This imposing building was built at 350 Place Royale. A visit to this museum will begin with an audiovisual show that gives you an overview of the area from the Ice Age to the present. Then you’ll descend deep below street level to the bank of the River St. Pierre, which flowed pas the site.

It was here that the first settlers of Montreal built their homes and traded goods with the Native American inhabitants. One of the most impressive exhibits here is the city’s first Catholic cemetery with some tombstones still intact. The museum has four parts:

• The Eperon building - a modern structure set on the ruins of an older building
• The archaeological crypt in the basement
• The renovated Old Customs House
• The Youville Pumping station, an industrial exhibit

The Old Customs house was built between 1836 and 1838 and was one of the first architectural elements to attest to the British presence in Montreal. Self -guided tours allow you the opportunity to explore at your own pace, although interpreter-guides are available along the way.