Montreal Clock Tower, Clock tower monument in Old Port, Canada
The 45-meter tall white stone tower stands near the St. Lawrence River, featuring a mechanical clock visible from multiple directions in the harbor.
The Montreal Clock Tower was constructed between 1919 and 1922 as a memorial to merchant sailors who lost their lives during World War I.
The Beaux-Arts architectural style of the tower reflects the early 20th-century design principles prevalent in Montreal's maritime district construction.
Visitors can climb 192 steps to reach the observation deck, which provides views of the St. Lawrence River and the Jacques Cartier Bridge.
The tower's clock mechanism, built in Croydon, England, operates with the same technical specifications as London's Big Ben timepiece.
Location: Ville-Marie
Inception: 1922
Architectural style: Beaux-Arts
Part of: Old Montreal
GPS coordinates: 45.51220,-73.54580
Latest update: May 13, 2025 12:06
Clock towers combine technical precision with architectural styles from different periods and cultures. These highly visible structures stand in city centers, university campuses and historic squares, where they structure public life. The collection includes varied examples: the 315 foot (96 meter) neo-Gothic bell tower at Westminster Palace in London, the 1,970 foot (601 meter) Royal Clock Tower in Mecca, the Spasskaya Tower on Red Square in Moscow, the 279 foot (85 meter) neo-Gothic Rajabai Tower in Mumbai, the medieval astronomical clock at Old Town Hall in Prague, the 13th century Zytglogge in Bern, the Giralda in Seville (originally an Almohad minaret), the 548 foot (167 meter) Philadelphia City Hall tower, the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, the 308 foot (94 meter) Sather Tower at the University of California Berkeley, the Zimmer Tower in Lier, the Custom House Tower in Boston, the Mughal era Ghanta Ghar in Lahore, the Union Station clock tower in Waterbury, the Renaissance clock tower on St. Mark's Square in Venice, the Jam Gadang in Bukittinggi and the Jaffa Clock Tower in Tel Aviv. Many of these towers serve as urban landmarks and connect historic architecture with practical function. They frequently offer elevated viewpoints and display remarkable mechanical achievements in timekeeping.
Montreal combines historic sites and cultural institutions along the Saint Lawrence River. The city displays its religious past in structures like Notre-Dame Basilica, whose neo-gothic facade dates to the 1820s, and Saint Joseph's Oratory, a Catholic pilgrimage site on Westmount. Mount Royal rises 764 ft (233 m) above the city center, offering views across downtown and the river. Parc Jean-Drapeau spans two former Expo islands and now houses the Biosphere and the Formula 1 track Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Cultural facilities include the Museum of Fine Arts, which presents Canadian and European collections, and Pointe-à-Callière, built on archaeological sites from the 17th century. Old Montreal preserves buildings from the French colonial period along cobblestone streets. The Olympic Stadium and Botanical Garden date from different 20th-century construction phases. Markets such as Jean-Talon and Atwater have sold regional produce for decades. The Quartier des Spectacles concentrates performance venues around Place des Arts, while the Underground City connects pedestrian passages beneath downtown.
Bonsecours Market
571 m
Montreal City Hall
742 m
Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel
494 m
Grande roue de Montréal
470 m
Château Ramezay
697 m
The Citadel, Montreal
464 m
Man, Three Disks
726 m
Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site
473 m
Parc de Dieppe
669 m
Marguerite Bourgeoys Museum
500 m
Édifice Jacques-Viger
578 m
Gilles-Hocquart Building
740 m
Clock Tower Beach
47 m
Maison Cartier
726 m
Donegana's Hotel
564 m
Statue of Jean Drapeau
753 m
Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel
491 m
Complexe Chaussegros-de-Léry
682 m
Louis-Joseph Papineau National Historic Site
558 m
Courant Sainte-Marie
463 m
Quebec museum of costume and textiles
533 m
Maison Du Calvet
509 m
Belvédère du Chemin-Qui-Marche
253 m
Cour municipale de Montréal
708 m
Maison Brossard-Gauvin
616 m
Maison-magasin Pierre-Del Vecchio I
753 m
Maison Jane-Tate I
552 m
Maison Hubert-Paré
683 mReviews
Visited this place? Tap the stars to rate it and share your experience / photos with the community! Try now! You can cancel it anytime.
Discover hidden gems everywhere you go!
From secret cafés to breathtaking viewpoints, skip the crowded tourist spots and find places that match your style. Our app makes it easy with voice search, smart filtering, route optimization, and insider tips from travelers worldwide. Download now for the complete mobile experience.
A unique approach to discovering new places❞
— Le Figaro
All the places worth exploring❞
— France Info
A tailor-made excursion in just a few clicks❞
— 20 Minutes