The visit begins in the ruins of Ville-Marie’s first Catholic cemetery, dating from 1643, and continues to the foundations of the Royal Insurance Building (1861-1951). These vestiges relate the history of the site beginning with the First Nations people and ending in the 19th Century.

In an area reserved for families, young people will discover the ways of life of the Iroquois of the St. Lawrence River basin through a series of self-directed displays showcasing the lives of Native men, women and children of the time. Visitors can also view the original triangular foundations of the Royal Insurance Building that inspired architect Dan S. Hanganu to configure the current footprint of the Museum.

The tour then continues beyond an impressive stone vaulted tunnel, built in 1832 and 1833, on the bed where the Saint-Pierre River once flowed.