Museum Expansion

Click on the above arrow to see the video on the expansion project
Watch the movie "Montreal, A Capital, a Parliament (1844-1849)"

Pointe-à-Callière, Montreal Archaeology and History Complex
When Pointe-à-Callière was first built, back in 1992, the Museum already had plans to preserve the remaining exceptional historic sites in Old Montréal and to create a world-class tourist attraction for the city of Montréal, the Montreal Archaeology and History Complex based exclusively on the authenticity of these historic sites.

The overall goal is to create an eleven-part museum and tourism complex on the Pointe-à-Callière site. In addition to the existing museum components, this will include upgrading the Mariners' House, showcasing the remains of St. Ann's Market and the Parliament of the United Province of Canada, Fort Ville-Marie and Callière's Residence, opening the William collector sewer along a distance of 350 metres, creating a world-class exhibition space in the basement of the Customs Canada building, converting the Central Fire Station into a visitor service center, and showcasing the original Hôpital général de Montréal.

Phase 1
Phase 1 of the Montreal Archaeology and History Complex expansion project began in spring 2011 and was ended in Spring 2013, with the conversion of the Mariners' House (formerly the Maison du Père) into a key centre devoted to archaeology, along with archaeological digs to unearth the remains of St. Ann's Market, later to become the first Parliament of the United Province of Canada.

This ambitious expansion will give the city of Montréal a museological complex of national and international scope.

Pointe-à-Callière Today

1 - Éperon Building - 1992

Multimedia and exhibitions

The Éperon building is Pointe-à-Callière’s masthead, rising above the remains of the prestigious 19th century Royal Insurance Company building. Its foundations stand atop even earlier remains, including Montréal’s first Catholic cemetery, dating from 1643.
Opened to the public: 1992

2 - First Marketplace - 1676 / Place Royale - 1992

Archaeological crypt / Cultural activities and workshops

Since 1992, Place Royale has hosted outdoor cultural activities of all kinds, while beneath the surface, in the archaeological crypt, Montréal's past comes to life thanks to impressive archaeological remains illustrating six centuries of history, from Native times (1350) to the present.
Opened to the public: 1992

3 - Ancienne-Douane Building - 1836

Exhibitions – workshops / Education and family

This historic building houses exhibitions-workshops for school groups and families. The elegant building, with facades on both the city and the harbor, was designed in 1837 by British architect John Ostell as Montréal's first Custom House.
Opened to the public: 1992

4 - Mariners' House - 1953

Temporary exhibitions and Archaeo-Adventure workshop

This 3,500 m2 building houses multipurpose rooms, equipped with cutting-edge technology, for hosting major temporary exhibitions, cultural and special events, and the new Archaeo-Adventure workshop, a simulated archaeological digging site for families.
Opened to the public: 2013

5 - Youville Pumping Station - 1915

Industrial heritage

Montréal’s first electrically powered wastewater pumping station. The building conserves and interprets industrial heritage, with an educational workshop, special events and a documentation centre on Montréal.
Opening to the public: 1998

Major partner

A network for tomorrow

6 - Fort Ville-Marie - 1642 / Callière's Residence - 1695

Montreal's birthplace - Archaeological Field School

It was here that Maisonneuve, Jeanne Mance and about forty French settlers founded Montréal in 1642. In 1688, Governor Louis-Hector de Callière acquired land here to build his residence. The site holds exceptional remains that help us better understand our city’s earliest days.
Opening to the public: 2016

7 - St.Ann's Market - 1832 / Parliament of the United Canada - 1844

Remains and history

Marking a milestone in the country’s history, the first permanent Parliament of the United Province of Canada was established in the St. Ann’s Market building in 1844. A number of important pieces of legislation were adopted here, including the 1848 act establishing “responsible government.”
Opening to the public: 2016

8 - Canada Customs House, Dominique Ducharme Building (basement) - 1916

International exhibitions

The monumental Canada Customs building has a vast basement well-suited to worldclass temporary exhibitions. The underground network will offer direct access to this space.
Opening to the public: 2017

9 - Canalized River William collector sewer - 1832

Underground network for the complex

The Little Saint-Pierre River, converted into a collector sewer, will be the backbone of the Montreal Archaeology and History Complex: a network connecting a unique collection of authentic archaeological and historic sites. The collector sewer, accessible along a distance of 350 metres, is a magical place in itself, a dramatic and fascinating journey into the belly of the historic city. Aboveground, it will be transformed into urban gardens.
Opening to the public: 2017

10 - Central Fire Station - 1904

This fire station operated from 1904 to 1972. Since 1983, the Queen Ann-style building has housed the Centre d’histoire de Montréal. It could be converted into a visitor service center and a children’s museum. A feasibility study is being conducted.
To be refurbished and reopened to the public: 2017