Observatoire de la Capitale offers a view of Quebec City like no other. Nestled at the top of a 31-story office skyscraper, Édifice Marie-Guyart (also known as Complexe G), this attraction features a 360 degree view of the entire city from its expansive windows.
Not only is it the tallest building in Quebec City, but it is the tallest building east of Montreal in all of Canada. It was a worthy addition to our 3 days in Quebec City itinerary.
While regular office employees visit this building to go to work, visitors to Quebec can take the elevator to the top floor, 221 metres above the ground, to experience incredible views.
Our Visit to Observatoire de la Capitale
Designed in the Brutalist style, this massive concrete structure was completed in 1972. It was actually quite difficult to take this photograph from directly beneath the building. I had to bend my body way back to do so (it was either that or lay on the ground, which wasn’t exactly appealing to me).
It might not be a super tall building compared to the ones in other major cities, but being at the top of the tallest building in Quebec City means that nothing will get in the way of your view.
Once we purchased our tickets at the front desk, we proceeded to the elevator. Make sure you get on the right elevator as they all don’t go up to the 31st floor.
It is pretty obvious which elevator is the correct one. There’s a huge sign on it promoting the attraction. The elevator ride was really fast to the top.
The Best View in Quebec City
When we got to the top, we were greeted by a lady who took our tickets and engaged in friendly conversation with us. She was always available to answer any questions that we may have had. It was refreshing to have such a warm welcome!
We walked to the right and made our way around the four corners of the building, with each wall of windows offering a different viewpoint. Before each section, there was a short video to watch about Quebec’s history and how it fit into the larger cultural shifts in North America.
I’m not sure that the history lesson was entirely necessary as most people were there for the view, plus it was a very generalized overview of historical events with a few small props here and there. I can understand that they wanted to add an educational component at the attraction.
Discovering the Landmarks of Quebec City From Above
There was some technology at the Observatoire that we truly enjoyed and we felt was very useful. In front of all of the windows, there were small touch screens (they were either on iPads or something similar) with a 3D map on each.
You could look out the window and easily spot the same buildings on the touch screen. From there, you could tap on any building and a screen would pop up displaying photographs of the site, detailed facts about what the building was used for, and where it was located. We loved this feature!
We kept looking out the window and asking each other, “What’s that building there?” and we could easily answer our own questions by using the touchscreen. This really helped us to get to know the city better.
Not only did we see different views of the places we had visited already, but we became familiar with new ones, too. It actually helped us to locate the Parliament Building, among other spots that we ended up visiting.
The History of Carnaval and Bonhomme
There was also a collection of Bonhomme Christmas ornaments from the iconic Quebec Winter Carnival. I somehow feel as though a display about the history of Quebec would not be complete without showing that delightful snowman.
While at this point in time we hadn’t yet visited Quebec City in the winter, we have since returned for Carnaval de Quebec. You can’t help but love Bonhomme.
Plan Your Visit to Observatoire de la Capitale
We had a really great time appreciating the scenery of Quebec from up high and all around. We were also getting a little bit overheated from walking around all day, so this was a great escape from the heat as well.
We visited mid-week during the afternoon in the summer at prime tourist season, and it was not busy at all. It might get busy here on the weekends, but you will have no problem enjoying the views quietly and peacefully on the weekdays.
You can buy tickets in advance at the official Observatoire de la Capitale website. But, I don’t think it’s necessary. You can show up and get them in person, no problem.
