About Mount Royal 

In 1874, Olmsted agreed to create a park on Mont Royal in Montréal. This was the first park that Olmsted designed after the dissolution of his partnership with Calvert Vaux, and it marked the beginning of a lengthy partnership between the Olmsted firm and Canada.

Olmsted claimed that, as a location, Mount Royal was “the best opportunity […] that had ever been presented to my profession.” He was inspired by the extraordinary topography and views of Mount Royal and aimed to enhance the natural environment through the planting of dramatic foliage.

Olmsted designed a circulation system that would give visitors—including those in wheelchairs—access to experience the vast landscape. However, due to the economic depression of the mid-1870s, park construction was rushed, and Olmsted’s full vision was never executed.

Despite this, the park opened in 1876. People have flocked to the mountain ever since to enjoy the restorative power of nature and the undeniable beauty of this Olmstedian masterpiece. Today, the park is a key feature of the city, placing Mount Royal at the heart of Montréal’s economic, civic and cultural development.