Guided Tours

Discover the secrets of our National Historic Site thanks to this guided tour. Walk through the sinister jail cells and decipher the graffiti carved into the floors by former inmates.

Learn about the extraordinary discoveries of some of Quebec’s first scientists by visiting the rooms of Morrin College, the city’s first English-language institute of higher education open from 1862 to 1902.

Then, let yourself be spellbound by the haunting stories surrounding the charming Victorian Library, home to a collection of literary gems, some of which date back to the 16th century.

This guided tour also grants you access to our permanent exhibit, Behind Bars: The Quebec Gaol and Its People, 1812-1867.

Public Tours Schedule
Fall 2024
Wednesday to Sunday
Tours in English: 10 h, 13 h, 15 h
Tours in French: 11 h, 14 h, 16 h

Rates (taxes included)
Adult: $17
Student (9 to 17 years old, 18+ with student card): $15
Senior (65 years old and older): $15
Family (2 adults + 2 students (9-17 years old)): $48.50
Child (8 years old and younger): free
Morrin Centre Member: free

Book your tickets HERE

This event is offered on an irregular schedule. Contact our Head Guide at heewonson@morrin.org for more information.

Next Activity
November 24
December 15

Rates (taxes included)
Adult: $40 $
Student (9 to 17 years old): $36
Senior (65 years old and older): $36
Morrin Centre Member: $36
Child (8 years old and younger): $20

Discover the secrets of our National Historic Site thanks to this guided tour. Walk through the sinister jail cells and decipher the graffiti carved into the floors by former inmates.

Learn about the extraordinary discoveries of some of Quebec’s first scientists by visiting the rooms of Morrin College, the city’s first English-language institute of higher education open from 1862 to 1902.

Then, let yourself be spellbound by the haunting stories surrounding the charming Victorian Library, home to a collection of literary gems, some of which date back to the 16th century.

This guided tour also grants you access to our permanent exhibit, Behind Bars: The Quebec Gaol and Its People, 1812-1867.

This hour-long immersive and interactive experience will provide you with an introduction to tea history and etiquette, teach you some traditional Victorian games and activities, and (of course) allow you to taste a number of teas as well as sweet and savory snacks.

This activity may be paired with a Discovery tour to create a longer experience. For more information, contact heewonson@morrin.org

A theatrical experience that will put you in the shoes of a convict who was recently interned at the Quebec City Common Gaol.

As soon as you arrive, the physician will examine you and explain how he plans to cure you of all the physical and mental ills that some inmates appear to be afflicted with. Then, the prison guard will take you on a tour of death row and the isolation cells, where you might well end up if you don’t follow the rules! Special treats include the sampling of period remedies and various punishments!

Live streaming tours offer a deeper look at the history of the Morrin Centre!

Explore the Morrin Centre from home with this live, interactive experience. Discover the secrets and explore some lesser known spaces of our National Historic Site. On this unique tour, your group, team or family will travel online with your own guide. Guides carry mobile devices that capture live video as they narrate your journey, showcase architecture, and engage you in conversation about the different periods of the Morrin Centre.

$145 per group. Maximum 30 participants.

Capital Punishment at the Quebec Common Gaol

Thanks to the exceptional atmosphere of the old gaol and captivating audiovisual animations, travel back in time to 1823 when William Pounden was hanged for murder. During this immersive guided tour of the spaces used to imprison and hang the condemned, follow the series of tragic events that led to his execution. Let the animations guide you through the Quebec common gaol as it stood in the nineteenth century and witness the events that would lead the condemned to the most severe punishment of that time.

End the tour with one of the Morrin Centre’s permanent exhibits, The Hanged: Two Centuries of Executions in Quebec, and learn about the history of capital punishment in this province, from the first execution of a civilian under the British regime to the abolition of the death penalty in Canada in 1976.

This activity contains scenes which may be unsuitable for young children and disturb certain visitors.

This visit is presented by Desjardins.
This visit was created thanks to the support of the Entente de développement culturel de la ville de Québec and Québec Cité, Quebec City Tourism.
This visit was created in collaboration with Halo Création.

Whether they lived here or merely visited, Quebec City has been the setting for works by a number of great English-language writers, including Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, and Margaret Atwood. Our Writings is a walking tour examining these writers and the places in our magnificent city which inspired them.

One of these sites is our very own building, which retains architectural evidence of its past as a municipal prison (1812-1867), a Presbyterian college affiliated with McGill University (1868-1902), as well as the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec’s magnificent library (1868-present). Visiting authors have been highly inspired by our venue and the city. In 2010, Louise Penny published her bestselling crime novel, Bury Your Dead, in which much of the action takes place at the Morrin Centre.

The visit includes a walking tour, accompanied by a guide.