Marché Bonsecours

Old Montréal


This sprawling neoclassical building houses shops selling tourist-targeted arts and crafts, leather goods and garments, and several cafes. The upstairs hall hosts periodic fashion shows and art auctions, and a number of restaurants front the facade on Rue St-Paul. Opened in 1847, the building has played a wide-ranging role in the city's history. It's been everything from a farmers market to a concert theater, and even served briefly as Montréal’s city hall (1852–78).

It’s also where the government of United Canada retreated, in order to continue the legislative session, after the parliament buildings nearby were burned down by an angry anglophone mob in 1849.

Transportation

  • metro: Champ-de-Mars

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Old Montréal attractions

1. Old Port

0.06 MILES

Montréal's Old Port has morphed into a park and fun zone paralleling the mighty St Lawrence River for 2.5km and punctuated by four grand quais (quays)…

2. Château Ramezay

0.08 MILES

A home of French governors in the early 18th century, this mansion is one of the finest examples from the ancien régime. It was built for the 11th…

3. Rue de la Commune Est

0.08 MILES

Set back from the waterfront, ‘the Common’ is a showcase of the rejuvenation that has swept Old Montréal. Compare it with old photos and you’ll see the…

4. Place Jacques-Cartier

0.09 MILES

The liveliest spot in Old Montréal, this gently inclined square hums with performance artists, street musicians and the animated chatter from terrace…

5. Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours

0.1 MILES

Known as the Sailors’ Church, this enchanting chapel derives its name from the sailors who left behind votive lamps in the shapes of ships in thanksgiving…

6. Hôtel de Ville

0.13 MILES

Montréal’s handsome City Hall was built between 1872 and 1878, then rebuilt after a fire in 1926. Its rigid square-based dome and nod to the baroque makes…

7. Quai Jacques-Cartier & Around

0.13 MILES

This pier is the anchor of the Old Port area, home to restaurants, an open-air stage and a handicraft center. Every year the port stages a number of…

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