If you’re planning a trip to Montreal, make sure to visit Espace pour la vie, one of our favorite spots in the city. This unique attraction offers 5 different natural science museums, each with its own focus. The Biodôme lets you explore 4 different ecosystems, the Insectarium showcases over 250,000 specimens of insects, the Botanical Garden features 75 hectares of outdoor gardens, the Planétarium takes you on a journey through the cosmos and the Biosphère is dedicated to raising awareness about environmental issues and promoting sustainable practices.
To get the most out of your visit, think about getting the annual pass to Espace pour la vie. With this pass, you can go to all 5 museums as many times as you want. And guess what? After you’ve visited each museum just once, you’ll already have saved money compared to buying separate tickets every time.
With so many fun things to see and do, you’re kids will definitely want to come back again and again! If you’re looking for a unique and educational experience in Montreal, Espace pour la Vie is definitely a must-see attraction.
My daughter and I had so much fun exploring Montreal using our annual pass for 2021-2022. I’m really excited to tell you about the amazing places we discovered while we were there.
- BOTANICAL GARDEN
- The Chinese Garden
- The Halloween spot
- Greenhouse
- BIODÔME
- INSECTARIUM
- PLANÉTARIUM
- BIOSPHÈRE
If you’re thinking about planning a memorable family trip to Montreal, let’s dive right in! In today’s post, I’ll be sharing more details about these incredible places that will definitely make your family’s stay worthwhile.
BOTANICAL GARDEN
First of all, we absolutely fell in love with the Botanical Garden!
The Montreal Botanical Garden is a popular attraction that draws visitors from all over the world. Spanning over 75 hectares, the garden boasts an impressive collection of approximately 20,000 plant species and cultivars. The garden is located in the Olympic Park area of Montreal, Quebec, Canada and is considered one of the most important botanical gardens in the world due to the extent of its collections and facilities.
The Montreal Botanical Garden is a part of the “Espace pour la Vie” museum complex, which is Canada’s largest natural sciences museum complex. The garden is home to several themed gardens, exhibition greenhouses, and a herbarium consisting of nearly 100,000 reference specimens. Visitors can explore the gardens and greenhouses, marvel at the scented passageways and shaded trails, and learn about the different plant species and their origins.
At the last minute, we decided to visit this lovely Garden, located near the Montreal’s Olympic stadium. We thought 2 hours would be enough to see the entire park, but we were only able to visit 3 different gardens. Among those 3 gardens, the Halloween spot and the Chinese Garden were our favorites!
1. The Chinese Garden
As soon as we stepped into this Garden, it was like stepping into a whole new world! The surroundings are absolutely stunning, and we were completely captivated by the vibrant colors, especially when the night fell.
Every year from Sept to Oct, the Garden is hosting the magical Gardens of lights where you can watch the nature come to life in the new immersive and sensory experiences combining art, technology and lots of emotion suitable for all ages.
The Garden of Lights is a truly enchanting experience where the Botanical Garden’s cultural gardens come alive with a magical display of light and wonder. This event not only offers a captivating journey through three fascinating cultures, but also guides you along an illuminated path. Additionally, the Chinese Garden features hundreds of vibrant silk lanterns that add an extra touch of enchantment to the evenings.
If you decide to visit this place in the late afternoon, you’ll definitely have an amazing experience.
2. The Halloween spot
This place is like a magical wonderland, especially during Halloween! With its magical Halloween atmosphere, thrilling quests, and captivating performances, it’s an absolute paradise for kids. No wonder why my daughter fell in love with this place!
Every year, the garden hosts a Halloween event called Halloween Shivers that is sure to get you in the spooky spirit. From the beginning of October until Halloween night, the garden is transformed into a bewitching wonderland filled with pumpkins, ghosts, and other Halloween-themed decorations.
During Halloween Shivers, the garden’s main greenhouse is taken over by a great sorcerer and a host of unusual creatures. You’ll have the opportunity to visit the Ghost Tree, go on a quest, and even learn about the life and death of pumpkins. There are also themed adventure play areas, Japanese horror stories, and special performances featuring The Sorcerer and Scaredy Squirrel.
3. Greenhouse
Visitors to the greenhouses can enjoy 10 permanent and thematic exhibitions showcasing the Jardin botanique’s plant collections year round. As one of the main attractions of the garden, this magnificent structure showcases a variety collection of exotic plant species from around the world.
The greenhouse itself is a stunning architectural masterpiece, designed to provide an ideal environment for plants to flourish. Its spacious interior is divided into different climatic zones, each carefully crafted to mimic the natural habitats of various plant species. From tropical rainforests to arid deserts, visitors can explore through a multitude of ecosystems, all under one roof.
BIODÔME
Biodôme is a unique and captivating attraction that offers visitors a chance to explore different ecosystems and observe a wide variety of plant and animal species.
Originally built as a velodrome for the 1976 Olympic Games, the Biodôme was converted into an indoor nature museum in 1992. It houses four distinct ecosystems found in the Americas, including:
- Tropical Rainforest
- Gulf of St. Lawrence
- Laurentian Maple Forest
- Labrador Coast and Sub-Antarctic Islands
When visiting the Biodôme, make sure to enhance your experience by using the Space of Life app (Free). This handy app serves as your virtual guide, providing valuable information and interactive features to enrich your visit.
Firstly, this app offers a comprehensive map of the Biodôme, helping you navigate through the different ecosystems and exhibition spaces. It highlights key points of interest, ensuring you don’t miss any important exhibits or shows.
Plus, the app provides detailed descriptions and fun facts about the various animals, plants, and environments you encounter along your journey. You can learn about their habitats, behaviors, and conservation efforts, gaining a deeper understanding of the biodiversity around you.
INSECTARIUM
The Insectarium is the largest insect museum in North America and one of the largest in the world. This is a popular tourist attraction – more than 400,000 visitors are coming each year to the Montreal Insectarium to discover insects from around the world.
Family adventures are perfect here. With its collection of more than 150,000 insects specimens, any parents and children would be amazed. The Insectarium presents spiders, beetles, giant stick insects, scorpions, butterflies, ladybugs and so much more.
Planétarium
The Planétarium is a fascinating place where visitors can explore the wonders of space in a fun and educational way. Located within the Espace pour la Vie complex, it offers immersive shows and exhibits that delve into topics like astronomy, the solar system, and the universe. One of the highlights of the Planétarium is its dome-shaped theater, where breathtaking shows about space are displayed on the big screen, which covers the entire ceiling. This creates a mesmerizing experience that makes you feel like you’re actually traveling through the cosmos.
For me and my daughter, the best thing about the Planétarium is feeling like we’re traveling through space when we watch their shows. The combination of stunning visuals and informative narration really brings the universe to life in a way that’s both captivating and educational.
Biosphère
The Biosphère is an interesting museum located in Parc Jean-Drapeau on Saint Helen’s Island. It’s inside a cool dome-shaped building made by architect Buckminster Fuller. The unique architectural design of the dome itself makes it a must-see landmark in Montreal. This museum is all about teaching visitors about the environment and how to take care of it. Inside, visitors can check out fun exhibits on things like climate change, saving energy, and protecting animals and plants. The Biosphère also holds events and classes to help people learn more about protecting the Earth.
I personally love the Biosphère because it provides an engaging and informative experience for people of all ages. It’s a great educational place to visit and gain a better understanding of the world around us and how we can protect it for future generations.
A trip to Montreal wouldn’t be complete without visiting Espace pour la vie, an amazing place where the whole family can learn all sorts of things about the natural world.
If you plan on visiting Montreal frequently, I highly recommend getting an annual pass for unlimited access to all the amazing museums and special events. It’s a fantastic way to make the most of your visits! You definitely don’t want to miss out on this must-see attraction in Montreal.
Getting here is super easy with the metro—just get off at PIE-IX station and follow the signs. If you prefer driving, there’s outdoor parking available for a reasonable price of 12$ CAD for the whole day. To save money on parking, I recommend going to the Botanical Garden and Insectarium together on one day, then visiting the Planétarium and Biodôme the next day. Save the Biosphère for another day since it’s a little farther away from the other 4 attractions.
I hope this post helps you plan your trip and leads to a fun and educational experience. Happy exploring!
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