The different Espace pour la vie museums are committed to providing visitors with experiences as universally accessible as possible. On this page you’ll find information for planning your visit and getting the most out of our exhibits, shows, activities and services.
Please note that we offer free admission to those accompanying people with disabilities (one accompanying person per person with limited mobility).
Note as well that guide and assistance dogs are welcome in our museums.
All Space for Life museums are additionally happy to lend you wheelchairs and baby carriages for the length of your visit. To request one, ask at the museum’s reception desk or security office.
At the Jardin botanique
The Jardin botanique de Montréal holds partial Kéroul certification (2020).
Discover the Kéroul trail (in French only).
Accessibility
Access to the main entrance and the greenhouses is through automatic doors.
Outdoor greenhouses and pathways are generally flat, with few slopes.
New facilities mean easier access for those with disabilities:
- The indoor lunch space in the main building offers tables that allow for wheelchair approach and access;
- Numerous benches with three armrests have been added in the Arboretum, offering rest periods all along the route;
- A universal access ramp and a smoother walking surface allow all visitors to move about at the Frédéric Back Tree Pavilion.
IMPORTANT
Certain sections of the outdoor site are nonetheless not accessible for people with limited mobility because of the road surface or too steep a slope. These locations are indicated by signs to that effect.
Accessible toilets
Accessible toilets are located in the main building, the restaurant, the cultural-garden pavilions and the Frédéric Back Tree Pavilion.
Parking and stopping for adapted transport
The outdoor parking lot has 6 spaces reserved for people with disabilities located close to the main entrance.
An adapted-transport stop is located close to the main entrance. That space provides shelter in case of inclement weather.
Upcoming projects
Over the next decade, the Jardin botanique master plan provides for the complete overhaul of pedestrian pathways and links, and the addition of ramps and smooth walking surfaces in certain outdoor gardens, as well as the organization of universally accessible children-family zones.
At the Biodôme
The Biodôme de Montréal holds full Kéroul certification (2020).
Accessibility
Access to the Biodôme is through automatic doors.
Visiting the Biodôme’s ecosystems is accessible to all. The “Tropical Rainforest” and “Gulf of St. Lawrence” ecosystems feature walkways that offer the public an overall view of the ecosystems. In addition to stairways, access to the mezzanine is possible by way of an elevator.
Parking
An outdoor parking area consisting of 5 spaces reserved for disabled people is located at 3000 rue Viau. This calls for a short trip on a pathway that is flat but a small part of which consists of a medium slope.
An indoor parking area consisting of 18 spaces (12 on level 1 and 6 on level 2) reserved for disabled people is located at 3200 rue Viau (P5).
An adapted-transport stop is located at 3200 rue Viau (P5).
At the Planétarium
The Planétarium holds complete Kéroul certification (2022).
Accessibility
The Planétarium offers exhibit halls and two theatres on the same level. Each of the theatres is universally accessible.
Some shows are not recommended for people suffering from epilepsy or neurodivergent disorders, owing to the play of light and the stroboscopic effects of certain projections. It is nevertheless possible to reserve adapted sessions for groups. You can get information from our reception personnel by telephone, by email or on site.
Parking
An outdoor parking area consisting of 5 spaces reserved for disabled people is located at 3000 rue Viau. This calls for a short trip on a pathway that is flat but a small part of which consists of a medium slope.
An indoor parking area consisting of 18 spaces (12 on level 1 and 6 on level 2) reserved for disabled people is located at 3200 rue Viau (P5).
An adapted-transport stop is located at 3200 rue Viau (P5).
At the Insectarium
The Insectarium holds complete Kéroul certification (2022).
Accessibility
The new Insectarium (inaugurated in spring 2021) offers an immersive and educational route that allows visitors to perceive the world the way an insect does by way of underground galleries, a spectacular dome and a large vivarium. All spaces are accessible to people with disabilities; however, the immersive experience may produce feelings of tightness or disorientation.
Note that the exhibit hall From Blade to Blade, located in one of the underground galleries, is not universally accessible.
Parking
The Insectarium has an outdoor parking area featuring 12 spaces reserved for disabled people and located close to the main entrance.
At the Biosphère
The Biosphère holds complete Kéroul certification.
Accessibility
The Biosphère offers a visit over two floors that is accessible by way of a staircase or an elevator. The elevator is equipped with touch buttons and Braille text.
Parking
The outdoor parking lot P11 on Île Sainte-Hélène is located close to the Biosphère and features 2 spaces reserved for disabled people. Parking is free at all times for motorists with a parking sticker for disabled persons.