15 things to do in Montreal on a rainy day

Rainy day getting you down? Though there’s nothing wrong with curling up on the couch, tea in hand, there are still a myriad of exciting ways to spend a rainy day in Montreal.

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If you’re looking for something to keep you busy while the rain pours down, the city is oozing with great options that’ll make you forget all about the weather.

Besides, as Bob Marley once said, “some people feel the rain, others just get wet.”

Check out animals and marine life at the Biodôme de Montréal

If the rain’s got you down, head outside but inside.

The newly-renovated Biodôme de Montréal features a “multisensory and immersive experience” as guests can make their way through the five ecosystems of the Americas and soak up some seriously cool animals.

When: Every day, 9 am to 6 pm
Where: 4777 Pierre-de Coubertin Avenue
Price: $8.25 to $16.25, available online

Indoor glow in the dark mini-putting

Putting Edge is an indoor mini-putt course that (besides having a great name), glows in the dark. Every hole has Canadian-based trivia questions plus the venue has an arcade and they serve alcohol. Need we say more?

When: 10 am to 1 am
Where: 1259 rue Guy
Price: $11.99

Check out some contemporary art

An art gallery is always appealing, especially on rainy days.

Galerie MX seeks to give greater exposure to contemporary artists, primarily from Canada, but from all over the globe as well.

The gallery is located in the heart of the Quarter international, the cultural epicenter for arts in Montreal in a sleek 6,000 sq. ft. exhibit space.

When: Monday to Wednesday, 10 am – 6 pm; Thursday to Friday, 11 am – 5 pm; Saturday to Sunday, 11 am – 5 pm
Where: 333 Viger Avenue Ouest
Price: Free admission

Test your accuracy at axe throwing

If you feel the need to get some adrenaline pumping and outside is too wet, head inside to Rage Axe Throwing and toss some axes.

The competition is based on accuracy points but throwing hatches, axes, and Tomahawks is fun enough without needing to tally the scores.

Wearing a mask or face covering that covers the nose and mouth is mandatory at all Rage Axe Throwing venues.

When: Monday to Thursday, 2 to 10 pm; Friday to Sunday, 12 to 10 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 11:30 pm
Where: 1436 Rue Amherst
Price: $25 to $55, available online

Return to your childhood at the Barbie Expo

Montreal is home to the Barbie Expo, the largest permanent collection of Barbie dolls in the world.

Guests have the chance to see and snap pics of over 1,000 one-of-a-kind Barbie dolls, all dressed by the city’s leading fashion designers.

When: Monday to Wednesday, 10 am to 7 pm; Thursday to Friday, 10 am to 9 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm; Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm
Where: 1455 Rue Peel
Price: Free admission

Fling arrows at your friends

DodgeBow is exactly what it sounds like: dodgeball fused with bow and arrows.

The exhilarating team-based archery combat sport is capped with cushion-ends so they don’t hurt when they hit you and you can channel your inner Legolas when flinging them.

Face-off with your friends in the DodgeBow arena and put your marksmanship skills to the test. That’ll show the rain who’s boss.

Plus, you get to wear a cool face mask (that you can’t take home, unfortunately).

When: 2 to 8 pm
Where: 202-4767 Dagenais Street
Price: $24.95, available online

Have a go at indoor surfing

Battle the rain with some hardcore waves. Just because Montreal isn’t located on the coast, doesn’t mean you can’t tackle some killer tides.

Oasis Surf in Brossard is an indoor pool, open to amateur and experienced surfers looking to ride the waves.

Radical.

When: Sunday to Thursday, 10 am to 10 pm; Friday and Saturday, 10 am to 2 am
Where: Suite 01, 9520 Boulevard Leduc
Price: $30 for 30 minutes

Hide out at a cozy used bookstore

Sometimes all you want to do is curl up on the couch and read a book, especially when the rain is smashing on your windows.

Encore Books & Records is a gem of a shop that features a wide selection of used books, records, magazines, movies, and board games in a cozy little spot in NDG, all very reasonably priced.

It’s admittedly difficult to walk in without buying something.

When: Saturday to Wednesday, 11 am to 7 pm; Thursday to Friday, 11 am to 9 pm
Where: 5670 Sherbrooke Street W

Play board games at Randolph

Randolph is the board game bar that Montreal has always needed. With a collection of over 1,500 board games (and counting – 15 to 20 board games are added each month), Randolph is the place to be for all the competitive Monopoly players out there. Grab a group of friends and head on over for a rainy afternoon of beer and board games.

When: Monday to Thursday, 4 pm to 1 am; Friday to Saturday, 12 pm to 2 am; Sunday, 12 pm to 1 am
Where: 2041 Rue Saint Denis

Notre-Dame Basilica

When: 12:30 pm to 4 pm on Sundays (mass starts at 11 am)
Where: 110 Rue Notre Dame Ouest
Price: Free

Make a feline friend at Cafe Chat L’Heureux

In case you weren’t aware, Montreal is home to its very own cat cafe. Known as Cafe Chat L’Heureux, this cat cafe located in the Plateau is filled with furry friends for you to come and hang out with.

Ranging from kittens to old-timers, this cat cafe has a wide variety of feline friends, each as cute as the last. Drinking a latte whilst playing with a kitten? There’s a better way to spend a rainy day.

The cafe’s entire staff wear protective equipment and the counter is protected by plexiglass.

When: Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am – 8 pm; closed on Monday.
Where: 172 Avenue Duluth Est

Jump up and down at iSaute

Take up extreme trampolining for an evening at this 30,000 sq ft warehouse in Anjou.

With massive rooms filled with wall-to-wall trampolines, you can feel like a kid again jumping as high as your body can soar.

If you get tired of plain old jumping, iSaute also boasts a trampoline dodgeball stadium and a basketball dunk centre.

Masks are required for all jumpers but can be removed if you’re further than two metres away. iSaute says its equipment is frequently cleaned and the trampoline house is functioning at a reduced capacity.

When: Monday to Thursday, 3 pm to 9 pm; Friday to Saturday, 9 am to 12 a,; Sunday,  9 am to 8 pm
Where: 8700 boul du Golf Anjou
Price: $15.95 per hour

Play an escape game at A/MAZE

You escaped the rain sure, but can you escape a game room?

A/MAZE will challenge you in more ways than you thought possible, and there’s only one way to escape: by solving the puzzle. In a limited amount of time, you’ll have to find clues, crack codes, and solve problems in one of their themed rooms, ranging from a 1926 prison cell to a mad scientist’s lab, a WWII bunker, and a submarine.

When: Various times
Where: Atwater, Le Plateau, Griffintown, St-Henri
Price: $24 to $35 per person

Hit the lanes

The Rose Bowl is a Montreal landmark and it reopened in June, following all of public health’s guidelines.

The 72-lane bowling alley offers both 10-pin and five-pin bowling and opening hours that appeal to everyone.

The Rose also hosts a casse-croute, a bar, and an arcade room.

If lightning strikes, you can literally strike back.

When: 8 am to 3 am
Where: 6510 rue St-Jacques Ouest
Price: $5 per game plus $2.39 shoe rental (mandatory)

Make some art at Le Ceramic Cafe Studio

Rainy days are the perfect time to exert some creativity.

If you’re a fan of art and coffee, Le Ceramic Cafe Studio is for you. Le Ceramic Cafe Studio allows Montrealers to sip on a latte or eat a sandwich while creating some pretty magnificent ceramic art. Simply choose an object (like a mug or bowl), pick your colours, and get painting.

When: Monday to Wednesday, 10 am to 11 pm; Thursday, 10 am to 12:30 am; Friday to Saturday, 10 am to 10 pm; Sunday, 10 am to 10 pm
Where: 4338 Saint Denis
Price: $7 to $15 (varies by time)