Fun things to do in Montreal

There is a maze, fog, darkness, dim neon lighting, ramps, catwalks, music and Twilight Zone sound effects for an experience that is escapism at its best. Many different games are available.
This was unbelievably fun!! Each game lasts about 30 mins, after which time they call you out of the maze and you must holster your laser gun and hang up your glowing, target shooting vests :) A very good time!

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Great place to skate without the freezing weather! Ice-skating downtown year-round! The Atrium le 1000 ice rink is located in the tallest building in downtown Montreal, the "1000" building. It has a glass dome above the rink for natural sunlight and has a good-sized rink (10,000 square ft) for beginners and anyone who likes to skate! You can rent skates, or bring your own! There is also a food court nearby to eat and relax while watching the skaters.

Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and students, and $5 for kids. Special family rate is $19.50, and there are other special rates for groups of 15 or more.

Wonderful fun for everyone!!!

To answer question 3, you could visit the Old Port, there are different activities (see web site http://www.quaysoftheoldport.com/home.html). There is the Montreal Science Centre as well.

TOHU the circus complexe http://www.tohu.ca/en/ There are always shows there.

Bell Centre for any hockey games or shows http://www.centrebell.ca/

In terms of sites, there's the Mount Royal Park http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=175,4878067&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
http://www.lemontroyal.qc.ca/en/learn-about-mount-royal/homepage.sn

Notre-Dame Basilica (Basilique Notre-Dame) in Old Montreal.
http://www.basiliquenddm.org/

Oratoire St-Joseph http://www.saint-joseph.org/en_1001_index.php

I think Cirque du Soleil's Quidam is playing in Montreal. http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/home.aspx#/en/home/americas/canada.aspx

If you want a French feel, then Quartier Latin (Latin Quarter) is good for drinks. One bar on St-Denis is Ile Noire, specialty is whisky but there are drinks. http://www.ilenoire.com/index.html; English info can be found at http://www.montrealinfo.com/Ile-Noire/en

Montreal is also known for microbreweries. Since you have a car, you can drive to the areas outside the downtown core. For example: Dieu du Ciel - 29 Laurier W., Montreal (http://www.dieuduciel.com/) There are others of course.

St-Denis street above Sherbrooke Street have many boutiques and restaurants that might interest you.http://www.la-rue-st-denis.com/

Then there's Laurier Street as well.

Crescent street is another club/drinks spot. http://www.crescentmontreal.com/english_main.htm

Due to the holidays, my brain seems to lean towards food and drinks. That's all I can think of for now.

Like every city there are certain main streets and places to be. I am sure Montreal has many others but for me St. Catherine street was one of the most happening places in the city.

There was a lot of shopping, a lot of great places to eat and a lot of entertainment.

The street is long but take your time and explore around. If you are staying downtown most everything you are going to want will be on this street!

Enjoy Montreal!

Saint Joseph A most important universal patron saint well worth talking about, was declared the patron of the Universal Church by Pope Pius IX in 1870.

St. Joseph's Oratory is now one of Montreal's most impressive structures. For a small fee you can do a tour of the entire set of buildings and look at the museum. It will take some time to explore it all.

I set up one travelogue you can find below with some additional scenes of the place.

The building of the Basilica began in 1924 according to the plans of the architects Viau and Venne. Due to the complexity and cost of the construction as well as the years of economic recession at the end of the decade, it took several years to complete the huge Basilica. At the time of his death, Brother André had seen neither the roof nor the dome that were to cover the gigantic building.

The interior plans conceived by the Canadian architect Gérard Notebaert involves a sumptuous movement of ascending lines which, highlighted by the stained-glass windows by Marius Plamondon, join at the ceiling like hands in prayer. This great simplicity fosters a sense of peace and a climate conducive to contemplation and prayer for believers of all cultures and religious faith. Pilgrims from all across the Americas and overseas come to participate in the celebrations frequently taking place at the Basilica.

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When people go to cities like Montreal, they always seem to head for the major attractions and little museums like this often get overlooked. Chateau Ramezay is right across from Montreal's City Hall in the thick of Old Montreal and it only takes about an hour or so to see it all. It might not sound like much but it's a little museum that traces the history of the city of Montreal, founded by missionaries to convert the native aboriginal peoples to Christianity. There are dioramas, furniture, artifacts, portraits and loads of information.

The chateau dates back 300 years and is the province's oldest private history museum. The building itself has had many lives, including life as the American army headquarters when the Revolutionary army invaded Montreal. It has been a museum since the late 1890s and the history it relates starts at the founding of Montreal and ends when the museum was opened.

There is an outdoor cafe overlooking the herb garden in the summer and the chateau can be rented for functions.

It costs 9$ for an adult admission with discounts for seniors, students and children. It's open from 10 to 6 p.m. every day in summer, and in winter, it's open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10 to 4:30. It does have a ramp and an elevator for the disabled to get to the exhibits on the lower floor. You can take photos but not with a flash.

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This is one of Montreal's most colorful neighborhoods. Italians settled here in large numbers at about the same time that they did in the US. It's full of Italian shops, restaurants, and some architectural gems.

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Strolling along the Lachine Canal, one comes to the old working-class district known as Atwater. Now, it's a trendy community with a thriving Sunday market, shops, cafes, and historic churches. There is also a tour boat that takes visitors up and down the canal.

Of particular note to jazz buffs: The pianist Oscar Peterson was born in a house next to the Union United Church in downtown Atwater.