Smith House

A tour of “the mountain” isn’t complete without a stop at Smith House, a charming stone farmhouse just down from the Mount Royal Chalet and Belvedere Kondiaronk.

Built in 1858, this example of neoclassical rural architecture was once the home of a wealthy merchant and businessman by the name of Hosea Ballou Smith. At the time, Mount Royal was indeed an oasis of freshness and tranquility sought by the bourgeois who wanted to get away from the polluted and overcrowded St. Lawrence bank. It was acquired by the City on Montréal some fourteen years later for the creation of a park, and went on to serve as park superintendent residence, police and first aid station, art centre, and hunting and nature museum.

Since its renovation in 1999, Smith House provides visitor welcome services and is home to the offices of Les amis de la montagne, a non-profit organization that protects, improves and promotes the sustainability of Montréal’s Mount Royal. Enjoy a meal at the Café des Amis, find out about what to see and do in the park, purchase a souvenir at the gift shop or visit the exhibition entitled The thousand faces of Mount Royal.