic landscapes, key geological periods, and encounters with spectacular species like dinosaurs, giant millipedes, and marine reptiles. Suitable for children aged 8 and up.
Tonight with The Impressionnists – Paris 1874 – starting June 20, 2025, Arsenal Contemporary Art
Equipped with your virtual reality headset, step into 19th-century Paris, family in tow, to relive the birth of Impressionism as if you were truly there. This immersive virtual reality expedition transports you to the very first Impressionist exhibition in 1874 bringing you face to face with Monet, Degas, Renoir, and their contemporaries at a pivotal moment in art history. For ages 8 and up.
HISTORICAL EXHIBITIONS
Musée McCord Stewart, Downtown
Explore the history of Montréal in its diversity through exhibitions that often take interactive avenues. Numerous workshops and guided tours for the whole family are organized every weekend and when the weather’s fine, Museum Alley comes to life. Don't miss the permanent exhibition Indigenous Voices of Today: Knowledge, Trauma, Resilience which showcases the knowledge and history of Indigenous peoples, as well as the current temporary exhibitions: Costume Balls – Dressing Up History, 1870-1927 (until August 17, 2025), Little Burgundy – Evolving Montréal (until September 2, 2025) and Pounding the Pavement: Montréal Street Photography (until October 26, 2025). Free entry for children 12 and under.
Redpath Museum, Downtown
Head over to the McGill University campus to discover incredible specimens of extinct animal species, fossils - including impressive dinosaur skeletons sure to impress young and old alike - and collections from ancient Egypt, including mummies. Suggested contribution of $10 (adults only)
Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex, Old-Montréal
This summer, step into the fascinating world of knights with the Knights exhibition, on until October 19, 2025. Discover nearly 250 artifacts that bring the age of chivalry to life! Kids (and grown-ups!) can dive into a hands-on experience zone: try on pieces of armour, design your own coat of arms, feel the weight of a real suit of armour, handle a sword and take on challenges worthy of a grand tournament.
The Come aboard! Pirates or Privateers? permanent exhibition is sure to delight budding sailors (5 to 12 years old) thirsty for knowledge and adventure. More of a landlubber? With Archaeo Adventure youngsters can follow the steps of an archaeologist and experience a simulated archaeological dig through the construction site, the tent and the laboratory area.
Also running until September 2, 2025, Summer on the Pointe is back with a festive lineup of free activities taking place on the plaza in front of the museum in a charming urban oasis designed with families in mind. Be sure to check out Family Sundays on the Pointe, where the spirit of chivalry comes to life through creative workshops and plenty of surprises for all ages. And don’t miss the big event on August 23 and 24, 2025—the return of the Public Market! Now in its 32nd edition, this beloved tradition transforms the museum grounds into a vibrant re-creation of an 18th-century Montréal market day under French rule.
Château Ramezay – Historic Site and Museum of Montréal, Old Montréal
The permanent exhibition Life at the Château: Splendour and Misery in New France offers an immersion into 18th-century Montréal that's sure to intrigue children of all ages. Free admission for children 4 and under.
La Maison Saint-Gabriel, Pointe-Saint-Charles
Head southwest of Montréal to visit a three-hundred-year-old farmhouse, where you'll get a glimpse of rural Montréal between the 17th and 20th centuries. There are many family activities offered this summer in addition to guided tours for ages 6 years and up.
Marguerite-Bourgeoys Historic Site, Old Montréal
Step back in time to the city’s beginnings and meet some of Montréal's most symbolic figures at this historic site. Take in the permanent exhibition, Meet Margeurite! where children can learn more about this extraordinary woman hailed as the “Mother” of the 17th-century colony. Free for children 12 and under.
Musée des Hospitalières de l'Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal
This museum offers a fascinating look back at four centuries of history through its former monastery, the caregivers’ garden, hospital, three chapels, a crypt and the burial site of Jeanne Mance—co-founder of Montréal and founder of the Hôtel-Dieu. Explore the permanent collection focused on sacred art, hospital care, medicine and pharmacy, as well as the temporary exhibition, Corpus insolite: Jana Sterbak (on view until August 24, 2025). Every last Saturday of the month, from 10 a.m. to noon, families are invited to take part in thematic activities for children. Admission is just $5 for ages 5 and up and includes access to the current exhibition and a fun collage workshop.
Écomusée du fier monde, Village
At the heart of a spectacular public bath converted into a museum, youngsters can discover the industrial and working-class history of the Centre-Sud district. Free for children 6 years and under.
Musée des Hospitalières de l'Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal
This museum offers a fascinating look back at four centuries of history through its former monastery, the caregivers’ garden, hospital, three chapels, a crypt and the burial site of Jeanne Mance—co-founder of Montréal and founder of the Hôtel-Dieu. Explore the permanent collection focused on sacred art, hospital care, medicine and pharmacy, as well as the temporary exhibition, Corpus insolite: Jana Sterbak (on view until August 24, 2025). Every last Saturday of the month, from 10 a.m. to noon, families are invited to take part in thematic activities for children. Admission is just $5 for ages 5 and up and includes access to the current exhibition and a fun collage workshop.
Écomusée du fier monde, Village
At the heart of a spectacular public bath converted into a museum, youngsters can discover the industrial and working-class history of the Centre-Sud district. Free for children 6 years and under.
MEM – Centre des mémoires montréalaises, Quartier des spectacles
This brand-new, inclusive and innovative museum and civic space celebrates the voices of citizens past and present, highlighting the identities and stories that define "montréalité". Discover the current permanent and temporary exhibitions in addition to the MEM's public spaces with your family. Free admission for children 12 and under, and special rates for teenagers 13 to 17.
SCIENCE AND NATURE
Espace pour la vie, Olympic District
The largest museum complex in Canada devoted to the natural sciences, Espace pour la vie encompasses the Biodôme, the Planetarium, the Botanical Garden, the Insectarium, and the Biosphère (in Parc Jean-Drapeau). For all ages and free for children 4 years and under.
Montréal Science Centre, Old Port of Montréal
For budding scientists of all ages, the Montreal Science Centre offers fun and enriching exhibitions for all age groups. Don’t miss the blockbuster exhibition T. rex: The Ultimate Predator (May 1 to September 7, 2025), an up-close, life-sized encounter with the tyrannosaur superfamily in this interactive show from the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Also on view: Nanualuk – Northern Expedition, a brand-new permanent exhibition that takes visitors on an immersive quest into the Canadian Arctic filled with enriching interactive challenges, along with the 5 permanent exhibitions and the film Australia 3D: The Wild Continent shown at the IMAX®TELUS cinema.
Exporail, the Canadian Railway Museum, Saint-Constant
This museum on Montreal's South Shore offers permanent, temporary and virtual exhibits to introduce visitors to the fascinating world of railways. Children can climb aboard various train carriages, take a ride on a miniature train, and participate in the numerous thematic activities held throughout the year. Free admission for children 2 years and under.
Smith House (under construction until March 2026), on Mont Royal
Why not round off a wonderful walk on the “mountain” with a visit to Smith House to take in the free exhibition, The Thousand Faces of Mount Royal: Olmsted, the Visionary? Here, you’ll experience an ode to the mountain and the photographers who have immortalized it through their lenses, from the vision of the architect of Mount Royal Park to the shots of celebrated photographer William Notman, with a few of today's Instagram photos thrown in for good measure. There’s no lack of things to do as a family on the mountain, plus plenty of other fun activities designed to awaken your senses and help you get in tune with nature.
Ecomuseum Zoo, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
The only outdoor zoo on the island of Montréal, here you can observe native Quebec animals in their natural habitat. Wolves, hawks, and other magnificent creatures: keep your eyes peeled!
GENERAL CULTURE
The libraries in Montreal's various boroughs are goldmines for reading, playing and listening to stories as a family. It's a simple (and free!)way to stimulate your children's curiosity. There’s even something for babies, with sensory books made just for them.
Thanks to the Maisons de la culture and their partners, the City of Montréal offers a varied and accessible cultural program throughout the year. Dance, theatre, concerts, visual arts exhibitions, cinema and more: consult the calendar.
Guided tours are an excellent way to explore with the kids in tow. Haunted Montréal, foodie hotspots, a special "mural" open-air museum, nighttime projections: there's no shortage of choice, and some tours are suitable for all ages and even free for children under 12. Check out our recommendations here.
DAY CAMPS
Registration for summer day camps is open! If your kids want to immerse themselves in Québécois culture with local hosts, refine their artistic talents, or learn a new language – all while you explore the city – here’s a curated selection of fun and safe Montréal day camps to keep them active and happy, whether for a day or an entire week.
Original article in French by Laure Juilliard, adapted into English by Dawn Bessey-Gans.
Laure Juilliard
Originally from Paris, Laure Juilliard made Montréal her home over 15 years ago and has never looked back. Won over by her new city's unique energy, cultural vibrancy and gastronomic effervescence, she loves exploring all the coolest spots. A writer and blogger specialising in lifestyle, culture, travel and gastronomy, she has lent her pen to Tourisme Montréal for more than 10 years, in addition to magazines such as ELLE Québec and Clin d'œil, as well as a variety of well-known companies and agencies. Always on the lookout for innovative concepts and the best addresses wherever she is in the world, she is also always planning her next trip.