Montreal City Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Montreal City Hall |
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Hôtel de Ville de Montréal (French)
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Montreal City Hall, 2025
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| General information | |
| Address | 275, rue Notre-Dame Est Montreal, Quebec H2Y 1C6 |
| Coordinates | 45°30′31″N 73°33′14″W / 45.5086°N 73.5539°W |
| Construction started | 1872 |
| Completed | 1878 |
| Renovated | 1922, 1932 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Henri-Maurice Perrault Alexander Cowper Hutchison |
| Designated: | 1984 |
The five-story Montreal City Hall (French: Hôtel de Ville de Montréal) is a very important building in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It's where the city's government works and makes decisions. Imagine it as the main office for all of Montreal! This beautiful building was designed by architects Henri-Maurice Perrault and Alexander Cowper Hutchison. They built it between 1872 and 1878.
The building is in the Old Montreal area, a historic part of the city. It sits between Place Jacques-Cartier and the Champ de Mars. You can find it at 275 Notre-Dame Street East. The closest Montreal Metro station is Champ-de-Mars, on the Orange Line.
The Montreal City Hall is a great example of the Second Empire style of building. It was also the very first city hall in Canada built only for city government. Because of its history and unique style, it was named a National Historic Site of Canada in 1984. This means it's a special place recognized for its importance to Canadian history.
History of Montreal City Hall
Work on the original building started in 1872 and finished in 1878. Sadly, a huge fire badly damaged the building in March 1922. Only the outer walls were left standing. Many important city records from Montreal's past were also lost in the fire.
After the fire, architect Louis Parant was chosen to rebuild it. He decided to create a completely new building inside the old walls. This new structure had a strong steel frame. The design for the new city hall was inspired by the city hall in Tours, a city in France.
Some changes were made during the rebuilding. For example, the roof was redesigned. It changed from a Mansard roof to a new style inspired by Beaux-Arts architecture. The new roof was made of copper instead of the original slate tiles. The rebuilt Montreal City Hall officially opened its doors on February 15, 1926.
In 1967, Charles de Gaulle, who was the president of France at the time, visited Montreal. He gave his famous Vive le Québec libre speech from the balcony of the City Hall. This was a very memorable moment in Canadian history.
See also
In Spanish: Ayuntamiento de Montreal para niños
- Bonsecours Market – This building was home to Montreal City Hall before the current building was finished (from 1852–1878).
