[1] It is situated on the slope of Mount Royal on the McGill University downtown campus in what was the Golden Square Mile of Montreal.

It is named in memory of Sir Hugh Allan, whose former mansion, Ravenscrag, it occupies.

[3] The building currently houses outpatient psychiatric services for Montreal General Hospital, part of the McGill University Health Centre.

The institute is also known for its role in the CIA's Project MKUltra, an initiative to develop drug-induced mind control.

MKUltra experimentation was undertaken at the institute between 1957 and 1964 by its founding director, Donald Ewen Cameron.