Montréal Tower Observatory

For $ 18 a ticket, I think it’s pretty steep to go up that incline (no pun intended). And the day we went it was overcast so the lady said the view is reduced. Asked if she could reduce the price and she didn’t even entertain the idea.

Simple design but you can’t beat the views. You really get a nice panoramic layout of the city with Mount Royal in the back, downtown, and the river and islands. Make sure to come on a sunny day. Montréal can look quite dreary when it’s cloudy.
Plan to spend about 20 minutes up here. The elevator has views of the areas east of the city, which doesn’t have much.
It’s about $ 20 to go up.

The Observatory Tower is really a cool place to go! From above you can see the entire city (or big part of it). The good points are that it is cheap compared to other ticket prices, the staff is friendly, there is a digital map, pictures etc. They have a photo boot where you can take a picture with your friends and email it straight away and for free! I liked the souvenir boutique as well.
The things I didn’t like were the fact that the binoculars work only with a 1 $ coin and the timing is about a minute. The glass of the elevator was not very clean. It was very cold, so take a jacket with you :)

Not worth the money for parking and the tower. Complete rip off. Stay away. There is much more in Montréal to see that is much much better. The whole Olympic park may seem cool in theory but in reality it is a giant giant tourist trap.

It was a bright sunny day yesterday and Gord and I took the metro (subway) to the Montréal Tower.
At 165 metres, the Montréal Tower is the tallest inclined tower in the world! Its 45-​degree angle is awe-​inspiring, especially when you consider that the Leaning Tower of Pisa’s tilt is only 5 degrees!
From its summit, visitors can admire the entire Greater Montréal region and up to 80 kilometres of the St. Lawrence River valley. A breathtaking panorama, it has been awarded a three-​star rating — the highest available — by the renowned Michelin Guide!
Visitors can reach the top of the Montréal Tower on a mesmerizing climb in a glass-​encased funicular that holds up to 76 passengers.
The funicular is the only one in the world that operates on a curved structure. It has a hydraulic system that allows the cabin to remain horizontal during the two-​minute ride to the top.
The views were great!
There was a booth where you could have your picture taken and then email it to yourself. Of course, Gord and I did. There were models of the tower and Olympic Stadium.
It was definitely worth the trip as the views were spectacular!

Let’s state the obvious: $ 18 a ticket for a (maybe) 3 minute ride that is definitely showing signs of where is a bit of a rip-​off.
But I was a tourist coming to Montréal and I was damned if I wasn’t going to see this. If you’re even mildly afraid of heights, you will probably want to skip the elevator ride on the incline.
If you aren’t afraid of heights, you will enjoy the brief 270 degree view of the city. You will see buildings, water, and Mount Royale, if you’re lucky. If you’re here on a foggy day, you won’t be seeing much –just like me. Don’t expect to be overwhelmed with excitement, either way.

I’m going to go with 4 stars. It’s great, but it can’t compete one on one with the grandeur of Toronto’s CN Tower. The unique feature about the Inclined Tower at the Olympic Stadium of ’76 is that it is the tallest free standing and most inclined concrete structure in the world. And that sort of feat, in the 70s, was most likely to make for some severe budget overruns … and it reportedly did.
Set on the grounds of the Olympic Stadium and adjacent structures such as the aquatic center and an exhibit of different bio-​systems with representative animal life, the site is captivating for the extensive sculpting of these buildings and for the stark eery feeling of these shapes set against these vast open concrete plazas around the Olympic complex. They are impressive, though they are starting to look dated and there is epoxy that should be applied here and there. I’m sure the facility management team has their hands full. The Expos used to play in the stadium below the Inclined Tower and cables from the tower hold up the stadium’s roof cover.
I really recommend going up on the Inclined Tower to its observatory if you haven’t been. The Metro exits are Viau or Pie IX. One goes to the rear of the incline and will see a 2-​story elevator that makes the sloped ascent. The height is about 60 stories. The price is ok and AAA/​CAA helps a little. Now, compared to the CN Tower, the perimeter up top for viewing the city is slightly constrained, though it has a good angle and a good view. From the tower, you can see Centre-​Ville, Sherbrooke St. connecting the center to the Olympic complex, the South Shore, Ile Ste-​Helene in the middle of the river, all the major bridges including the Jacques Cartier, the hill of Parc Mont-​Royal, and more. It really gives one an appreciation for Montréal’s spectacular island setting.

At something like $ 18 per person when bundled with a Biodome ticket as of last week, I think they’ve reached a point where maybe the price has overstepped the value of the experience.
The elevator ride up is pretty cool, and the 270-​degree view of Montréal once you get to the top is nice. Off in the distance, you can see the cluster of skyscrapers of the core downtown area alongside Mont Royal. That might be the best part of the view, although it’s far enough away to be a bit underwhelming. A much better view of downtown is available by walking up to the chalet at Mont Royal.
Of course, that’s not the fault of the observatory. The cityscape is what it is, and it’s worth something to be able to see it from this vantage point. It’s just not worth $ 18 per person, in my opinion. Still, if you’re a visitor to the area you should do it just to have the experience.
Side note, it’s evident especially on the elevator ride up and back, that this landmark has been falling into some state of disrepair (not in a dangerous way, but lots of old, peeling paint, etc). It’s sad to see, because it’s a beautiful piece of work.

Every major city has a place that offers a great vantage point to overlook as far as the eye can see. This is Montréal’s. Located in Olympic Stadium, circa 1976, it is nested next to a planetarium and the famous Biodome. While the ride isn’t cheap, for first time goers it is worth the money. You take a bi-​level gondola up the sloped side of the building, enjoying the views at you ascend.
At the top, there are panoramic views with large windows to better viewing and at it’s center, a gift shop. There are no food vendors but if you head down one level, there are seats and tables where you can bring your own snacks and drinks to enjoy. Definitely something not to miss if you’re visiting Montréal.