Anne-Charlotte PasseraMontreal is finally out of its hibernation! In May, there’s plenty to keep kids and adults busy throughout Montreal.
At this time of the year, temperatures are mild, averaging around 15-17 Celsius. But it’s best to check with the weatherman before going out.
The streets and alleys are in full bloom. It’s a feast of colours where tulips and magnolias fight for your attention.
Of course, there is plenty to do in Montreal all year round. We tell you about it in our previous editions which you can discover HERE.
But more specifically, here are our suggestions of activities to do with your family in May to start the Montreal summery season in style and with ease.
Free activities to do in Montreal in May
Fortunately, not everything in Montreal has to be paid for. This way, you can alternate activities according to your budget without diminishing your experiences.
Swing on the Place des Festivals
The Musical Swings allow you to play a musical instrument while swinging. Isn’t that great? However, they will only be present until June 1st, so hurry!
Stroll through Connaught Park and admire a wide variety of flowers
Connaught Park is located in the residential area of Mount Royal. Convenient with young children who just want to run around and not spend a dime. Sure, it’s not as big and beautiful as the botanical gardens which I talk about below, but it has the advantage of being spacious and colourful and most of all FREE.
In line with its original vocation, it is now a gathering space that stands out for the quality of its architecture and the richness of its urban forest. The rose-covered grounds recall the municipality’s coat of arms and embellish the landscape.
Source: City of Montreal
Fun trail: Les Fouines du Plateau
Discover the Plateau Mont-Royal neighbourhood in a different light by taking part in a discovery tour thanks to Les Fouines du Plateau.
You can get the FREE game booklet on their website HERE. (It’s in French)
You’ll discover the emblems of the Plateau and surely some beautiful murals along the way, as well as anecdotes about the neighborhood.
The activities in the game booklet can be completed once you get home. What a great way to make this beautiful moment last longer with your family.
Discovering Mount Royal
I know, I often talk about Mount Royal Park. Did you know that you can get a FREE nature immersion guide? You can get it HERE.
The guide offers you 4 routes: from 1h30 to 2h00 (between 1km and 2.5 km).
All along the route, there will be stops to make related to activities to do for children. So it’s not just a simple nature walk.
Tams-Tams
The famous Tams-Tams of Mount Royal are back. Every Sunday until about the end of September, people gather with their drums behind the statue of Sir George-Étienne Cartier for an improvised jam session.
This is a must-see at least once. Beware, it will smell like pot!
Montreal Museums
Other than the first Sunday of each month, Montreal museums will be free on May 29th. I don’t know if you have to reserve your place online or not because of the Pandemic. You’ll have to check with the museum of your choice to know the steps to follow.
I recommend the one of Pointe-à-Caillère where there is currently an exhibition on trains and pirates.
In addition, from May 14 to 17, a FREE family historical rally will take place. Mission: History 1710 will allow you to discover the hidden corners of Montreal through an outdoor route. You’ll have to use your sense of observation and power of deduction.
You can register HERE to get the necessary information to start your tour. There is no set time to start, so you can go about it as you please.
Pop Flea (Puces Pop)
Discover local crafts at the Montreal Artisan Fair in the basement of Saint-Denis Church located at 5075 Rivard Street (Laurier Metro) on the weekends of May 7-9 and May 14-16.
It’s a fun activity to do with the kids to discover handmade products. Also, right next door is Laurier Park which has a beautiful children’s playground and a dog park.
Puces Pop is Montreal’s largest handmade art market aimed at promoting and celebrating independent creation.
puces pop
Parc Nature de l’Ile de la Visitation
Feet in the water in the Prairie River. Discover this 34-hectare park in Montreal North with a 1.7km interpretation trail.
It’s a beautiful place to picnic, bike and walk along the shoreline to the sound of the water flowing from the hydroelectric dam.
For privacy, I suggest you take a picnic table furthest to the right of the reception building or cross the small bridge that leads to the island.
There are also remnants of an old mill to explore at the very west end of the park.
There is a fee for parking, but you can easily park on the adjacent streets or ride your bike to the park. It’s pretty easy to get there from Columbus Avenue.
There were dry toilets on site when we visited, but no more toilet paper! Just bring some just in case.
Nothing is ever free – Paying activities in Montreal
Even though Montreal is full of parks, sometimes you want to have fun in a different way. I recently had the privilege of interviewing Marisha Wojciechowska, which you can read HERE.
She has written several books, including one on Montreal that offers a lot of fun activities for children from 6 to 12 years old. It’s another way to discover Montreal for kids without breaking the bank.
Botanical gardens
Admire the cherry blossoms in the Chinese part of the Montreal Botanical Gardens.
Tip: subscribe to the Montreal Access Card: $8.25 per year + $4 photo fee. It gives you access to the botanical gardens at all times, at no extra cost. It’s worth it since the entrance fee is 16.50$ for each visit. You need one for each family member except for children under 4 years old. On the other hand, you don’t have to reserve your entrance.
Moreover, thanks to the Montreal Access Card, you will get a 4$ discount for the adult entrance to the Biodome. In May, that’s where they install the little colored penguin huts.
Check out all the discounts you can get with this card HERE. You must be a resident of the island of Montreal to benefit from this card.
The Old Port of Montreal
The Old Port of Montreal is full of activities, all of which cost between 15$ and 25$ per person. Ouch, that’s expensive for a family of 4.
Tip: save money by taking public transportation. It’s FREE for children under 12 on weekends and during school holidays.
Make it a special trip for a birthday party for example. That way, the bill will be easier to digest.
On the program:
- Climb a pirate ship with Voiles en Voiles.
- Cross the basin on a zip line or pedal boat ($20);
- Admire the old port in peace from the Ferris wheel (starting at $20);
- Get out of the SOS maze unscathed. It’s more enjoyable with young children than with older ones (less than 8);
- In case of rain, take refuge in the science center and work on your knowledge;
- Relax at the Bota Bota Spa with a massage. Because of the Pandemic, find out beforehand if a parent-child massage is available. If not, it’s possible at the Strom Spa of L’Ile des Soeurs.
Discover our Montreal guide of Good places to eat with kids.
The month of May in Montreal also rhymes with lobster season. One of the most popular restaurants to eat lobster is located in the Petite Bourgogne. Only 15 minutes by car from the Old Port or a 40-minute walk along the canal. Located at 2661 Notre-Dame Street West is Le Fricot, an Acadian-style restaurant.
The food is delicious and the service is impeccable. There is a little park adjacent to the restaurant with plenty of picnic tables to munch on their homemade bread buns. Try their shrimp popcorn. It melts in the mouth!
Of course, lobster doesn’t come cheap. However, it offers lobster rolls at $12.5 or lobster poutine at $19. Enough to awaken the taste buds of the whole family. Share meals to save money, bring snacks to compliment it, or have a nice brunch at home before heading out.
What to do outside of Montreal in May
Montreal and its parks are not the only places to admire the flowers in bloom.
You can discover tulip fields if you feel like it in Boucherville or Laval at tulipes.ca. In all honesty, I had thought about going there, but when I saw the price, I said no thanks.
Yes, you have to pay (10$ + taxes per person) to walk in a tulip field and that doesn’t include picking the flowers! If there was a guided tour with that, it might be worth it. I don’t see the point of paying for this experience as a family. But how beautiful it must be!
The Apple Blossoms
For an equally colorful and FREE experience, go to an apple orchard instead. There are nearly a dozen in Rougemont, not far from Mont-Saint-Hilaire which also has two.
By the way, I tell you about several activities to do in this town located less than an hour from Montreal HERE.
Rougemont is the apple capital of Quebec. There are about 500,000 apple trees according to the Rougemont Tourism website.
We went twice to the Potager de la Halte Gourmande. The first time, it was to pick tomatoes! And yes, there are not only apples to pick in Quebec.
In May, it’s asparagus season.
Then, we went back there recently to see the beginning of the apple blossom. It was the last weekend that we could walk there with the dogs.
The apple trees are not in bloom for long, about two weeks. They are scheduled to start peaking on Mother’s Day this year, May 9, 2021.
The advantage of going with the kids, other than the experience, is the life-size trampoline! Fun guaranteed!
Verger Champêtre
The Verger Champêtre is located in Grandby. You’ll find a multitude of activities to do there such as walking with an alpaca (it’s a trend at the moment), visiting the farm animals, or walking through their 3,000 apple trees.
You can visit their website HERE for more information.
Chambly
About 30km from Montreal is the picturesque town of Chambly and its fort which dates back to 1711.
The fort is part of a National Site that opens for the season on May 22. Admission for children under 17 is free. For adults, the entrance fee is $7.90.
The fort is located on the banks of the Richelieu River. Originally, it was part of 5 fortifications spaced along the shore to protect travelers from the Iroquois. That’s why this region is called La Vallée-des-Forts.
Horseback riding
Here is an activity that we have not yet done here in Quebec, horseback riding! However, there is no lack of trails!
It’s true that it’s an expensive activity, at least 55$ + taxes for 1 hour per person. We did it during our trip to the Rockies and it was great.
Of course, the landscape is not the same, but why not try it here in Quebec? I admit that I would be more tempted to do it in the winter in the snow (yes it is possible).
However, there are several riding schools around Montreal:
- École d’équitation 1101 in Mont-Saint-Hilaire;
- Kanatha-Aki Center in Mont-Tremblant. You can use the opportunity to go and say hello to the bison which I mention in THIS ARTICLE.
Go camping
The weekend of May 21st is the official opening of the campgrounds.
We love camping, at least for a long weekend. But, it’s not that easy with kids and dogs in tow.
Here are two places to discover, one in the Eastern Townships and the other in the Upper Laurentians, 2 hours from Montreal.
If you don’t want to have to pitch your tent, these different places offer other interesting options without breaking the bank. In any case, it costs less than renting a log cabin.
Now that you know what to do in May in Montreal with your family, which of these activities will you choose?
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