Construction began on the Stade Olympique in Montreal, Quebec in 1973. The facility was a deadline finish for the 1976 Olympic Games with the main tower left incomplete. Eleven years later, the Montreal Tower was completed, providing one of the most unique experiences in the world.
The Montreal Tower Observatory was opened in 1987, atop the tallest inclined tower in the world. At nearly 600 feet, the tower is one of the tallest buildings in the city and provides views of the landscape up to 80 kilometres away. The famous Leaning Tower of Pisa is at a 5° incline. The Montreal Tower leans at a 45° angle.
The views from the tower are quite dramatic. Below is the former home of Major League Baseball’s Montreal Expos. The Expos left town for Washington, DC after the 2004 season. The team had played at Olympic Stadium since 1977. On a clear day, one can see downtown Montreal, the path of the great St. Lawrence River and the Laurentian Mountains.
The observatory is accessed by a two-level funicular, capable of carrying 76 passengers up the
outside edge of the tower. During the summer months, the observatory is open until 7pm. In the off-season, it closes at 5pm. The observatory is closed each year for a six week period starting at the beginning of January for maintenance.
The Montreal Tower is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers. The CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario and the Calgary Tower in Calgary, Alberta are the only other Canadian members of the Federation. There are just three WFGT towers in the United States, as well: The Space Needle in Seattle, Washington; The John Hancock Centre in Chicago, Illinois; The Empire State Building in New York.
Rates are reasonable at the Montreal Tower. Adults pay $15.25 while children under 17 pay just $7.65. In comparison, the CN Tower in Toronto charges $22.95 to get to the observation floor.
The tower and stadium are just a portion of the Olympic Park, a legacy of the 1976 Olympic Games. Attached to the Montreal Tower is the Biodome, an indoor zoo / natural museum that was created out of the former velodrome. Across the road is the Montreal Botanical Garden, an expansive gardens featuring species from around the world.
Parc Maisonneuve sits beside the Montreal Botanical Garden and shares the same massive block of land. When visiting Montreal, this is the place to take time out to relax and maybe have a picnic. I dare say, this is Montreal’s version of New York’s Central Park.
The Olympic Park area is easily accessible from the Trans-Canada Highway (highway 25) by taking the Rue Sherbrooke East exit. Ample parking is available at the Montreal Tower, afterall, this is a stadium that once housed near 50,000 spectators for MLB baseball games. The tower is also directly on the fast and efficient Montreal Metro subway system.
Our personal take:
Montreal is such a vibrant city that provides a little bit of Europe amid the stale North American lifestyle. The Montreal Tower is probably one of the more under-rated and under-used attraction in the city. Line-ups and crowds weren’t a problem when we were there.
The angle of the building can mess with one’s head. Something just doesn’t seem right about a building that leans at a 45° angle. The feeling that the building is going to tip over at any time is amplified if one remembers all the talk in the 1970’s and 1980’s that the complex would crumble to the ground within ten years!
If you’re staying at a hotel in the downtown core, the Olympic Park is a quick and easy getaway for some peace and space. Those from Montreal probably don’t notice just how smooth the subway ride is, but those from Toronto or New York certainly will.
