Morrin Centre
Morrin Centre
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Discover the secrets of our National Historic Site. Step back in time while walking through the sinister jail cells and decipher the graffiti carved into the floor by former inmates. Visit the intriguing chemistry Lab hidden upstairs, as well as the other classrooms of the Morrin College open from 1868 - 1902. Then, let yourself be spellbound by the haunting stories surrounding the Victorian Library, home to a collection of literary gems, some of which date back to the 16th century. The Morrin Centre offers: Experiences for groups and people of all ages, cultural activities, or consider renting one of our spaces as the perfect place to hold your event!
Duration: < 1 hour
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Address
Neighbourhood: Downtown Quebec City
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882 within 5 kms
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346 within 10 kms
See what travellers are saying
- Diane E20 contributionsExcellent Morrin Center Tour Quebec CityWe booked an English speaking tour at the Morrin Center on September 29th. Our tour guide was Fiona and she was fantastic! The tour of this historic cultural center was about 75 minutes and was extremely informative, interesting and fun! We learned about the unique history of this building, which has served as a jail, university and library over the last 200 years. Tour is inexpensive and highly recommended! Great way to learn about some of the history of Quebec City!Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 9 October 2023
- Dimitris LSydney, Australia51,704 contributionsAmazing Cultural CentreThe Morrin Centre is an amazing cultural centre. It is meant to spread the word about the history and culture of English speaking canadians. It's a sort of special library. It has vast amounts of information and it really opens visitors' minds into Canada's history and culture.Visited August 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 22 October 2023
- JoanneLake Mary, Florida2,132 contributionsquaint and historicThis was such a historical place and definitely worth a visit. It was part of a tour, so not sure the cost normally. We were met by a guide in period costume who explained a lot of the history that it had been a prison. We got to see the converted cells - and it was definitely not somewhere you wanted to be. A nice old library - quaint. The stairs are narrow and uneven - so might be a problem for those with mobility issues.Visited May 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 4 May 2024
- Christine2 contributionsFun and interesting sight for families with teensVery fun and interesting tour. We visited with our 12 and 15 year old kids and we all really enjoyed it. The tour guide was very engaging and the jail, library, and history provide a broader understanding of Quebec’s culture and history. Highly recommend!Visited August 2024Travelled with familyWritten 22 August 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.5
757 reviews
Excellent
504
Very good
209
Average
34
Poor
6
Terrible
4
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Danielle T
23 contributions
Dec 2021
This building features prominently in the Louise Penny book "Bury Your Dead" and I was eager to see the library as I loved the way it was described in the book.
I dropped by and was disappointed to find out that the library is closed to the general public during Covid (I visited in December 2021).
However, in talking to the front desk attendant I learned there was a tour of the Morrin Centre leaving in about 5 minutes from my arrival. I joined the tour on a whim and enjoyed it thoroughly!
The tour was about an hour long and covered the history of the building as a jail, college and now literary and historical society. The guide was engaging and enthusiastic and I learned a lot about the history of Quebec City. I would definitely recommend it!
I dropped by and was disappointed to find out that the library is closed to the general public during Covid (I visited in December 2021).
However, in talking to the front desk attendant I learned there was a tour of the Morrin Centre leaving in about 5 minutes from my arrival. I joined the tour on a whim and enjoyed it thoroughly!
The tour was about an hour long and covered the history of the building as a jail, college and now literary and historical society. The guide was engaging and enthusiastic and I learned a lot about the history of Quebec City. I would definitely recommend it!
Written 27 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KQ
1 contribution
Aug 2021 • Family
Awesome! Booking the tour over the phone was easy and efficient. They told us before we confirmed booking what the limitations were because of COVID.
The tour was about 45 minutes. Very informative with history but not too much as to keep the kids attention. The best part was ANTHONY, great communicator, very knowledgeable and great sense of humour to make it even more enjoyable.
The tour was about 45 minutes. Very informative with history but not too much as to keep the kids attention. The best part was ANTHONY, great communicator, very knowledgeable and great sense of humour to make it even more enjoyable.
Written 24 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Jo L,
We are so glad you and your group enjoyed the tour! Anthony is, indeed, an awesome guide and collegue! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! Hope you enjoyed your trip to Quebec City and please come back and visit us again.
Written 28 August 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ray V
1 contribution
Dec 2023 • Family
I recommend this place. It's really an interesting place to visit. The history inside this building shows another little-known side of Quebec. The only downside is that the visit is expensive for the short time it lasts ($50 for 4 people, for less than an hour of visit).
Written 9 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karen G
Vancouver, Canada710 contributions
Sept 2020 • Couples
I walked in today, there was a sign saying “come in and make a reservation for your visit”. So we did, they asked my name and phone number and that’s it. They didn’t say anything else, so I thought we were making reservations to limit the quantity of people because of COVID. But when we arrived for our reservation we had to actually pay for a tour. I only wanted to see the library, I asked if we could just walk around and they said no. Ok, I paid and after around 10 minutes listening to the tour guide outside, he showed us a picture of the library and said we couldn’t go there because it’s closed. I got extremely disappointed and interrupted the tour, so he offered me a refund.
I only gave 2 stars because the the staff were really friendly, because I think this is a huge fault. The tour was actually being interesting, cool information, but if you are not getting the entire tour, they should tell you from the beginning, especially when you’ll miss the most interesting part.
I only gave 2 stars because the the staff were really friendly, because I think this is a huge fault. The tour was actually being interesting, cool information, but if you are not getting the entire tour, they should tell you from the beginning, especially when you’ll miss the most interesting part.
Written 4 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Karen. Thank you for your comment. I am sorry to hear that you were not given enough information. As the health and safety of our visitors, members and staff is our top priority, the library had been closed since Mid-March (2020) due to Covid-19. Part of our mission is to interpret the Centre and as such we do not offer self-guided tours, however visitors are invited to experience living history by taking our Go To Jail and The Hanging of William Pouden tours which do cost 8$ per adult, per tour. Since July 2021, members may reserve a time and check out books in the library. For more information on what can and cannot be visited, as well as our health & safety protocols, please visit our website as updates are posted regularly. You are also more than welcome to email or phone us and it would be our pleasure to answer any questions you may have. Thank you!
Written 28 August 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
fredsquared
New Mexico38 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
An exceptionally entertaining tour of what at first glance does not appear to be an interesting building. The library has a long and dark history that is brought to life by the creative and talented guide. We were introduced to the last of the many men who were hanged above the front door. We saw his face, we heard the song that the children sang of him that day, and did he reach out to us? Some in our tour group would say he did or maybe it was the skill of the tour guide. Either way, it was highly entertaining.
Written 29 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diane E
Cranbrook20 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
We booked an English speaking tour at the Morrin Center on September 29th. Our tour guide was Fiona and she was fantastic! The tour of this historic cultural center was about 75 minutes and was extremely informative, interesting and fun! We learned about the unique history of this building, which has served as a jail, university and library over the last 200 years. Tour is inexpensive and highly recommended! Great way to learn about some of the history of Quebec City!
Written 9 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christine
2 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Very fun and interesting tour. We visited with our 12 and 15 year old kids and we all really enjoyed it. The tour guide was very engaging and the jail, library, and history provide a broader understanding of Quebec’s culture and history. Highly recommend!
Written 22 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dimitris L
Sydney, Australia51,704 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
The Morrin Centre is an amazing cultural centre. It is meant to spread the word about the history and culture of English speaking canadians. It's a sort of special library. It has vast amounts of information and it really opens visitors' minds into Canada's history and culture.
Written 22 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kay
Arlington, VA53 contributions
July 2023
Alice was the guide on our tour, and she provided a fun and interesting look at the building's history. It was built to be a prison, converted to a college, and continues as an English-language library -- there's a lot to work with! We are Louise Penny fans, so we wanted to get a look at the place that is integral to her book "Bury Your Dead." However, that was not our sole reason for visiting the Morrin and the city, so we appreciate that this tour was not only about the book.
Written 2 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert G
Adelaide332 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
The Morrin Centre was a stop on our Free walking Tour of Quebec with Sam Dubois and he piqued our interest. The first prison and at which some 16 people were hanged. The last hanging was quite an event with thousands of onlookers including entertainment and food. Even children were taken along to learn what happened to murderers etc. When the prison became too small it was converted into a Anglican University that also admitted women. Some of the original cells are still there giving a great insight into what conditions were like. The tour is excellent. It takes about 1 hr and takes in the science laboratory and lastly the private members library. We really enjoyed the tour and the guide was excellent.
Written 16 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Olá, para visitar apenas a biblioteca também é necessário pagar ou somente se for visitar o restante do prédio?
Written 31 March 2019
could you correct a spelling mistake and change Goal to Gaol.
Written 30 April 2018
Hello,
Would you be able to send me the link for this mistake please? I will then be able to correct it. Thanks!
Written 30 April 2018
Quebec is easy to get around --speaking English .
Written 22 October 2017
How close is the center to Hotel Manoir d'Auteuil ? What are the times for the tours ?
Written 1 June 2016
Hi Linda,
The Morrin Centre is about a 5 to 7 minute walk from Hotel Manoir d'Auteuil. Thank you Travellove414 for your instructions on how to get to the Centre.
The entrance fee for the Discovery tour is $11 for general , $9 for students (ID card required), $10 for seniors, we also offer family rates for $35 (Includes 2 adults, 3 kids aged 9 - 17 and of course children aged 8 years and younger get in for free.
We also offer Teatime every Sunday at 4:15 pm in our beautiful Victorian library. For more information, visit our website or call at 418-694-9147.
Thank you and I hope you enjoyed your stay in Quebec City!
Written 28 July 2016
Bonjour,
je cherhce un hotel pas cher pour 6 nuits, le lomardy hotel me semble correct, est-ce près de Mimai Beach et des actvitées de Miami,, des transports en commun? Pour les voyageurs avez-vous passé un bon séjour dans cet hotel et qu'avez-vous visité? Un personnel de l'hotel viendra nous chercher à l'aéroport international?
Written 17 January 2015
Bonjour, si je comprend bien c'est a Miami Floride que vous voulez de l'info, mais mon article est sur la ville de Québec, désolé.
Written 17 January 2015
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