This summer on the Plains of Abraham: a range of family activities and free access to exhibitions on the first of July

Quebec City, Quebec, June 30, 2022 – The summer holidays are off to a great start on the Plains of Abraham with a great lineup of family activities and free access to exhibitions at the Plains of Abraham Museum on July 1. As a historic park in the heart of Quebec City, the Plains are a place where families and friends can relax, have fun together, and learn about the city’s past. Young and old can explore the park and its history interactively through escape games, treasure hunts, bus tours, and exhibitions. Outdoor concerts, trails, a garden, and large green spaces also contribute to making the Plains an ideal place for enjoyment of nature downtown—a place to be discovered and rediscovered all summer long!

Starting July 2, the exhibition Attention! at Martello Tower 1 will give visitors a chance to discover the Martello Towers of Quebec City. Using a tablet, they can learn about the architecture of the towers, the military engineering that went into them, and the conditions of life of the soldiers and officers who occupied them. Visitors can also board Abraham’s Bus for a guided tour of memorable sites on the Plains, with a good dose of humour and history. Beginning July 8, it will be the turn of Martello Tower 4 to open its doors. This will be for an escape game: The Tormentor, a journey into the past … and a mystery to be solved!

For visitors looking for challenge or an activity suitable for teenagers, there are three outdoor escape games about different aspects of the park’s history: The Challenge of the Great Wars, The Masters Tournament, and The Forgotten Ones. Parents and kids will have fun going on the treasure hunt The Landscape Architect and the Hidden Treasure. With a mystery map in hand, they’ll be led to one puzzle after another in little known places of the Plains.

The exhibitions at the Plains of Abraham Museum provide a dive into the history of this fabled site. A new exhibition, Aeria, opened in mid-June and blends art and history to present eight noteworthy characters of the Plains. As visitors make their way from one character to the next, they get to know them by encountering sculptures by artist Jérôme Trudelle and by using a tablet to access multimedia contents. This new experience is offered in addition to the exhibitions Battles 1759-1760, Identities, and Traces, all of which take spectators back in time through the magic of immersive projection, artefacts, and other means. The exhibition Student Masterworks opens on July 1, in the Museum entrance, and will present historical replicas made by elementary and high school students. Please note: under an agreement with the Citadel of Quebec, visitors now get 30% off admission to the Plains of Abraham Museum upon showing a proof of purchase of admission to the Royal 22e Régiment Museum. In exchange, visitors get 20% off admission to the latter museum upon showing a proof of purchase of admission to the Plains of Abrahams Museum.

For music lovers, the outdoor concerts at the Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand provide a showcase of emerging talent and renowned artists who come in a variety of styles. These musical evenings are presented for free Thursday to Sunday, at 8 p.m., and take place in an outstanding natural setting. The Bandstand will be closed on Friday July 1 for Canada Day and July 6 to 17 for the Festival d’été de Québec. The shows will then resume and continue until August 7.

In addition to their historical heritage, the Plains also offer an ideal spot for enjoying nature in the heart of the city. There are large green spaces with trails for picnicking, strolling, and engaging in sports. The Plains of Abraham Trail provides pedestrians and cyclists with rest areas and interpretive panels as it winds its way along Gilmour Hill, while the Nature Trail goes into the wooded area of the Plains. One of the park’s gems is the Joan of Arc Garden. Visitors are charmed by the lovely flowerbeds and the soft lighting at nightfall that varies with atmospheric conditions. Near the Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand, and produced in conjunction with the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, is a human/nature co-creation project: It’s really just a love story. It was conceived by artist Angela Marsh and invites visitors to discover artistic, literary, and botanical creations by its guest contributors.