See the most popular questions

To avoid disappointment and waiting in line, we are strongly recommending that you buy your timed tickets online.

No, but you can put questions to the science educators at the various ecosystems and use the mobile app or an identification guide to learn more.

Yes. Also, you can borrow wheelchairs and strollers free of charge. To find out more about the wheelchair loan service and guide dogs, go to our adapted services page.

To find out more:  Visitor services

The mobile app for visiting the Biodôme is downloadable for free from the App Store and Play Store. It is available for iOS and Android (minimum release required: Android 6 Marshmallow and iOS 11).

If you don’t have a compatible mobile device and want to visit the Biodôme using the mobile app, go to the Société des Amis du Biodôme (Friends of the Biodôme) counter, located in the Biodôme lobby, where you can borrow an iPod at no charge. You’ll need to leave a piece of photo ID (driver’s licence or medicare card) to borrow the device.

Yes, our gourmet counter offers a full vegetarian menu with hot and cold plate options.

The Biosphère presents exhibitions for all ages, with powerful themes that call for action and citizen participation. The various experiences encourage dialogue in favour of environmental protection and biodiversity.

Through these activities, curious minds can gain a better understanding of today’s major environmental issues and uncover solutions to address them.

The Biosphère's fee schedule is the same as that of Montréal Space for Life.

We are currently exploring the best solution to satisfy the public's cravings inside the walls of the museum.

When the weather is collaborating, the land surrounding the Biosphère is perfect for a picnic. Tables are set out on the lawns and in the woodland surrounding the museum. You will also find garbage bins to keep the park clean.

On Île Sainte-Hélène and Île Notre-Dame, the Ste-Hélène Bistro-Terrasse, the Bistro du circuit, the Roulotte and Bar-terrasse on Jean-Doré beach as well as the food offer at the Casino de Montréal can meet your needs.

To find out more about the restaurants and food services located near the Biosphère, visit the Parc Jean-Drapeau website.

By metro

The best way to get to the Biosphère is by metro! The entrance to the museum is a 3-minute walk from Jean-Drapeau Station (yellow line).

By bike

Take the bike paths passing through the Jacques-Cartier bridge (from the South Shore or downtown Montréal) or the Concorde bridge (from the Old Port of Montréal). BIXI stations are located on Île Sainte-Hélène.

By car

Via the Jacques-Cartier bridge :

From Montréal:

• Take the La Ronde / Parc Jean-Drapeau exit.
• Follow the directions to get to the Biosphère.

From Longueuil:

• Take the La Ronde / Parc Jean-Drapeau exit.
• Follow the directions to get to the Biosphère.

Via the Bonaventure Expressway (from downtown, via University Street):

• Take exit 2, avenue Pierre-Dupuy / Port de Montréal.
• Follow the directions for Parc Jean-Drapeau.
• On the Concorde bridge, at the 1st stop sign, turn right (Chemin Macdonald).
• Continue straight until the "Biosphère" sign, then turn left.

By river shuttle

During the summer season, look for the itineraries, schedule and prices on the Navark Cruises website.

For more details, see our access to the Biosphère page.

As the entire site is a museum, you have to pay an entrance fee. A ticket gives you access to the exhibitions and one of the most beautiful views of Montréal.

No, they are about 10 to 15 minutes apart on foot or 5 minutes by car.

It's easy to travel between the Jardin botanique, Insectarium, Biodôme and Planétarium on foot or by car. The Insectarium is on the same site as the Jardin botanique, and the Biodôme and Planetarium are about a 10-minute walk away from the Insectarium.

You can easily get to the Biosphère by metro from the other museums. From the Pie-IX or Viau metro stations, on the green line, take the Angrignon direction towards the Berri-UQAM station. After a transfer on the yellow line, you exit at the Jean-Drapeau station, very close to the Biosphère Museum. The ride takes about 35 minutes.

You’ll find museum schedules here.

You’ll find museum rates here.

Starting May 2022, residents of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) benefit from a reduction on admission fees at Space for Life museums.

The CMM includes the 80 municipalities of the agglomerations of Longueuil and Montréal as well as the North Shore and South Shore of the city. With this map of the CMM you can trace its territory.

Longueuil agglomeration

• Boucherville
• Brossard
• Longueuil
• Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville
• Saint-Lambert

Montréal agglomeration

• Baie-d'Urfé
• Beaconsfield
• Côte-Saint-Luc
• Dollard-des-Ormeaux
• Dorval
• Hampstead
• Kirkland
• L'Île-Dorval
• Montréal
• Montréal-Est
• Montréal-Ouest
• Mont-Royal
• Pointe-Claire
• Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
• Senneville
• Westmount

North Shore

• Blainville
• Boisbriand
• Bois-des-Filion
• Charlemagne
• Deux-Montagnes
• L'Assomption
• Lorraine
• Mascouche
• Mirabel
• Oka
• Pointe-Calumet
• Repentigny
• Rosemère
• Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines
• Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac
• Sainte-Thérèse
• Saint-Eustache
• Saint-Joseph-du-Lac
• Saint-Sulpice
• Terrebonne

South Shore

• Beauharnois
• Beloeil
• Calixa-Lavallée
• Candiac
• Carignan
• Chambly
• Châteauguay
• Contrecoeur
• Delson
• Hudson
• La Prairie
• Léry
• Les Cèdres
• L'Île-Cadieux
• L'Île-Perrot
• McMasterville
• Mercier
• Mont-Saint-Hilaire
• Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot
• Otterburn Park
• Pincourt
• Pointe-des-Cascades
• Richelieu
• Saint-Amable
• Saint-Basile-le-Grand
• Saint-Constant
• Sainte-Catherine
• Sainte-Julie
• Saint-Isidore
• Saint-Jean-Baptiste
• Saint-Lazare
• Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu
• Saint-Mathieu
• Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil
• Saint-Philippe
• Terrasse-Vaudreuil
• Varennes
• Vaudreuil-Dorion
• Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac
• Verchères

Laval

• Laval

A map will be given to you at the reception desk of all our institutions. If you’d like to look at a map or print one out now, please refer to the following pages.

With its new configuration, the Montréal Insectarium invites the public to meet real, living insects in an immersive atmosphere.

The team has completely revised its approach to provide a new museum and educational experience. The goal? Contribute to change the way humans see insects in order for them to develop what we call “entomophilia” at the Insectarium—the appreciation or valorization of insects. This transformation will take place through a unique immersive visit experience where visitors will first be invited to put themselves in the place of insects, then encouraged to connect with them in an intimate way, to discover their great diversity, and then to spend quality time in their company in the Great Vivarium.

The architectural concept of the Metamorphosis project received an Award of Merit from Canadian Architect magazine in December 2018. It was the result of an international architectural competition won by the consortium of five architectural and engineering firms : Kuehn Malvezzi, Pelletier de Fontenay, Jodoin Lamarre Pratte architectes, Dupras Ledoux and NCK.

Georges Brossard's legacy is honoured with a stele erected in his memory on the esplanade of the new museum.

The Insectarium's mobile app is available for free download on the App Store and Play Store. It is available on iOS and Android mobile platforms (minimum versions required: Android 6 Marshmallow and iOS 11).

IOS Link | Android Link

Yes, a specially designed space is available.

As the site visit is unidirectional, it is mandatory to go through all the galleries.

Unfortunately, the Jardin botanique de Montréal does not sell its plants to the public as a rule. There are exceptions, such as the Great Gardening Weekend and special plant sales at the Garden’s boutique.

Occasionally, the Jardin botanique’s affiliated societies also organize plant sales. However, these special events are generally reserved for members.

Unfortunately, the Montréal Botanical Garden’s official policy does not allow picnics on site, except in areas that are designated for meals (the picnic areas situated in front of the Lion statue and at the Frédéric Back Tree Pavilion). The restaurant’s patio offers outdoor tables, and you can eat a meal there brought from home.

Please note that alcoholic beverages, chairs, coolers and blankets are not authorized inside the Garden. Only alcoholic beverages purchased on site can be consumed at the Garden’s restaurant, on its patio.

You can also start with a visit to the Garden and then enjoy a peaceful picnic at Maisonneuve Park. Afterwards, you could always come back to the Garden to continue your visit. Just let the attendant at the gate know that you’ll be coming back and he or she will stamp your hand as proof you have already paid for admission when you return. If you need to leave the Garden and use a parking lot, use the Insectarium’s lot (the second traffic light east of Pie-IX, near Maisonneuve Park).

Tripods and monopods cannot be used in the exhibition greenhouses or the pavilions. However, a tripod can be used in the outdoor gardens*.

You must not block visitor traffic or interfere with employees’ work. You also may not set up your tripod in certain areas (these areas are marked as areas where walking is prohibited), in areas that are off limits to visitors or flower beds. For certain exhibitions, flash may be prohibited.

* Exception: For safety reasons, tripods are not permitted in the Chinese Garden during the “Gardens of Light” event when there are a lot of visitors. Tripods will only be tolerated when there are not many visitors on site.

The Friends of the Botanical Garden organize courses and workshops for amateurs. Visit this page for more information about courses and workshops at the Garden (french only).

Professional-level courses towards a general DEP in horticulture followed by an ASP are given by the École des Métiers de l'Horticulture (french only).

Donations from individuals are rarely accepted. The Jardin botanique only accepts donations of rare, uncommon plants that are not in its collections and are well identified. In addition, with the exception of plants of horticultural origin, the natural origin of the plant must be certified in several cases.

If your plants are too big for your apartment or you are moving and have to leave your plants behind, we suggest that you offer them to community centers, schools, daycares, churches or hospitals.

On the other hand, some horticultural and ecological clubs organize plant exchange days for their members.

Finally, there are networks on the Web that allow you to offer your surplus to other gardeners in your neighborhood.

For safety reasons in the event of an evacuation, strollers are not allowed in any of our theaters. However, baby carriers are permitted at all times.

Your ticket to the Planétarium allows you to attend one of our double show programs on the same day. It also gives you access to current exhibitions.

See the complete show schedule.

Yes, the entire building is wheelchair-accessible. Both theatres have designated areas for wheelchairs.

Yes, it is possible to visit the exhibitions for free during regular opening hours. It includes various interactive kiosks, multimedia games and projections in addition of temporary exhibitions.

The shows are designed for people 7 years of age and older. The Montréal Space for Life does not recommend bringing younger children (0 to 6 years old) as the shows can be very upsetting for a young audience due to the sound level and special effects (“vertigo” effect, storm, etc.).

Please note that, out of respect for the other visitors, anyone who cannot remain quiet during the show will be asked to leave the theatre without refund. 

The Passport allows unlimited access to the Espace pour la vie museums upon reservation and subject to availability (self-guided visits to sites and shows at the Planétarium). All special activities are not included.

The Espace pour la vie Passport also gives access to privileges such as discounts at restaurants, gift shops and day camps.

The Passport is valid for 365 days from its first day of validity (which may differ from the date of purchase).

No, admission is free. However, it is necessary to book a ticket for him or her, as is the case for the rest of the people accompanying him or her.

Yes, the Passport must be purchased online. Once the gift passport has been purchased, it must be activated on the first visit by the holder to one of our 5 museum ticket offices. Consequently, the validity date begins on the day of activation, not the day of the initial transaction.

By presenting proof of purchase of your Passport, your ticket can be refunded if it was used the same day.

If a ticket was not used, it can be refunded at any time when you purchase a Passport.

Please see an agent at the ticket office for more information on the refund policy.