Activities
For the whole family
A Bestiary in the Wallpaper
Fantastic animals and creatures hide in plain sight in the striking decor of the Château. Can you find them as you walk through the rooms?
At any time
Gourmet feast
A game trail that will allow you to help the governesses of Château Dufresne prepare a gourmet feast. You will see, flowers and fruits are in abundance in the decorations of the Château.
At any time
The Marius Workshops
This summer, Les ateliers de Marius (Marius’ Workshops) will bring joy to the whole family as we invite you to create art in delightful company. In the old billiard’s room of Marius Dufresne’s home, the workshop Chaussure fantaisie (Fantasy Shoe) is a pleasant addition to the themes of our current temporary exhibits, while Magnifique vitrail (Beautiful Stained Glass) takes inspiration from the stained glasses decorating the many windows of the Château Dufresne, which were painted by the artist Guido Nincheri.
Saturdays and Sundays, until August 29th
From 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Limited places
Included with the admission ticket to the museum
Guided tours
The Château visits
Guided tours start at 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays for people on site.
Guided tours are offered to organized groups at any time, but reservations are required.
Group reservation
School programs
School group reservation
The Château bestiary
This thematic walk-through tour introduces young people to practise observation and discover depictions of animals and fantastic creatures in the astonishing decoration of the Château.
< Preschool / Elementary Cycle 1 >
The Shoemaking Industry in Maisonneuve
The great power of seduction exerted by the industrial policy of the City of Maisonneuve attracted many factories making mainly shoes. In 1911, the city could boast that it was “the biggest shoemaking centre on the Island of Montreal.” An invitation to discover the splendours and miseries of an industrial heritage that has since been trampled on.
< Elementary /Secondary >
In the Footsteps of Marius Dufresne
The legacy of Marius Dufresne is still very much alive in the old City of Maisonneuve. The architectural value of the heritage buildings he helped to build bear the signs of his openness to innovation and the great ideas of his time. A multi-faceted man of rare talent, he was at one and the same time an engineer, an architect and a surveyor.
< Elementary /Secondary >
A History of Styles, a Matter of Taste
In the Dufresne era, the decorative style of each room in the great middleclass houses shared a common vocabulary:
Italian Renaissance, Louis XV, Second Empire, Elizabethan. … Can you find your way amid the eclecticism of the Château’s many decorative styles, or the Orientalist influences found there?
< College and university students, and professionals >
Francization
When the World Spoke French
The Château de Maisonneuve’s tour experience is an excellent opportunity to improve your knowledge of French. As you wind your way through the various rooms in the sumptuous twin houses of the brothers Oscar and Marius Dufresne, you can witness the daily lives of these two members of the francophone middle class, who left their mark on the development of Montréal. You can also explore some of the cultural issues associated with the French characterization of the metropole in the previous century.
< New arrivals, welcoming classes and francization community groups >
Talks and encounters
Special events
Draw me a picture of your heroine
A watercolour drawing workshop with illustrator Mathilde Cinq‑Mars.
And as an added bonus, a reading of stories of forgotten women based on the work Nos héroïnes : 40 portraits de femmes québécoises.
In conjunction with the publishing house of Marchand de feuilles, the Carrefour Parenfants, the Carrefour familial Hochelaga and the Escale famille Le Triolet.
Limited places. Audience aged 12 and over.
Schedule and dates: From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., every following Thursday:
July 15 / full
July 22/4 places available
July 29
5 August
August 12 / full
Registration required at accueil@chateaudufresne.com