Montreal Attractions

Rent bikes at Ca Roule Montreal (27 rue de la Commune Est), and bike along the Lachine Canal, past the old mills, warehouses and grain elevators that line the waterway. Along the route, you'll spot boats waiting for the water to rise at locks so they can move onward. A half hour into the jaunt, you'll cross a small bridge, lock up the bikes and head into the Marche Atwater. Get ready for a feast of Quebecois cheeses, fruits, breads and dessert. That should give you more than sufficient energy to bike back.

At first glance, Montreal's Ghost Walk might seem like some canned tourist experience where you venture into a Haunted House and some guy with a sheet on his head yells "Boo!" On the contrary, it's a wonderful theatrical affair that families with older children should not miss. Meet at 8:30 p.m. at the Place d'Armes, grab a lantern, map and French flag, and get ready to wander along the back alleys of Old Montreal for 90 minutes to find four ghosts. This is no group tour. You're on your own to meet up with ghosts, who tell their stories of being burned, tortured and ostracized in the 1700s. The acting is so good that kids should be at least 10 years old, or they might run away terrified by the hauntingly real stories and makeup.

Located on Sainte-Helene Island, La Ronde is the second-largest amusement park in Canada and is now part of the Six Flags brand. The park originally opened as part of Expo 67 and now features more than 40 rides, including nine roller coasters. As part of Parc Jean-Drapeau, the island has many special events and big-name concerts happening in summer.

Near the Botanical Garden, in a former biking track used at the 1976 Summer Olympics, is the Biodome. A short walk through four different temperature zones brings you to the birds, fish and animals found in that climate. The tropical zone, for example, is like a Costa Rican rainforest with scarlet macaws, golden tamarinds and a large anaconda living in the humidity. Porcupines, beavers and otters are found in the Canadian forest.

Start your tour inside the greenhouses, where Venus Fly Traps and Pitcher Plants lunch on unfortunate flies and other bugs. In the desert section, you'll spot tall saguaro, round golden barrel cacti and intriguing flowers like spiral begonias. At the Courtyard of the Senses, kids like smelling the fruity citronella and pleasant English lavender, touching the velvety glory bush and rubbing their hands along the sticky gum cistus. Then, it's off to the Insectarium to find tarantulas, scorpions and bees flying in and out of tubes as they collect pollen for their hive. At the gift shop, you can try barbecued mealworms, which I overheard described by the man in front of me: "Tastes like pretzels, but I wouldn't want to eat the whole bag."

Perched on a pier overlooking the St. Lawrence, the large glass-and-steel enclosed Science Center is a haven for anyone with a curiosity, whether you're 1 or 101. Venture inside and you'll soon be riding a unicycle on a high wire, walking into a large bubble, and viewing pictures of yourself aging in a progression machine (not suggested for parents). The interactive machines also bring to light the work of Canadian innovators and pinpoint where technology will lead us in the 21st century. Kids will want to check out the IMAX Theater, but don't make the mistake we did of booking tickets for a French-speaking film.

First, check out the narrow streets of Old Montreal. Have lunch at Le Jardin Nelson, saving room for the sinfully good banana chocolate dessert crepe. Then, shop at the many boutiques selling French country wares. Tant qu'il u aura des fleurs features a cutting board for baguettes, a planter with the French word for Welcome (Bienvenue) and wallets with Parisian motifs like a girl on a moped. Close by is the Labyrinthe, a whimsical maze where you walk through plastic mesh, over bridges, and slide through tubes as you try to find your way to the sortie (exit).