In the quiet town of Montebello, halfway between Montreal and Ottawa, sits Manoir Papineau. Quebec politician Louis-Joseph Papineau, who helped lead the French-Canadian nationalist movement, built the sumptuous house after returning from political exile in the mid-1800s. He would live there from 1846 with his wife and four children (the youngest, Azélie, would give birth to famous journalist Henri Bourassa) until his death.

In 1929 the Papineau family sold the property to the Seigniory Club, which would refashion the house into an elite clubhouse. Although the club removed some of the original stylings, they also added electricity and heat that didn’t come from a stove. Eventually, Manoir Montebello fell into the hands of Parks Canada, which restored the property from the sorry state of disrepair that years of neglect and disuse had put it in. Today the manor and its gardens is a national historic site next to the Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello (another creation of the Seigniory Club) 

Step into 19th century history with 360-degree tours of some of the manor’s most impressive rooms and views.

Dining Room