Reserve a spot for you and the kids on the Amphi-Bus and you’ll see Montreal two ways: onshore or off. The incredible amphibian vehicle transitions seamlessly from a road tour to the St. Lawrence River. Starting in the hopping Old Montreal corner of De la Commune and St-Laurent, the historically enlightening journey around Old Montreal will acquaint you with all the unmissable sites – Notre-Dame Basilica, Marché Bonsecours, Place Jacques-Cartier, the quais – before taking a dive into the river. Then you’ll see it all from the vantage point offshore, and take in the beautiful view out across the water.

A special treat you can offer yourself is a romantic tête-à-tête aboard the Amphi-Bus during the International Loto-Québec Fireworks throughout the summer (starting on June 22). There’s no better place to view the spectacular light show than in the middle of the St-Lawrence. You’ll be invited to toast the occasion with a glass of sparkling wine, to add to the mood. Montreal, this one’s for you!

THE DETAILS

Amphi-Bus, Starting at De la Commune and St-Laurent, (514) 849-5181

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Montreal in the hot months feels like the reason the sun exists – the city shines like a mirage full or music festivals, lively parks and revelers everywhere you turn. You don’t have to ask us twice to stay out of doors, and with these great activities, even the kids will agree. No TV show in the world compares to the fun to be had in the great outdoors…

The gorgeous 245 hectare natural park that is the Morgan Arboretum kicks the party off on May 10 with a hopping evening: Frog Songs: The Symphony of Spring invites you and yours to break out your flashlights and discover the amazing nocturnal life of amphibians from 7 to 9 pm. Join Chris Cloutier as he takes you down to a local swamp in search of our cold-blooded friends. On Saturday, May 18, from 8 am to noon, the arboretum sings spring’s praises with The Birds of Spring, in honour of the peak of the spring migration. The trees are alive with birds all over this beautiful park, and this excursion will introduce you to dozens of species.

Speaking of birds, the Parc des Rapides is a gorgeous natural site at the foot of the Lachine rapids, on the St. Lawrence River, with a tremendously diverse ecological zone. Since 1937 it’s acted as a migratory bird refuge – what’s special is that now’s the time to spot the nests housing the next generation of birdies. The park is home to 225 species of birds, 66 species of fish and 250 types of plants! Plus it’s free to visit.

May 13 kicks off the season of water fun at H2O Adventures, where you can rent any of 50 watercraft, from kayaks to pedal boats to canoes or electric motorboats. Take the kids for a fast ride along the Lachine Canal, or go more mellow and teach them how to canoe like our ancestors did – it’s a good way to give them a history lesson without them even knowing it.

While you’re in that neck of the woods, bike or stroll along the Lachine Canal to the Musée Plein Air de Lachine, an amazing, monumental sculpture garden that’s among the largest open air museums in Canada. The 50 works on view include some by André Fournelle, Michel Goulet, David Moore and Bill Vazan – and for once, this is a museum where kids are allowed to touch the art!

Take the fam sky high with Air Saint-Laurent, Montreal’s own seaplane service from Île Sainte-Hélène, at the foot of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge. Explore the city by helicopter, or aboard their famous Beaver, a seaplane that will take you over the Olympic Stadium, downtown, green spaces and parks galore before landing you back down, amazed.

The Botanical Gardens is natural bliss incarnate, and during the 1000 Days for the Planet, kids get to learn about the planet’s biodiversity every week from Tuesday to Sunday in an exhibition that mashes together science and art. Make sure you keep time to stroll through the picturesque gardens – from the Chinese garden to the rose bushes, it’s all blooming beautiful right now.

And for the simplest, quickest, quintessentially Montreal-est free fun in the sun, go use the swings on President Kennedy and St-Urbain, right in the Quartier des Spectacles. They’ll sing to you.

THE DETAILS

Morgan Arboretum, 150 chemin des Pins, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, (514) 398-7811

Parc des Rapides, corner 6th Avenue and LaSalle Boulevard, (514) 367-6351

H2O Adventures, 2985B St-Patrick, (514) 842-1306

Musée Plein Air de Lachine, Parc René-Lévesque, Lachine, (514) 634-3478

Air Saint-Laurent, departure points depends on the adventure, (514) 447-7950

Botanical Gardens, 4101 Sherbrooke East, (514) 872-1400

The post Out and about with the family this spring and summer appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

(illuminated learning) Hands-on learning about how music works on our minds is at the heart of Musik: From Sound to Emotion, a cool new exhibition at The Montreal Science Centre. Every step of the exhibition’s journey is interactive – each visitor carries an MP3 player to listen to music of all kinds (including by pop-punk band Simple Plan, who collaborated on the exhibition), answer questions and create a personal composition. Less high-tech, but delightfully educational nonetheless is a visit to the Insectarium and The Botanical Gardens, where the main greenhouse is decked out for Christmas with lights, new plant life, choir performances on some afternoons, and even a craft fair December 7-9.

(glorious showtime) Lumberjack acrobats tumble among pine trees in Cirque Alphonse’s Timber!, a comedic, musical circus for the whole family, December 18-31 at Montreal’s one-and-only circus centre, Tohu. Geordie Productions specializes in creating shows for children that their parents can also truly enjoy – this year they’ve put a new twist on Robin Hood, the classic tale of do-good outlaws and their merry ways, playing December 7-16 at the Centaur Theatre in Old Montreal (453 St-Francois-Xavier). For more traditional holiday theatre fair, see Les Grands Ballets unveils its colourful annual performance of The Nutcracker, December 13-30 at Place des Arts, while Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol becomes a musical, complete with 14 songs, at Theatre Rialto on December 14.

(holiday history) A question possibly on many a kid’s mind this season: Who is the real Santa Claus? Pointe-a-Calliere Museum of Archaeology and History answers with an theatrical tour of international holiday traditions, from St. Nicholas, Melchior and Babushka to Santa Claus, throughout December – see the museum’s website for tour times. For toys and nothing but toys, visit The McCord Museum’s Toys 3 – The Voyage exhibition, where children aged 3 to 9 can travel through the adventureland of Abracadabra, where 200 historical toys are on display in wild jungles and next to crackling campfires.

(joy of art) The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts gives the gift of free tours and art activities this season: wander through an indoor forest of 35 Christmas trees, decorated in different styles, see museum’s permanent collections, kids and parents can make their own tree decorations and wrapping paper in a Holiday Decoration Workshop (Saturdays and Sundays, drop in), paint a pastel and ink landscape (Saturdays and Sundays, 1 and 2:30 p.m.) and listen to stories (in English Saturdays and Sundays, 1 p.m.). The Musee d’art contemporain also has art workshops for the family every Sunday afternoon, with a different theme each week. And traditional and contemporary art as well as plenty of craft – including all kinds of hand-made toys – that you can not only look at but buy is in abundance at Montreal’s artisanal and craft fairs.

The post FAMILY HOLIDAY GUIDE TO MONTREAL appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

The Montreal Insectarium is one of the city’s most original attractions – and as of last summer, a whole new exhibit infests the insects’ museum space at the heart of the Botanical Gardens. We, the Insects is an interpretive, interactive display that tells the story of life on Earth from the insects’ point of view.

We learn that insects make up around 55% of all life on our planet, and that they’re ubiquitous, and also that they’re very, very weird. During a visit, we get close-up looks at the bejeweled variety of bugs in all the colours of the rainbow, as well as a chance to visit close-up with some of the big guys (under glass), including a tank beetle and a glorious, elegant stick insect in a green wonderland all his own.

After a couple of hours playing in the bug paradise of the Insectarium, be sure to head down the garden path to the Botanical Gardens, where the butterfly attraction, Butterflies Go Free, is in full flight. The Montreal Buzz has already proudly featured this great exhibit, but we thought you should know that, this year, they’ve expanded the butterflies’ domain to include two separate viewing areas, that together contain around 75 species of butterfly, with a population of around 20,000 over the course of the event which lasts until April 29.

The butterflies hail from all over the world, including the U.K., Cambodia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Phillippines, Tanzania and of course Canada, all under one cozy roof. What better way to spend an afternoon than relaxing on a bench in the Day butterflies’ dome – the gorgeous blue Morphos, who frolic in a purpose-built chute and allow visitors to get really close up. If you stand very still, it’s likely they’ll even land on you! It’s weird but very cool.

Across the complex, the newest thing in butterfly displays are the Night Butterflies – a separate display featuring the strange world of fluttering creatures that only come out at night. Have you ever seen a Cobra Butterfly? Or a Caligo Butterfly, perched on a piece of kiwi? It’s a strange and slightly terrifying sight, to be sure – and totally worth the trip.

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THE DETAILS

Montréal Insectarium, 4581 Sherbrooke East,  (514) 872-1400

Montreal Botanical Gardens, 4101 Sherbrooke East, (514) 872-1400

The post BUGS AND BEETLES AND BUTTERFLIES, OH MY! appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

(new technology meets dinosaurs) The Montreal Science Centre is always a great place for good family times, but March break amps up the science action. This year’s Technofollies program, March 3–11, puts new technologies into kids’ hands with workshops in digital technologies such as 3-D and stop-motion, games, including the new Pokémon Black and White versions, an organic orchestra and interactive family challenge The Great Race, shows and entertainment that challenge the minds of 8–14 years olds – and active games get kids moving too, playing sports, making laser murals and becoming a rock star. Shift from the future of technology to the distant past at the Dinosaurs Unearthed exhibition and dive into the wondrous waters of IMAX film The Last Reef 3D. (circus acts) Kids get into the act at Montreal’s one and only circus centre TOHU this March break. Every day from March 5 to 9, starting at 1:30 p.m., TOHU offers free games and events: outdoors, kids can slide on kicksleds, play old-time games, build snow castles and snowmen, and indoors get a guided tour of TOHU’s massive, circular stage space and learn a few circus tricks in workshops. Meanwhile, every day at 2pm, see world-renowned clown, juggler, hand-balancer, acrobat and former member of Cirque du Soleil and Cirque Éloize, Jamie Adkins in his new show Circus Incognitus, playing to March 11.

(winter park life) A mere five-minute metro ride from downtown Montreal, Parc Jean-Drapeau is a natural oasis in the middle of the St-Lawrence River – and is open to winter sports (hockey included, of course) and other family- and kid-friendly activities (human foosball? Yes) from March 3 to 11. The Québec Ski Area Association teaches downhill skiing to kids for free – or opt to sled down the hill instead. Equipment rental of skates, snowshoes, sleds and skis is available on-site. For a small fee, ride the zip-line or the tube-slide, a dog sled or a horse-drawn sleigh. Also at the park, the Biosphère Environment Museum offers free entry to its Wild About Nature hands-on exhibition as well as short films, a photobooth, Inukshuk building and a bistro-lounge with hot chocolate and waffles to warm the body and soul. And for warming at a later date, pick up some Quebec-made jams, pates, maple syrup and more at the Week-ends Gourmands set up at the entry to the Jean-Drapeau metro station.

(artistic action) From March 7–11, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts puts on a March break spread for children and their parents, full of free activities that go along with museum’s current exhibitions. Dive into the carnivalesque world of American cartoonist turned painter, photographer and composer, Lyonel Feininger – admission is free for children aged twelve and under when accompanied by an adult, and during spring break, tickets are two for one – and free activities include guided tours (March 10–11, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.), afternoon art workshops (collage, origami and more), a gallery game and a musical event. As always, the museum’s regular collections – including the new Claire and Marc Pavilion of Quebec and Canadian Art – are open to visitors free of charge.

(nature nutures) March Break at the Montreal Biodôme means a little more than the usual natural wonders of the indoor ecological centre: the Behind-the-scenes Rally takes families into places that are usually off-limits to the public, letting kids talk to veterinarians, animal handlers, plant and insect specialists, river divers and researchers about the work they do in the Biodôme’s polar-to-tropical ecosystems. Nearby at the Botanical Gardens, get up close with butterflies and the science behind their evolution at the Butterflies Go Free exhibition and learn, in the sweetest way possible, about where maple syrup comes from while indulging in maple treats at Sugaring-off Time at the Tree House.

The post TAKE A MARCH BREAK IN MONTREAL appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

People in Montreal love to cross-country ski and you don’t even have to travel very far to enjoy some of the best trails. The stunning Mount Royal Park, located in the center of the city, has 22km of trails for all levels and ambitions. If you don’t have skis, don’t worry. You can rent them there.

Parc Jean-Drapeau also offers great cross-country skiing for families, mostly because the ground is fairly flat which makes it appropriate for beginners. An added bonus is that the park itself has been transformed into a winter wonderland for the Fete des Neiges. The Botanical Gardens (one of the largest botanical gardens in the world) is full of great trails that cover the beautiful snow laden grounds. And it’s free of charge. The only problem is you can’t rent skis, but if you’ve got them, this has all the makings of a perfect winter afternoon.

If you enjoy feeling like a free spirit pioneer, blazing a trail through uncharted lands and you like to work those glutes, try snowshoeing. It’s the magical sport of yesteryear, but don’t fret if you’re without snowshoes. You can rent them at Mount Royal Park, which offers a byzantine number of trails and it’s great for all members of the family. Parc-Nature du Bois-de-L’Île-Bizard is a little difficult to get to but totally worth it if you’d like to snowshoe through one of the city’s most resplendent parks.

There’s a new winter sport in town. It’s called “kicksledding” and it’s exactly what it sounds like. The growing trend in North America (originally from Scandinavia) has winter enthusiasts buzzing with delight. Some call it the “winter bicycle” while others just call it a really good time. The premise is simple, it’s basically a scooter that you slide around on. It’s great for children, seniors and everyone in between. You can rent a kicksled at various locations in and around the city.

Snow tubing is a perennial favourite. Some endearingly refer to the popular tubes as air donuts, so what’s not to love? Whatever you call it, children and enthusiastic adults will delight in the speed (and relative safety) it provides. Mount Royal Park is a sure bet for renting a tube. If you’re a maverick with your own crazy carpet or sled, you can do it just about anywhere this time of year, but if organized chaos is what you’re after, Mount Royal Park again the perfect place, on account of it being a mountain. Parc Jean-Drapeau is also a popular spot and if you’d like to go somewhere quaint, Parc-Nature De L’Île-de-la-Visitation is a beautiful metropolitan getaway.

One of the best aspects of Montreal is the skating rinks. Whether it’s a date or an afternoon with the family, there’s the perfect rink for every occasion. The frozen pond at Parc La Fontaine is free, beautiful and central. If you’re looking for a fun place to take a date, definitely go to Bonsecours Basin in the Old Port. It was one of the first skating rinks in Montreal and being in the Old Port, the atmosphere is unbeatable. Beaver Lake is always a good bet for a great view of the city, with optimum skating conditions. It tends to get pretty packed up there, especially on the weekends, so there probably won’t be enough room to do your best Elvis Stojko impression. But that’s okay, you don’t have to be Elvis Stojko to enjoy winter sports.

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If you’re not sure what to do with the kids this season, why not whisk them away to the Fête des Neiges festival for some outdoor winter fun and tube sliding. This year, the slide features 11 sliding lanes with two “extreme sliding areas” that have a 12-foot high departure platform…

For those of you with a devil-may-care attitude, try the thrilling zip line where you can pretend you’re a superhero and fly down one of the four downhill ropes that are more than 300 feet long and 24 feet high. If you’re more athletic (I won’t judge) why not try a game of pick up hockey in the beautiful scenic ice rink over looking the frosted city of Montreal. Then, wind down with a horse and carriage jaunt or a nice relaxing dog sled through Parc Jean Drapeau.

For the fiscally conservative, there are lots of free things to take advantage of. Namely Human Foosball, which, of course, is priceless. Then delight in ice rinks, downhill skiing hills and a giant trampoline. What’s that you say? You need to cut loose? You feel like dancing? Fete des Neiges has the answer to your dancin’ prayers at their Boulatheque- which is like a discotheque but colder. All this fun stuff with a backdrop of artfully crafted snow sculptures in the picturesque park. There’s even inflatable games at the great Polar Circus or check out the Tiny Fingers workshop where children are taught the subtle art of snow sculpting.

If all that activity is making you hungry, explore the Skater’s Bistro for some hot toddies and hot (or iced) ciders. The Skater’s Bistro is known for their delicious smoked salmon, so it’s the perfect meal to complete the experience. If you have a sweet tooth, order the crepes. With all the fun things to do this winter at Parc Jean-Drapeau, all you need is to paint the town red to get rid of your winter blues.

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THE DETAILS

Fête des Neiges, January 21 to February 5, 2012

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Until March 31, Parc Jean Drapeau will be home to Montreal’s most wonderfully wintery attraction, the Snow Village. In fact, the Snow Village is an hommage to the city itself, boasting icy reproductions of Montreal’s building and monuments, not to mention a hotel, restaurant, bar, convention centre, chapel and, fittingly, a whole bunch of igloos. An obvious must-see for locals and tourists alike. To make reservations, visit the Snow Village website or call (514) 788-2181.

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(snow globe party) Igloofest is arguably the party of the winter – or parties plural, since the electronic music and dancing extravaganza happens over three weekends. Igloofest brings together thousands of people in one place (the Quay of the Old Port over the weekends of January 12–14, 19–21 and 26–28 – yes, Thursday is part of the weekend now), featuring some of the best in electronic music (like Diplo!). Put on your best parka or dig up that one-piece neon ski suit from the ‘80s and get ready to get down with crowds of Montrealers, young, old and in between. Being outside in winter shouldn’t be this fun, but it is, and I thank Igloofest for it.

(snow city) There’s something fabulous about returning to the luxurious confines of a hotel room after a wintry day wandering a wonderful city. Montreal takes that indulgence a step further with this city’s first Snow Village, located on the shores of the St-Laurent river at Parc Jean-Drapeau. The Snow Village combines an igloo-like hotel with a restaurant, bar, conference centre, maze, ice slide and, for the marriage-minded and God-alert, a chapel. Whatever you go for a drink or for a night, Snow Village Canada seems to be nothing short of a one-of-a-kind Canadian experience.

(arty warm up) Art galleries around town open their doors again in January with new exhibitions – check out galleries on every floor of the Belgo Building (372 Ste-Catherine W.), including Galerie Push, Galerie Pangée, Pierre François Ouellette, SAS, Skol and several other prominent, top-knotch galleries. Meanwhile, over at The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the fun and fabulous and free (yes, free) Big Bang exhibition continues until January 22 – with a room of floor-to-ceiling graffiti art by En Masse collective, a video installation from Denys Arcand and Adad Hannah, photos and furniture inspired by Group of Seven artists, a wall of plush toys and much more.

(park hopping) For extreme and not-so-extreme outdoor winter activity just a hop, skip and a jump away from town (not to mention accessible via the metro), Parc Jean-Drapeau is the place to be this January. Not only is the park home to the new Snow Village Canada, but the Fête des Neiges winter festival offers fun for the whole family, with a tube slide, zip-line, hockey and skating along the river during the weekends of January 21–22, 28–29 and February 4-5. For more outdoor fun, January 7 marks the last night of the Telus Fire on Ice events at the Quays of the Old Port, featuring a fire works show with a Little Mermaid Theme (true!), fire dancing shows starting at 7:10 and 7:40 p.m. and a fab outdoor skating rink.

(take a chance on) Musical lovers and disco divas unite for Broadway hit Mamma Mia!, January 3–8 at Place des Arts. Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ musical, performed around the world for years and still going strong, sets the songs of ‘70s Swedish pop band ABBA to a tale of family, friendship and love on an idyllic Greek island. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll sing along.

(strange stage) Walk on the wilder side of theatre at the 15th annual Wildside Festival, January 3–14 at Centaur Theatre in Old Montreal. The notorious fest features independent, affordably priced shows that push the boundaries of traditional theatre: see Montreal theatre star Kirsten Rasmussen’s motivational-speaker-inspired Blink Blink Blink, the bilingual comedy Bifurcate Me, award-winning Countries Shaped Like Stars, A Thousand Paper Cranes and more. Elsewhere in indie theatre, Guy Sprung directs Infinithéâtre’s Ars Poetica, a story of publishing, poetry and cell phones, January 17 to February 12, at Bain St-Michel (5300 St-Dominique).

(dancetastic January) Montreal dance promotion organization Danse Danse does an amazing job this month with sure-to-satisfy shows: internationally acclaimed dancer and choreographer Akram Khan’s Gnosis, January 24 – 25, and his Vertical Road, January 26 – 28, both at Place des Arts; and always-engaging Montreal choreographer and dancer José Navas’ Personae, January 11–28 at Cinquième Salle. Dancer-choreographers Martin Messier and Caroline Laurin-Beaucage bring evocative new creation Soak, presented at the 2011 Festival Transameriques, to the Monument National, January 26–29. And for something even more different, Ted Tafel’s Janvier takes us to an old railway building where memories and dreams intertwine in dance, at 661 Rose-de-Lima, January 13–15 and 20–22, 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

(whole hog) I’m not going to say that I totally understand this event, but I can say that mega-spectacle Show Harley looks awesome. Not only does Alice Cooper perform (!), along with other rock acts, but fifty custom Harley-Davidson motorcycles rev their engines and generally look cool while a sound and light show goes on in the background. Fans can get up close and personal with the bikes and talk shop with professionals and fellow fans. VIP access to Show Harley includes a back-stage preview starting at 3 p.m. on January 28, while the main show goes down at 8:30 p.m.

(get in the game) I hardly ever talk about hockey in this column, but that’s not because I don’t like it. I mean, as a Montrealer I have to at least watch five Habs games (minimum) a season or I get kicked out of town, and as a person who likes to hang out with friends and drink beer, hockey offers ample opportunity. Tickets for January games at the Bell Centre can still be had (nosebleeds or otherwise), or if the sports bar scene is more your speed, there are plenty of places to partake of our national, competitive winter pastime.

(pop sounds) Pop Montreal may happen in the fall, but the music fest’s programming wends its way throughout the year: on January 6, Pop Montreal presents La Route Chante: A Community Show for Lhasa, much-loved Montreal singer who passed away in early January 2010. The show features the amazing Montreal talents of Plants & Animals, Arthur H, Patrick Watson, Katie Moore, Ariane Moffatt, The Barr Brothers, Socalled and many more who played with Lhasa over the years – at the Rialto Theatre (5723 Parc), 8 p.m. On January 14, keep the Igloofest party rocking at the official after party (starting at 10 p.m.) at SAT with Rich Aucoin (love him!), Lunice, DJ Mini and Francis Oak – yaay! On January 18, indie rockers Real Estate come to La Sala Rossa, on January 19, Swedish metal band Ghost are joined by Blood Ceremony and Ancient Vvisdom at Theatre Corona, and on January 23, krautrock-inspired British band Fujiya & Miyagi play La Sala Rossa. Machine Head , Suicide Silence and more bring the metal to Metropolis on January 28. And British singer Charlie Winston, who won fans at Osheaga in 2010, woos the crowd again on January 28 at the Corona Theatre.

The post THINGS TO DO IN MONTREAL: JANUARY appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

The holiday season is special everywhere but, though we’re a bit biased here at the Montreal Buzz, we’re pretty sure it doesn’t get much more special than this. From skating on the The Quays Skating Rink to the wonderful Christmas village found at the Old Montreal Extravaganza Festival, from Mile End’s Noël dans le Parc to shopping on St-Denis, McGill & Sainte-Catherine, and finally the wonderful night sky artistry of TELUS Fire On Ice, if this video doesn’t put you in the festive spirit then you’re probably a grinch. But you’re not, so enjoy.

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