Olympic Park Montreal Stadium and Tower

The Olympic Stadium has become one of Montreal's most internationally recognized landmarks. It features a very unique architectural design created by French architect Roger Tallibert. This striking landmark features the world's tallest inclined tower which rises 574 feet above the ground at an incredible 45 degree angle.

Visitors to the Stadium can ride a funicular up the outside of the Montreal Tower to the observatory at the top. As it quickly carries you up the steep incline to the observation level, the funicular, which has a capacity of 76 passengers, presents superb views of the park and the botancial gardens below. From the observatory at the top you will enjoy spectacular views of the city; on a clear day you can see for up to 80 kilometres.

One might think that the Stadium they see today is pretty much the same as it was for the 1976 Olympics, but that is far from the case. In fact the project has been plagued with problems throughout its life. Labour disruptions prevented the completion of the tower and retractable roof in time for the Olympic games and after many more design modifications and problems the retractable roof was not put into operation until 1989 - 13 years after the Olympic Games. The troubles were only just beginning however as the new retractable roof did not function well and was very susceptible to damage from wind, snow and even heavy rain. After a decade of problems the retractable Kelvar roof was replaced with a non-retractable fiberglass roof in 1998, but even this had problems with snow load in the following year.

In spite of its many problems, Olympic Stadium has and continues to host a wide variety of notable games, concerts and events. During the 1976 Summer Olympics the stadium hosted both the opening and closing ceremonies along with a number of Olympic sporting events. From 1977-2004 it was home to the Montreal Expos baseball franchise and from 1976 - 1997 it was home to the Montreal Allouettes Canadian Football League franchise and it is still used as a venue when Montreal hosts the CFL Grey Cup game. The stadium has the largest seating capacity of any stadium in the country.

At the base of the Montreal Tower there is a large sports complex that includes an Olympic swimming pool. Adjacent to the stadium is the Biodome, an indoor nature museum which is one of four science facilities operated by the Space for Life Foundation. It was originally the Velodrome at the 1976 Olympics Games. All of these structures where part of the original design by architect Roger Tallibert.

Adjacent to the Pie-IX Metro Station you will find the newly opened Park Exalto. This park, the first of its kind in North America, provides athletic obstacle courses with differing levels of difficulty that provide visitors with a fun challenge. Admission to the park lets you repeat the courses as many times as you wish. Later when you get tired you can relax in one of the hammocks or practice your golf putting to wind down. you can get more information at Parc Exalto.

Olympic Stadium is almost as intriguing for its troubled history as it is for its striking design. As one of Montreal's most recognizable and prominent landmarks it, along with the surrounding attractions are a must see.

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Video

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Video overview of Montreal Olympic Park and Stadium

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