Mount Royal Cemetery

Mount Royal Cemetery is a historic cemetery on the slopes of Mount Royal in Montréal. Established in 1852 as a Protestant rural cemetery, it was laid out as a cemetery-park, bringing Victorian landscape design together with the mountain’s natural contours. Its winding paths pass graves, mausoleums and monuments in a range of styles. The cemetery is also the resting place of notable Quebec figures, including Sir John Abbott, John Redpath, David Ross McCord and Leonard Cohen. Come for the architecture, the gardens and a quieter look at Montréal’s history.

A cemetery shaped as a park

Mount Royal Cemetery was established in 1852 as a Protestant rural cemetery. Its design follows the cemetery-park approach, using the mountain’s natural contours alongside Victorian landscape design. The result is a large site of winding roadways and walkways, with different sections spread across the slope.

The grounds combine burial places with gardens, trees and monuments. The routes pass markers of different sizes and styles, from simple military plots to larger stone memorials. The variety makes a walk through the cemetery a way to see how memorial design has changed across its sections.

Monuments and Montréal history

Mausoleums and stone markers are among the cemetery’s most distinctive features. Their forms range from restrained to elaborate, and the monuments tell individual stories through their design and inscriptions. Take time to look closely at the different surnames and styles as you move between sections.

Mount Royal Cemetery is the resting place of several figures connected with Quebec history, including Sir John Abbott, John Redpath and David Ross McCord. Leonard Cohen is also buried here. Guided tours are available for visitors who want to connect the cemetery’s monuments with Montréal’s history.