Morrin Centre

This was an unexpected piece of history that reddit recommended to me. It used to be a prison, and then a college, and now it houses an extensive library and cultural/literature center. It is still ran by a nonprofit that is funded entirely by donations/philanthropy. You can get a guided tour of the old prison cells and college chemistry lab, along with a history lesson as part of a tour. You can also just relax and read a book in the library. The special part of the entire experience for me was that everything we saw and touched and even used is original. Especially in the library, the chairs are all original, the bookshelves, the flooring, all of it. It's extremely rare to find someplace where we can not only see and interact, but actually use the originals that have existed for decades. I'm happy they put that trust in visitors, and if you visit, please respect that privilege.

A cultural center with some events going on. It was surprising that the building used to be a prison and a college before it became a cultural center, which carried plenty of historical significance. The prison cells and the chemistry lab were the most interesting parts of the guided tour.

Dec2024 This former prison is now often visited as a community center and the base of the Literary & Historical Society of Quebec. There is a fee to enter its premises while outide is a small corridor and frontyard with art installations. The main entrance has a time card which is a bit confusing and isnt consistent to the time and schedules indicated here in Google Maps. So best to go later in the day and you may take several trips to get access inside.

This place is awesome! I came 8 years ago and recently returned on a trip. This is a must visit if you are in Old Quebec. The guided tours are a great price for the experience you get. Our guide Darwin was incredible, super knowledgeable, super kind and over all just a great person to learn from. Will definitely be returning on our next trip

This is an amazing building with a diverse history, visiting which you will be able to feel several eras and immerse yourself in the special way of life of people during the time of the first colonists.

Such a great experience! Our guide Alex was so thoughtful and gave us extra time to translate to our non-english speaking guests. He had so much patience with us! This is a must see in Quebec.

Very interesting place with quite a history! The building in which the center is was first a prison, then a college for Protestants, then a library. Now it is a cultural site and a library! You can get a membership to borrow books for $20 per year/individual or $25 per year/family. It was so bizarre being in the location where many people suffered and 17 were given the death-sentence. The stairs they walked down for their execution are still the same. Yikes. I was in a guided tour and we got to experience solitary confinement. We were locked in a small cell in the dark in which prisoners used to be locked for months. Our tour guide was super good at sharing all the info and playing the role. I loved learning about the history of the building ant seeing its traces. In the library, there’s a statue of James Wolf that traveled to several places, including a pub where beer glassed were placed on its arm, before being returned to Quebec City. For book lovers, here is a horrifying fact: someone tried to bomb the statue, but the missed. So, they bombed the books instead and caused the loss of 500 books. The only thing I wish was different is the time given to just explore by ourselves. Were given a little bit of time to look at the details of the rooms etc, but not nearly enough time to really be in the moment and reflect on what we are seeing. PS: the Morrin Center is the only Anglophone library in Quebec City. It’s pretty cool. If I lived in the area I would have loved to be a member and hang out between all the books there.

WOW. The jail and its history was incredible. Then going to the College classes and finally the old - yet still active - library was such a wonderful experience. Our tour leader was hugely knowledgeable and spoke excellent English. I'd recommend this to EVERYONE as a MUST SEE and experience place to visit.