Montréal Botanical Garden (Jardin botanique de Montréal)

The Montréal Botanical Garden (Jardin botanique de Montréal) covers about 75 hectares at 4101 Rue Sherbrooke Est in the Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie district of Montreal, Quebec. It holds roughly 20 thematic gardens and a group of exhibition greenhouses, and is one of the largest botanical gardens in the world. It forms part of the Espace pour la vie complex, together with the Insectarium next door, the Biodôme and the Planetarium.

The best-known areas are the Chinese Garden, a Ming-dynasty-style landscape with pavilions and a lantern-lit pond built with the help of Shanghai craftspeople, and the Japanese Garden with its tea house and pavilion of Japanese culture. The First Nations Garden presents the plants and traditions of Indigenous peoples of Quebec, set among forest and meadow plantings. Other highlights include the rose garden, the perennial and alpine gardens, an arboretum, and the exhibition greenhouses with orchids, bonsai and tropical species that stay in bloom through the winter.

A full visit takes two to four hours, and the grounds are large enough that many people use the free shuttle or simply walk the main paths. Adult admission is CAD 25.50, with seniors 65+ at CAD 23, students CAD 19, ages 5-17 at CAD 13.50, a family ticket at CAD 68, and free entry for children under 5. Hours are typically 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, later in summer and during the Gardens of Light event, so the official website should be checked.

Late May and June are the best months for lilacs, peonies and roses, while autumn brings fall colour and the Gardens of Light, when the Chinese and Japanese gardens are illuminated by lanterns in the evenings. Crowds are largest on summer weekends and during the lantern event, while weekday mornings are quiet and ideal for photography. The garden is a ten-minute walk from Pie-IX metro station on the Green Line, crossing Rue Sherbrooke, and it is easy to combine with the Insectarium and Olympic Park in the same day.