Many structures have stood on the site of the present day museum, and excavations beneath the site have uncovered layer upon layer of history, from the old fortifications to foundations of buildings, to the first graveyard of Montreal. The underground excavations are arranged as a fascinating tour that extends beyond the museum itself, under the street to the nearby Place Royale, the 19th century customs house, now renovated as a souvenir shop for the museum.

What makes it even more interesting is that the archaeological work continues, there have been new discoveries, and the tour will grow over time to include part of Montreal’s old storm water system.

The museum also includes temporary exhibits – the current exhibit looks at the politically tempestuous period of Quebec (and Canadian) history in the late 1830′s, leading up the burning of the Parliament building in Montreal.

A few notes about the museum: there’s a video presentation that presents a brief, stylized history of Montreal. But “stylized” is certainly the word for it. If you have a very basic understanding of the development of Montreal, it might be best to skip it because the target audience seems to be schoolchildren. It’s not terrible, it’s just a bit juvenile.

The tour is a lot of fun, although I would say that because guided tours are only available at specific times, you may find yourself encountering artifacts or portions of the excavation that aren’t explained as well as you’d hope. I’ve done a fair amount of reading about Old Montreal but I found I was often struggling to “connect the dots” with what I was seeing. That said, there’s signage with a certain level of detail. If you’re like me and you’re obsessed with Old Montreal, then get a good history book to fill in the blanks, or take the guided tour.

Tour info, museum prices, and hours are here. Anyone interested in history will find this an enjoyable visit.

I’ve spent hours “walking the streets” on this site, looking up building after building, reading about the previous owners, the construction history, the changing uses of the edifice over decades and even centuries. It’s the kind of exploration that exposes the history of the city, layer by layer. I can’t get enough of it. Unfortunately, most of it is in French only, but the site offers up a few English records, “for demonstration purposes only.” (Apparently, this is to demonstrate that translation is actually possible.) Among them is the record for 171 rue St Paul ouest, the present day auberge where Chuck and I stay every year.

Check out the detailed history of the buildings, as well as a very complete timeline of events in and around Old Montreal from the 17th century to the present. It will give you a deeper understanding and appreciation – not just of Old Montreal – but also of the way cities and buildings change and morph as time passes.