The Mountain at the Heart of Montreal
150 Years of Mount Royal Park
Starting June 1, 2026, the McCord Stewart Museum presents The Mountain at the Heart of Montreal, an outdoor exhibition tracing 150 years of Mount Royal Park’s history through some fifty archival images drawn from the Museum’s collections. The park’s design follows the vision of Frederick Law Olmsted—the landscape architect also behind New York’s Central Park—and has been a natural refuge at the very heart of the city since 1876.
Free and accessible at any time, the exhibition unfolds across the mountain: from the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Monument to Beaver Lake, by way of Smith House and the Kondiaronk Lookout chalet. Whether you’re out for a leisurely stroll or a brisk run through the trails, the exhibition invites you to put yesterday’s views in conversation with today’s, and to rediscover Montreal’s beloved green oasis through its uses, its landscapes and its seasons.
This photographic retrospective celebrates the deep bond between Montreal and the mountain, while also inviting reflection on mobility and access, the ecological pressures that come with popularity, and the quieter, less visible stories hidden within the photographic archives.
Created to mark the 150th anniversary of Mount Royal Park, the exhibition is made possible through a gift from Power Corporation of Canada, in partnership with the City of Montreal, and in collaboration with Les Amis de la Montagne. It will be on display for the public throughout the official celebration period.
Information
- Free outdoor exhibition, available at all times on the mountain, starting June 1, 2026
- Tour located from the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Monument to Beaver Lake
- Duration: 45 to 70 minutes
5 Things to Know
Olmsted and his vision
Frederick Law Olmsted envisioned Mount Royal Park as an experience of rest and renewal, a gradual, immersive ascent through a series of landscapes carefully designed to soothe and revitalize all who visit. For Olmsted, nature was therapeutic: a resource for the physical, mental and social well-being of city dwellers. That vision remains the guiding thread woven through the way Montrealers experience the park to this day.
The mountain as a way of life
A gathering place, a venue for celebrations, a site of protest and the backdrop for everyday life… Mount Royal Park holds a central place in Montreal’s identity. From the cross to the civic gatherings near the Cartier Monument, from Saint-Jean-Baptiste festivities to lazy Sunday strolls, the mountain has long reflected the city’s social and cultural transformations. It’s this bond, at once deeply personal and wonderfully communal, that the exhibition is here to celebrate.
A park for all seasons
From skating on Beaver Lake to gatherings on its slopes, Mount Royal is a living park, shaped by seasonal traditions that run deep. Skiing, snowshoeing, tobogganing, horse-drawn sleigh rides—these activities have woven themselves into a collective memory that’s still very much alive. Summer or winter, the park remains a place where lasting memories are made, from the toboggan club to the Royal Montreal Golf Club.
Then and now
Through complementary content accessible via QR codes, the exhibition lets you compare archival photographs with today’s landscapes along an Urban Tour. Some sites have vanished entirely (the funicular, old pavilions), while others have been reimagined (the Kondiaronk Lookout, Smith House, Beaver Lake). Together, they tell the story of a park in constant evolution, shaped by ongoing conversations about mobility, environmental stewardship, policing and accessibility for everyone.
Did you know?
Over its 150-year history, Mount Royal Park has been the setting for some surprisingly bold projects:
- A funicular (despite Olmsted’s insistence on a slow, immersive climb through nature)
- A spectacular ice palace, built for the 1909 Winter Carnival
- A golf course
- And a streetcar line!
All of it speaks to a mountain in a state of constant reinvention, endlessly reshaped by the dreams and daily lives of Montrealers.
Acknowledgements
The Museum would like to thank its team and all the individuals, institutions and organizations who have contributed towards the presentation of this exhibition.
The exhibition was produced with the help of Power Corporation of Canada’s donation, in partnership with Ville de Montréal, and the collaboration of Amis de la Montagne.
Outdoor activities
Urban Tours
Take an exclusive outdoor tour thanks to historical images from the Museum’s Photography and Documentary Art collections. Using your phone, you can follow various tours and discover the history of more than 75 city sites and images that bear witness to the Montreal of the past.
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