Pointe-a-Calliere Museum

Pointe-a-Calliere is a museum of Archaeology and History. The Museum rises above the birthplace of Montreal and it hosts major exhibitions, exciting educational programs and urban events.

Here is where Montreal was born, on May 17, 1642, when Father Vimont held a mass celebrating the founding of the town.

Three centuries and a half later, on May 17, 1992, on the very same site, the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History opened its doors.

The Pointe-a-Calliere museum owes its existence to the significant archaeological discoveries made on the site during the 1980s. It houses remarkable architectural remains, displayed with respect for their integrity. The museum is the only museum in North America rising atop an authentic archaeological site.

The collections of the museum comprise hundreds of artefacts divided into six main buildings of the Museum:

The Eperon, a modern building boasting a tower overlooking the Old Port of Montreal;
The archaeological crypt located in the basement;
The first Custom House of Montreal;
The D'Youville Pumping Station;
The Archaeological Field School
The Mariners House of Montreal.

The Eperon building houses the reception desk of the Museum, a multimedia theatre, a temporary exhibition hall, a restaurant. In the basement, part of the permanent exhibition Where Montréal Was Born is located. The archaeological crypt lies beneath Place Royale and links the Eperon and The Old Custom buildings underground. The Old Custom building dates back to 1836–1837.

It is home to the museum gift shop on the ground floor. The permanent exhibition Montréal Love Stories – The Cultural Connection is located upstairs. In the Museum, visitors can see traces of posts from the town’s wooden palisade and of the first guardhouse, stones from the fortifications, traces of a paved street from an old street, walls from three ancient houses and an old inn, as well as the base of a fountain, installed here circa 1860 Guests can watch a multimedia show from balconies suspended over the archaeological remains.

Outside the museum lies Place Royale. In summer the place comes alive with shows, concerts and a famous 18th century outdoor market, all in keeping with its former role as a public square.

Address of the Museum:

350 Place Royale Montreal

H2Y 3Y5

Phone: 514-872-9150