Monument-National

What travelers say:

Constructed between 1891 and 1893, Monument-National was inspired by a wish to create a “monument” in celebration of French-Canadian culture. Its frame composed entirely of steel, the building was one of the largest structures in the late-nineteenth century and was notable for its Neo-Renaissance design. Being in close proximity to the remaining vestige of the city’s Red Light district (corner of Ste-Catherine and St-Laurent), the building once contained a burlesque theatre, the Starland. Into the twentieth century, the Monument functioned as both a training centre for theatre students and a key venue for Francophone theatre. Though the building languished in the second half of the last century, and came close to being demolished, with the help of the National Theatre School of Canada, Monument-National was restored in the early 1990s.