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Jardin Botanique de Montréal
Category: Active Life Parks Parks [Edit]
4101, Rue Sherbrooke EstMontréal, QC H1X 2B2
(514) 872-1400
- Hours:
Tue-Sun 9 am - 5 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
32 reviews for Jardin Botanique de Montréal
29 reviews in English
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Review from Abigail M.
Montréal, QC
4/11/2012
These are some gorgeous gardens. More than half of the grounds are an arboretum, so bring your walking shoes (as suggested in other posts). My favorite is the alpine garden - plants from every mountain range in the world.
Little known fact - the outdoor gardens are actually free until April 30. Not a whole lot is blooming, but the grass is green and the trees are budding. A great, 2 hour walk. -
Review from Laura E.
11/1/2011 2 photos
I recently visited for the Chinese Lanterns. Although I did not get to visit the entire place, the Chinese Lanterns were breathtaking. If you want to get great photos, of course your first thought is to go when it's dark out. This is true, somewhat. The perfect time is to go right before the sun sets. Comparing the photos I took, the images when it was still somewhat light out came out much better than the night ones (although I did get some nice ones).
There was also a "Little Monsters" section for the kids. Of course, I am a kid at heart and ran through myself.
The rating lacks 2 stars because I was a little mislead about the Chinese Lanterns. One the website and the brochure, it mentions "The Lanterns in Music". When reading that, I expected to see was the story of the Emperor (the theme this year) told to music....instead, after waiting around for 45 minutes, we found out that it was just music in one of the little areas....NOTHING to do with the actual lanterns. Major bummer. -
Review from Hector M.
7/11/2011 32 photos
Me: Good morning, admission for two.
Attendant: Oh, you're here to see the butterflies?
Me: What butterflies?
The attendant throws two tickets at me as if she was folding a bad poker hand.
Our last day in Montreal was spent at the Botanical Garden and we arrived just in time for their butterfly exhibit. Imagine hundreds of butterflies flying in a room, landing on people's unsuspecting shoulders, and settling on fruit laid out so you can photograph them.
Unfortunately, we went in early spring and the outside gardens had not bloomed yet and the Japanese gardens / Insectorium were closed. Their main building had an impressive collection of bonzi trees and were educational about spices (cardamom pods, vanilla, cinnamon, etc). The Chinese gardens were impressive and a picturesque setting. Remember, if the ticket attendant asks if you are there for something, just agree so you won't have to pick your tickets up from the ground.Listed in: Fun Things to Do, Weekend in Montreal
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Review from Anne K.
8/28/2011
So sad we didn't have enough time (or energy) to explore more!
It's a lot of walking and can get pretty tiring - just make sure to wear comfortable shoes. I'd also recommend reserving at least 2-3 hours to explore this expansive botanical garden, which is the second largest in the world.
And yes, the Chinese Garden is beautiful. You really do feel as if you've been transported elsewhere. -
Review from Kathleen H.
5/14/2011
We only saw the interior portion of this on a tour, as it was early spring. But even that, if you are a plant person was very worth the trip. Delicious smelling sweet summer growth of all kinds of things inside was a welcome respite from the chilly April outside.
They have an amazing bonsai collection - some 105 years old. Truly works of art. I can't wait to get back here to see the grounds - if they do this good of job on the inside, I'd imagine the outside is truly spectacular. I love gardens.
We ate at the cafe, which was cafeteria-fine. Now that's an idea: An amazing multicultural array of finely prepared foods complete with native herbaceous edibles to complement to amazing array of plants on display?
*filling out suggestion card* -
Review from Shannon B.
Coquitlam, BC
8/18/2011 3 photos
If you hate nature and walking around for long periods of time this is not the place for you, otherwise it's a must see when visiting this beautiful city. The Montreal Botanical Gardens is HUGE so if you want to see everything expect to be there for about six hours. I am not exaggerating.
My friend and I went last year during in the early fall when they had all the lanterns in the Chinese Gardens. It was absolutely beautiful. The Chinese Garden's themselves is quite a sight to see as well, and it is quite spacious.
Another thing we enjoyed were the vegetable gardens. There was literally every kind of food that comes from the ground being grown there: vegetables, herbs, fruits... we were tempted to swipe an onion to include with our dinner feast later that night but there are signs all over telling us that they take vegetable theft very seriously so we ended up not doing it.
I recommend that anyone visiting (or living in) Montreal go check this out at least once, as kit was one of the more pleasurable non-nightlife experiences on my trip.
*Tip* Wear comfortable shoes. You will end up being there for much longer than you planned and there is A LOT of walking involved. -
Review from Tom K.
6/2/2011
Living dangerously without allergy medication, I ventured to the Jardin Botanique this past US memorial day weekend. (May 28-30 for the rest of the world).
The visitor's center contains a diorama of the gardens and the map also reveals a large swath of land set aside. Be prepared to easily set aside 2-3 hours to see perhaps 60% of the gardens, weather permitting.
Weather wasn't permitting during much of our visit, however. Fortunately there was an interesting display of plants in the greenhouses. The rainy day was remedied and I was transported to the tropics with displays of banana trees, mangoes and other equatorial plants.
Another highlight is the Chinese Garden. Be sure to make your way up the artificial mountain and behold a well manicured and well kept part of the Botanical Gardens.
I can't claim the same for the area around the Japanese Garden. This seemed almost neglected and lacking in the cleanliness of other sections.
Perhaps late May wasn't the best of times to visit the Gardens as some sections specializing in roses weren't fully blooming. I didn't observe as many examples of flowers and plants as I have at other botanical gardens. Again, perhaps the climate difference and time of year has something to do with this.
High season rates are $16.50 for an adult. Nearby is the Insectarium and Biodome which you can add to the cost of your ticket.
While walking from the Pie IX metro station, be sure to stop by a pedestal with an amazing view of the Olympic Park for a prime photo op. There's room for gold, silver and bronze winners. -
Review from David T.
4/17/2011
Alright, not in LA, but still this place was amazing! I was here a few years ago and I just have to say I want to go back. Montreal is an amazing city with amazing places to go and see.
To be honest, the Gardens, hell I could have spent all week there. I still didn't get my fill of there Japanese Garden which was lovely, and so much better than the ones at Huntington or Descanso. They also had this artist there that made the most interesting kind of art. I just hope I get to go back one day to really enjoy the place.Listed in: Gardens in Greater LA
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Review from Kristelle V.
7/10/2011
Absolutely beautiful...but...it's huge. Which is wonderful if you have lots of time to kill and lots of energy stored, but if you're tired and it's terribly sunny and you forgot your sunglasses at the hotel, you kind of wanna just curl up on a bench in the shade and nap.
Student discount :) When you first walk in, there are a bunch of interconnected greenhouses. It's pretty nice, nothing too crazy. I liked the section with all the fruits and spices from around the world. Walking around, there are all these amazing thematic gardens. Everybody seems to love the Chinese Garden and it was very pretty, but it was sooo overrun with people that I couldn't really enjoy it. My fav was the Alpine garden. Very quiet and simple. All the gardens are well maintained and gorgeous. Wish I went there with more energy but after covering only about a third of the park, I was craving poutine and a beer :)
Worth it if you can appreciate the hard work put into making these beautiful gardens and have the time and energy to see the whole place. -
Review from Elise R.
Pickering, ON
7/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Beautiful!
These gardens are wonderful with lots to take in, This is definately a place to visit if you are visiting Montreal. My only advice is to allow an entire day for this tourist attraction.
If you have kids make sure you seek out the kid attractions such as the tree house and the native garden. -
Review from Alan A.
7/2/2011
This place is a great place to walk if you are into plants, flowers, or manicured grounds. The Montreal Botanical Garden (French: Jardin botanique de Montréal) is a large botanical garden in Montreal, Quebec, Canada comprising 185 acres of thematic gardens and greenhouses.
There is a Japanese, Chinese Garden. First Nations Garden which is populated with Canadian plants; the maple, birch, and pine trees shade its paths. It has several totem poles and exhibits demonstrating traditional Native American artwork and construction methods. The Alpine Garden has several paths winding over a rocky outcrop which is covered with tiny, delicate alpine plants.
I would definitely recommend this place to anyone in search of a nice peaceful place to stroll, even if you are not into flowers or plants. -
Review from A b.
Montréal, QC
8/4/2010
My favorite place in all of MTL.... ahh...
It is a must see if you are at all into gardening. I have only two things to add to the previous reviews...
1. It's a gorgeous place, but the indoor gardens really are not the jewels, especially in the summer. Save yourself some money (but make a donation!) and stay outside. IT'S FREE AFTER 6pm (in the low season it's free all day)!
2. Pro-tip: If you're driving, save yourself some money again and park along Pie-IX blvd. It's free! Parking at the Jardin is like 6$ for an hour or something like that. But if you're using public transport, which you should because it's very easy, it's only a hop, skip, and a jump from Metro Pie IX.
3. Oh wait, I guess I have three things... The 'papillions en liberté' exhibit (butterflies go free) from Feb-April is absolutely a spiritual experience. Especially during the oftentimes cruel and harsh winters, papillions en liberté renews me every time. -
Review from PC W.
8/7/2008
I'm not a nature-lover by any means - I'll take the concrete jungle and the great indoors over green grass and open air any day. The Montreal botanical garden was really nice and gave me a tad more appreciation for the outdoors.
There are many photo opps from the Chinese garden to the weeping willows of the Arboretum to the koi pond and crooked bridge of the Japanese Garden. Parts of it are really artificial like the stone mountain but this is a family/tourist attraction so I'll let it go. There's so much to see with each specialty garden, green house and plant collection. -
Review from Michelle A.
2/10/2010 3 photos
Maybe I just lucked up, but I was able to walk right up to the cashier and get a ticket to go in (it was during the week, to be fair). Talk about HUGE. Here I thought Atlanta had a pretty decent-sized garden for being stuck in the middle of a city, but leave it to Canada to show us up in all the right ways. The Japanese and Chinese gardens here were highly impressive - you almost feel like you're walking through an Asian festival with all of the lanterns and artwork! The other areas were nice as well, and there's really quite a lot to see. If it's a plant or flower known to science, it's bound to be here somewhere. Between all of the paths, green houses, and gazebos, it's easy to get lost and lose track of time in this nature wonderland stuck between the concrete jungle outside.
I remember it being a little expensive, but it certainly was worth every penny. I didn't even get to see the entire thing (I walked a good 3/4 of the place though) and would love to come back and experience the rest in the spring versus the fall when I went. Very nice collection, great way to get exercise, and a real fun spot for any nature lover. Good job, Montréal! -
Review from Toni M.
10/11/2011
This is a beautiful botanical garden. When we were here w/ friends several years ago there was a tram that took us around so we saw a lot more of it than we did yesterday because there was no tram. Last time we walked through the Chinese Garden and the Japanese Garden plus saw beautiful and interesting plants and trees from the tram. Yesterday we walked to and through the Chinese Garden, admiring the roses in bloom along the way. Currently there is a special annual lantern festival that will be open until the end of the month. This is its 19th year and it commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Chinese Garden. The spectacle takes months to plan, w/ the plans being drawn up in Montreal and sent to Singapore, where the lanterns are fabricated. The completed lanterns are sent back to Montreal, where they are assembled, wired and put in place. The theme of this year's display is the reign of the first Emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi and his cavalry, but there are also mythical, magical creatures like dragons amid the foliage. Lanterns are set up throughout the Chinese Garden, in the ponds and amongst the plants. The Botanical Garden stays open later, until 9PM, for the occasion and I would imagine the lanterns are even more impressive after dark than they were in the daylight. There are bilingual signs explaining the significance of the display and the items in it. The Garden itself is lovely and tranquil w/o the lanterns, w/ stone "windows" set in the walls looking out of the garden and walkways paved in intricate patterns of pebbles and stones. As we left the Chinese Garden I could smell the roses, even though they weren't visible from the gateway. There is much more to see than we saw this time but it is a beautiful garden that is worth several hours time, regardless of the season. Just wear comfortable walking shoes, take your camera and wear sunscreen.
Listed in: Ah oui! Montréal!
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Review from Evilyn T.
3/5/2010 4 photos
We were strolling in the park one, in the very merry month of May.
It was a little bit overcast and a little bit rainy, but it wasn't crowded at all. The Chinese gardens were probably the most beautiful part of the park, and we could have easily spent the whole day here, but since we were only in Montreal for a week we had to move quickly, especially since we slept in and half of the day was already over. The park is huge and it has indoor greenhouse gardens that are loaded with beautiful flowers.
The BF is a bit of a queer *cough* I mean gardener, so he was pointing out the flowers by all their Latin names and throwing random factoids at me about what makes each plant so special which was like being back in biology 101. Annuals, semi-annuals, bulbs... I don't care as long as they look pretty! On special occasions I am required to buy him flowers! How does that work?!
If you have the time, you should definitely check out the Jardin Botanique de Montreal. If you are travelling, there is a train station (Pie IX) very close to the gardens, and it is also very close to the old Olympic site and Biodome.Listed in: Best of the best, Parklife
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Review from Vanessa W.
2/16/2009
We visited here in the winter with our handy Museum pass. There are 10 greenhouses to tour (although one was closed getting ready for a butterfly exhibit). Overall I thought the collection was very nice, especially the bonzai area.
But what really made this place shine is the lovely accomodating cashier. My husband and I had purchased the Montreal Museum pass the day before for $50 a piece. They get you into pretty much anything in the city. Well, my husband, managed to lose his. He ended up retracing our steps (in the bitter cold) only to end up empty-handed. So I used my pass and had my cash out for him. We mentioned our misfortune and the guy worked his magic and let my husband in for free saving us roughly $13. After thanking him profusely we walked through at a leisurely pace happy to see some green in the middle of winter. -
Review from Gi A.
7/9/2009
My favorite part was learning about the origin of tofu. Did you know that it was the military that gave us the most versatile food product? How awesome would it be if the brave soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan came home with something delicious that they invented?
It's a great place to go with people if you'd like some level of control over your interaction with him/her/them. May secluded spots where you can make out, wide open spaces where you can yell at each other, and lots of plants, shrubs, ponds, etc., in between so you can get over it and later make up.
Flowers are pretty, but after an hour or so, they start to look pretty much the same to my ignorant eyes, so I took more pictures of the architecture than the plants. The trunk of the tree "born" in the 1700s was awe-inspiring. The trolley was cool but would have been better with an entertaining and knowledgeable (not necessarily in that order) tour guide.
Here's the Chinese garden, and there's the Japanese garden, so how come no Korean garden? -
Review from Jessica E.
8/17/2010 1 photo
This site is incredibly beautiful and huge! The botanical gardens are well worth a visit if you are in or near Montreal. The Chinese Garden was particularly captivating. Plus, while you are there, you can wander across the street to check out the Olympic Park.
My advise: Plan to spend a lot of time here. There is a lot to see and you do not want to be rushed. There is a decent amount of cultural information presented in addition to gardens. Definitely wear comfortable shoes.
You need to pay to see the indoor gardens. They were neat, but perhaps unnecessary, as the outdoor gardens were so extensive. I am unsure whether or not you need to pay to go outside. Our tickets were not checked as we went in, the information on the website is inconclusive, and another reviewer mentioned outside being free. If you are planning a trip here, I would inquire about what the ticket price covers before paying. -
Review from Charles C.
11/19/2009
If we had to pay to get in, the place would merit only 3 stars. But the wifey and I visited during Kids' Week (or something like that). So we got in for free, as did everybody else. Boy, was it crowded. There were so many parents and kids in the Insectarium that the moment we stepped in, we got outta there. It was basically a human sauna.
The Chineses and Japanese sections were the best part of the park. They did a nice job with that. Also, check out the tri-wing greenhouse just before the main entrance. There was a huge assortment of tropical trees, and other foreign botanical plants. The collection of bonzai mini-trees and the accompanying detailed explanations were cool.
Basically, try to visit either during a free weekend or with a free pass. -
Review from Stan L.
9/28/2011
this place really disappointed me and my fiancee.. sure we came at the beginning of autumn.. but the gardens itself really left us wanting more since it was devoid of "pretty flowers".. the chinese gardens with the lanterns was nice though.. nevertheless.. i wouldn't recommend this to anyone
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Review from Brinda J.
11/2/2010
Came to see Le Magie des Lanterns....let me tell you it was spectacular! Came on the last day, Halloween, at night. All the lanterns were beautifully lit and it just made the Chinese gardens even more splendid. The bonsai plants were truly amazing. Also the Insectarium was really cool! A lot of live bugs and it was truly creepy and definitely Halloween. Walking through the greenhouses made the chilly night warm and see the Citrouille decorated (that's pumpkins!) just made it feel perfect. All in all, Montreal you are blessed with this place!
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Review from Suzanne G.
6/2/2010
One of the very best botanical gardens I've ever seen. I love bonsai, and the collection here is superb.
What a fabulous way to spend an afternoon in Montreal! -
Review from Luca M.
Montréal, QC
3/11/2010
The Botanical Garden is a place I like to return to often and spend countless hours in relative silence.
Check out the First Nations Garden, the gardens along Pie IX (section 6), the Chinese garden, Japanese garden and the Rose garden. Wander through their greenhouses and be amazed at the beauty of the collection.
The setting is lovely and the plants, surprisingly, don't rush you around.
There's no better place to release your inner misanthrope and spend some precious time in peace and the company of silent beautiful friends with fancy Latin names.
When to visit: during the Lantern festival in October. Spend the afternoon wandering the gardens, then at nightfall stroll to the Chinese garden and see Chinese lantern art at its best.
When not to visit: when it's still too soon after winter. I don't think anything gets going before mid-April at least. -
Review from Charlie L.
5/22/2011
Chinese lantern exhibit was breathtaking.
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Review from Anthony K.
Montréal, QC
4/26/2011
a sprawling garden with over 20,000 plants--check out the space-age "Big O" ("Big Owe"), Olympic Stadium, as well as the rest of the futuristic 1976 Olympics complex, while you're in the vicinity
Listed in: Culture Vultures
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Review from Anna P.
8/12/2010
Very expansive set of gardens not far from the city center.
Don't miss:
- Senses garden (primarily meant for kids) invites you to touch and smell various plants.
- Poisonous plant garden
- Chinese garden (incredibly beautiful and has exhibits on Chinese crafts and snacks for sale!)
This is a great place to be on a sunny day, but be prepared to do a lot of walking! -
Review from Heather S.
10/14/2008
We were told that it was amazing at night when they had the chinese garden lit up. I wouldn't know because we never got in. They had 3 cashiers for a line that stretched at from one end of the park to the other and out into the parking lot (easily 1/2 mile, maybe more). Apparently, they have this issue judging from what people in line were saying. They should get some temporary cashiers for really busy times when they know they are going to be slammed.
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Review from Sarah A.
8/24/2010
Visiting the Botanical Gardens was one of the highlights of my Montreal trip this August. The Chinese Garden is absolutely beautiful and features gorgeous architecture, waterfalls, rock formations, and a live crane. I spent over an hour wandering in this garden alone. The rose garden is also exquisite as are the lotuses and the bonsais in the Japanese garden. Make sure you charge your camera battery! This place is great for taking pics. The indoor gardens are gorgeous too with lots of exotic orchids and other beautiful tropical flowers. The staff is helpful and unobtrusive. The grounds are well maintained and many areas have bathrooms available. My only complaint is that the gift shop is rather small and really did not offer much in terms of souvenirs. I was hoping for more magnets or pictures of flowers or the grounds, but there's not much here aside from a few keychains, knick-knacks and maple syrup and candies. This place is definitely worth a visit, just up from the Pie IX metro stop.
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