Morrin Centre
Morrin Centre
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Discover the secrets of our National Historic Site. Step back in time while walking through the sinister jail cells and decipher the graffiti carved into the floor by former inmates. Visit the intriguing chemistry Lab hidden upstairs, as well as the other classrooms of the Morrin College open from 1868 - 1902. Then, let yourself be spellbound by the haunting stories surrounding the Victorian Library, home to a collection of literary gems, some of which date back to the 16th century. The Morrin Centre offers: Experiences for groups and people of all ages, cultural activities, or consider renting one of our spaces as the perfect place to hold your event!
Suggested duration
< 1 hour
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Tours & experiences
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What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience Morrin Centre and nearby attractions

The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Downtown Quebec City
Reach out directly
See what travellers are saying
  • amrevu
    Matthews, North Carolina29 contributions
    Extremely Entertaining
    Go to the Morrin Centre when a guided tour is offered and hope Fiona is giving it. She made every aspect of the centre interesting and entertained with dramatic gusto. A memorable experience. Good for all ages.
    Visited February 2023
    Written March 6, 2023
  • fredsquared
    39 contributions
    Much more than it seems and lots of fun
    An exceptionally entertaining tour of what at first glance does not appear to be an interesting building. The library has a long and dark history that is brought to life by the creative and talented guide. We were introduced to the last of the many men who were hanged above the front door. We saw his face, we heard the song that the children sang of him that day, and did he reach out to us? Some in our tour group would say he did or maybe it was the skill of the tour guide. Either way, it was highly entertaining.
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written May 29, 2023
  • LaurieBZ
    Saint Paul, Minnesota56 contributions
    Interesting tour of a building with a lot of history
    This place wasn't in any of our guidebooks--we saw the outside on a walking tour we took and were intrigued. We went back and took the tour and enjoyed learning about this place that started as a prison, became a college and now houses a library. Our guide admitted to only having started a few weeks ago, but we never would have known, since he did a great job and pointed out all kinds of interesting things about the place. Worth a visit.
    Visited June 2023
    Written June 21, 2023
  • Kay
    Arlington, Virginia14 contributions
    Small bite of prison and college history
    Alice was the guide on our tour, and she provided a fun and interesting look at the building's history. It was built to be a prison, converted to a college, and continues as an English-language library -- there's a lot to work with! We are Louise Penny fans, so we wanted to get a look at the place that is integral to her book "Bury Your Dead." However, that was not our sole reason for visiting the Morrin and the city, so we appreciate that this tour was not only about the book.
    Visited July 2023
    Written August 2, 2023
  • SamreenAhsanCanada
    Toronto, Canada545 contributions
    Amazing place
    One of the best locations in QC for an anglophone bibliophile. I love every time I visit there. Not only library has great collection of books, it offers tours and other interactive programs for kids too. You feel like you step back in time. The tour to prison is also worth taking
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written August 8, 2023
  • Sue2011Wisconsin
    5 contributions
    Great tour guide!
    Our tour of Morrin Center was very interesting and educational. The young man we got for our tour guide was excellent, so full of historic anecdotes! He was also very considerate and accommodating of the person in our group in a wheel chair. We loved this tour! One of the best things we did in Quebec City.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written August 13, 2023
  • Robert G
    350 contributions
    Underrated Attraction
    The Morrin Centre was a stop on our Free walking Tour of Quebec with Sam Dubois and he piqued our interest. The first prison and at which some 16 people were hanged. The last hanging was quite an event with thousands of onlookers including entertainment and food. Even children were taken along to learn what happened to murderers etc. When the prison became too small it was converted into a Anglican University that also admitted women. Some of the original cells are still there giving a great insight into what conditions were like. The tour is excellent. It takes about 1 hr and takes in the science laboratory and lastly the private members library. We really enjoyed the tour and the guide was excellent.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written August 16, 2023
  • Diane E
    20 contributions
    Excellent Morrin Center Tour Quebec City
    We booked an English speaking tour at the Morrin Center on September 29th. Our tour guide was Fiona and she was fantastic! The tour of this historic cultural center was about 75 minutes and was extremely informative, interesting and fun! We learned about the unique history of this building, which has served as a jail, university and library over the last 200 years. Tour is inexpensive and highly recommended! Great way to learn about some of the history of Quebec City!
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written October 9, 2023
  • Dimitris L
    Sydney, Australia44,432 contributions
    Amazing Cultural Centre
    The Morrin Centre is an amazing cultural centre. It is meant to spread the word about the history and culture of English speaking canadians. It's a sort of special library. It has vast amounts of information and it really opens visitors' minds into Canada's history and culture.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written October 22, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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749 reviews
Excellent
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Average
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Poor
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Dimitris L
Sydney, Australia44,432 contributions
Aug. 2023 • Couples
The Morrin Centre is an amazing cultural centre. It is meant to spread the word about the history and culture of English speaking canadians. It's a sort of special library. It has vast amounts of information and it really opens visitors' minds into Canada's history and culture.
Written October 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Diane E
Cranbrook20 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Couples
We booked an English speaking tour at the Morrin Center on September 29th. Our tour guide was Fiona and she was fantastic! The tour of this historic cultural center was about 75 minutes and was extremely informative, interesting and fun! We learned about the unique history of this building, which has served as a jail, university and library over the last 200 years. Tour is inexpensive and highly recommended! Great way to learn about some of the history of Quebec City!
Written October 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

patriciay455
Baltimore, MD268 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Couples
This is a must for anyone who has an interest in history of old prisons. The tour was really interesting and entertaining. Also learned some interesting information about Morris College and early women at the school. Highly recommend
Written September 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Robert G
Adelaide350 contributions
Aug. 2023 • Couples
The Morrin Centre was a stop on our Free walking Tour of Quebec with Sam Dubois and he piqued our interest. The first prison and at which some 16 people were hanged. The last hanging was quite an event with thousands of onlookers including entertainment and food. Even children were taken along to learn what happened to murderers etc. When the prison became too small it was converted into a Anglican University that also admitted women. Some of the original cells are still there giving a great insight into what conditions were like. The tour is excellent. It takes about 1 hr and takes in the science laboratory and lastly the private members library. We really enjoyed the tour and the guide was excellent.
Written August 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sue2011Wisconsin
Wisconsin5 contributions
Aug. 2023 • Family
Our tour of Morrin Center was very interesting and educational. The young man we got for our tour guide was excellent, so full of historic anecdotes! He was also very considerate and accommodating of the person in our group in a wheel chair. We loved this tour! One of the best things we did in Quebec City.
Written August 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SamreenAhsanCanada
Toronto, Canada545 contributions
Aug. 2023 • Family
One of the best locations in QC for an anglophone bibliophile. I love every time I visit there. Not only library has great collection of books, it offers tours and other interactive programs for kids too. You feel like you step back in time. The tour to prison is also worth taking
Written August 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kay
Arlington, VA14 contributions
Jul. 2023
Alice was the guide on our tour, and she provided a fun and interesting look at the building's history. It was built to be a prison, converted to a college, and continues as an English-language library -- there's a lot to work with! We are Louise Penny fans, so we wanted to get a look at the place that is integral to her book "Bury Your Dead." However, that was not our sole reason for visiting the Morrin and the city, so we appreciate that this tour was not only about the book.
Written August 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Karen L
British Columbia, Canada30 contributions
Jul. 2023
This was a rainy day activity and it was a great way to spend the morning. The history of the building is so interesting and our guide did a great job of making it entertaining. Well worth the time.
Written July 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LaurieBZ
Saint Paul, MN56 contributions
Jun. 2023
This place wasn't in any of our guidebooks--we saw the outside on a walking tour we took and were intrigued. We went back and took the tour and enjoyed learning about this place that started as a prison, became a college and now houses a library. Our guide admitted to only having started a few weeks ago, but we never would have known, since he did a great job and pointed out all kinds of interesting things about the place. Worth a visit.
Written June 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ryan S
Fanwood, NJ3 contributions
Jun. 2023 • Couples
Had a great tour guide named Justine who was knowledgeable and enthusiastic, made it all worth the trip alone. We learned about the centre's history as a prison, its transition to a college and then eventually a library, and she even stuck around to answer any questions afterward.
Written June 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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MORRIN CENTRE - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Morrin Centre

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