Montréal Insectarium

The Montréal Insectarium is an insect museum at 4581 Rue Sherbrooke Est in the Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie district of Montreal, Quebec, set beside the Botanical Garden. It reopened in 2022 after a major redesign that moved it away from a traditional display-case museum toward immersive, nature-integrated galleries. It is one of the largest insectariums in North America and part of the Espace pour la vie complex.

The centrepiece is the Grand Vivarium, a walk-through space where butterflies fly freely around visitors among tropical plants, and where observers can see feeding stations and emerging chrysalises. Other galleries present live insects such as stick insects, beetles and ants alongside preserved specimens, with a focus on the role insects play in ecosystems, pollination and food chains. Displays are designed to be seen at close range, and interactive features help explain insect life cycles and behaviour to visitors of all ages.

A typical visit lasts one to one and a half hours, which makes it a good half-day pairing with the neighbouring Botanical Garden. 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 for two adults and three children at CAD 68, and free entry for children under 5. Typical hours are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, but the official Espace pour la vie site should be checked for seasonal changes.

The building is busiest on weekends, school holidays and rainy days. Weekday mornings are calmer, and the butterfly area is easier to enjoy and photograph before midday when fewer visitors are inside. The Vivarium is warm and humid, so light layers that can be removed are practical. Pie-IX metro station on the Green Line is about a ten-minute walk away, and the Insectarium sits close to Olympic Park and the Biodôme, making a combined day of several Espace pour la vie sites straightforward.