The Ring in Montreal, Quebec

This massive circular sculpture may not be a portal to other worlds, but it does inspire the mind to imagine them. Located at the intersection of McGill College Ave and Rue Cathcart, this piece of industrial artwork by Claude Cormier looks like a giant hula hoop, or a decommissioned star gate. The massive ring measures 30 metres in diameter and weighs around 50,000 pounds.

Installed over the staircase of Place Ville Marie’s Esplanade, it demands attention while at the same time welcoming visitors to the area. Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter. Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

What at first glance appears to be an ordinary house is in fact a work of art by Russian artists Ilya and Emilia Kabakov. A monumental magenta installation looms over a tangle of roads and tracks, as controversial as it is conspicuous. A playful symbiosis of art, nature, architecture, and garden design, a hidden gem off the beaten path A unique 3-D sculpture based on Rene Magritte’s “The Red Model.” A small stone boy mischievously turns his backside toward the city’s most famous water carrier.

Jog (or stroll) down an esplanade of fluctuating and whimsical sculpture works. Carved scenes of sex work and unglamorous labour beneath a cultural hero. ## Become an Atlas Obscura Member * * * Join our community of curious explorers. Become a Member Atlas Obscura uses cookies on its websites to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic.View Cookie Policy When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies.

This information might be about you, your preferences, or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect. The information does not usually identify you directly, but it can give you a more personalized web experience. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies.

Click on the different category headings to learn more and change our default settings. Blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems.