The patios are closed, the holiday shopping lists are getting longer and payday feels far away. Good news: some of the best free things to do in Montreal happen indoors, and November is a great month to use them. Here’s our guide to the city’s museum free days, pay-what-you-can deals and no-cost culture, with every rule checked against the institutions’ own sites as of Oct. 26. And mark Sunday, Nov. 1 in your calendar: it’s the first Sunday of the month, which matters a lot here.
Planning the weekend too? Our This Week in Montreal roundup covers the Halloween events wrapping up on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
Museum free days and free hours
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
The MMFA is one of the most generous museums in town. According to its admission page:
- Visitors 25 and under get in free, any day.
- On the first Sunday of every month, admission to the collection is free for Quebec residents, with reservations required. That’s this Sunday, Nov. 1, then Dec. 6.
- Every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., families get free access to the collection.
- Every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., adults 65 and up get free access to the collection.
The museum is closed Mondays. The free offers apply to the collection.
McCord Stewart Museum
The McCord Stewart’s admission rules are just as friendly. The first Sunday of each month (again, Nov. 1) is Pay What You Can day, with no reservation needed; just get your ticket at the admission desk. On Wednesday evenings from 5 p.m., the exhibitions Indigenous Voices of Today and Carrie Allison: askōhtēskanohwē are free. Kids 12 and under get in free (up to three per adult), as do teens 13 to 17 with ID (again, up to three per adult).
Canadian Centre for Architecture
The CCA offers free admission for everyone on Thursdays after 5 p.m., and it’s open until 9 p.m. that day from October to May. Tonight counts. Visitors under 18 are always free. Its main-gallery exhibition, The fortune of the city is that it has never been perfect, runs until Jan. 6, 2027. Note the fall–winter schedule: the CCA is closed Monday to Wednesday.
More museum freebies
- Tourisme Montréal’s free fall guide lists McGill’s Redpath Museum, with its fossils, minerals and world cultures collections, as always free (a donation is suggested).
- PHI, whose two new exhibitions on Saint-Jean and Saint-Pierre streets opened this week, admits children 12 and under free.
A bit more on the Redpath Museum: it’s at 859 Sherbrooke Street West, in an 1882 building that Tourisme Montréal describes as the oldest in Canada built for museum use. There’s also a natural history exhibit on the history of life in Quebec and world cultures displays focused on Egypt, Africa and Oceania. Ready to splurge a little? Here are 10 museum exhibitions this fall.
More free things to do in Montreal this month
Maisons de la culture
Each borough’s arts centre (maison de la culture) programs shows, exhibitions and workshops, and many are free. The City of Montreal’s arts centres page links to listings that let you filter events by borough and by price, so you can show only the free ones. One caveat: the strike by city professionals has led to some cancelled evening and weekend activities, so check before you head out.
Giant plush at the Biosphère
Montreal artist Pony’s Câlins installation, four giant characters at the Biosphère, runs until Jan. 4, 2027, and the part at the entrance is free to see. (The belvedere section requires a ticket.)
Free concerts with the Bach Festival
The Montréal Bach Festival’s 20th edition runs Nov. 4 to Dec. 9 and includes a free, eight-day Off-Bach series spotlighting emerging artists. Watch the festival’s site for those dates. For the rest of the month’s festivals, see our 8 November festivals in Montreal.
Murals on a self-guided walk
Tourisme Montréal’s murals primer notes that the MURAL festival got its start on the central strip of Saint-Laurent Boulevard on the Plateau; nearby, at Napoléon Street, ASHOP Crew’s Jackie Robinson tribute is worth a stop. Downtown, look for the Leonard Cohen portrait by Gene Pendon and El Mac for MU, and the Hyatt Place Montréal façade, an homage to Françoise Sullivan described as the city’s tallest mural, which is animated by light projections at night. Art Public Montréal also offers free self-guided tours, some with audio.
Mount Royal at dusk
Finally, the classic: the Kondiaronk Belvedere on Mount Royal, with its view over downtown and the St. Lawrence, appears on Tourisme Montréal’s list of free fall activities. With the clocks falling back on Nov. 1, sunset comes early, so you can catch the city lights coming on before supper.
Profitez-en, and tag us with your best free finds.
More on MTL365
- Game Day: Canadiens vs Stars in Dallas to Close Out a Four-Game Road Trip
- Best Halloween Treats in Montreal: Pastry Shops Going Spooky This Weekend
- Halloween Safety in Montreal: What to Know Before Saturday’s Trick-or-Treat
- More things to do in Montreal on MTL365
Photo: Guilhem Vellut / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Sources: MMFA, McCord Stewart Museum, CCA, Tourisme Montréal, Ville de Montréal, Tourisme Montréal: Redpath Museum, Tourisme Montréal: murals
