Frequently Asked Questions

The access to the Old Prison is restricted in its' capacity. This is why we strongly recommend that you reserve your visit online before coming to the Museum, according to a predetermined time slot. However, you do not need to make a reservation to visit the other exhibitions in the Museum. To choose the option of visiting both the exhibits and the Old Prison, select the "Old Prison Tour" reservation (it can be combined with the Museum's exhibits tour). 

Yes, our exhibitions are, for the most part, translated in English.

The time it takes to visit the exhibition differs from one person to the next and depends a lot on your visitor profile.  If you read all the texts, listen to all of the audio and watch all of the videos, you should plan on at least an hour. We estimate that a visit takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes per exhibition.

The time it takes for a visit can be very different from one person to the next. However, a guided tour of the Old Prison lasts about an hour and fifteen minutes. You can calculate about the same amount of time to visit all the Museum exhibitions, for a total of approximately 3 hours.

It takes about an hour to visit the Old Prison. We suggest that you also visit the the Musée POP while you are there.

Visiting the Old Prison of Trois-Rivières is not recommended for children under 8 because it contains testimonials on prison life and visitors are free to ask questions. Moreover, the visit to the underground isolation cells can be upsetting for some people. Content is not appropriate for children.

Since there is not enough space to move around with a stroller inside the prison, please provide a baby carrier if you visit with a baby. To ensure the quality of the visit for other visitors, please be aware that if your baby cries, the guide may ask you to leave without a refund. There is a lot of echo inside the prison, and any noise is considerably amplified.

However, several exhibitions in the Musée POP (of which the Old Prison is a part) are perfect for children. See our current exhibitions.

The POP Museum is one of the museums that offer visits to their exhibitions free of charge to Quebec visitors, every first Sunday of the month. However, this does not include the guided tour of the Old Jail. No need to book to visit the Museum's exhibitions. The measure of free access is possible thanks to the financial participation of the Ministry of Culture and Communications.

Unfortunately, we cannot allow animals in the Museum and the Old Prison, since some of our visitors may be allergic or afraid. Thank you for understanding.

Free Wi-Fi access is offered to Museum visitors to allow access to the different medias present in the exhibitions.

Bring your smartphone or tablet to enjoy all the content available.

The Old Prison is partially wheelchair accessible. While you may circulate in the hallways, you will be unable to go into the cells, because the doors in this historic building, which dates back to 1822, are too narrow. We have an elevator to allow access to the upper floor and access to the building through the Museum. However, there is no access to the cells in the basement. Even so, the visit is still very interesting because the guides explain prison life from the past to the present. The Musée POP is completely wheelchair accessible.

No, the museum does not have a restaurant. However, you will find several places to eat nearby, in downtown Trois-Rivières. Note that we do business with a caterer for venue rentals. 

A visit to the Museum and the Old Prison takes about half a day. The ticket is valid for the entire day, so you can leave the site to have lunch and return afterward.

The Museum is completely stroller accessible (we even have a huge elevator that children love!) and we also have changing tables in the washrooms. The entire family is welcome!

Yes, you may bring your camera. However, due to copyright laws, you may not take pictures of works of art in certain exhibitions (in particular the art exhibitions). A notice is posted at the entrance of the exhibitions where this restriction applies.

You may take pictures in the prison as long as it does not hinder the guided tour. Moreover, you must first ask for permission if you include other people in the photos, including the guide.