Montreal Botanical Garden facts for kids
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The main greenhouse near the entrance
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| Date opened | June 9, 1931 |
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| Location | 4101, rue Sherbrooke Est Montreal, Quebec H1X 2B2 |
| Land area | 75 hectares (190 acres) |
| Coordinates | 45°33′26.00″N 73°33′24.50″W / 45.5572222°N 73.5568056°W |
| No. of species | 22,000 |
| Annual visitors | 695,404 (2011) including Insectarium |
The Montreal Botanical Garden (French: Jardin botanique de Montréal) is a huge garden in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It covers about 75 hectares (that's like 185 acres!) with many different themed gardens and greenhouses. In 2008, it was named a National Historic Site of Canada. This is because it's one of the most important botanical gardens in the world. It has amazing plant collections and facilities.
The garden is located at 4101 Sherbrooke Street East, right across from Montreal's Olympic Stadium. It has a big greenhouse complex filled with plants from all over the world. There are also many large outdoor gardens, each with its own special theme. While the outdoor gardens are covered in snow from November to April, the greenhouses are open all year. They even host a popular "Butterflies Go Free" exhibit from February to April!
The garden was started in 1931 during the Great Depression. Mayor Camillien Houde helped make it happen after many years of effort by Brother Marie-Victorin. The famous designer Henry Teuscher planned the garden's layout. The main administration building was designed by Lucien F. Kéroack in the Art Deco style.
The Montreal Botanical Garden helps teach people, especially students, about plants and gardening. It also works to protect plant species that are in danger. The garden is home to a plant research center and the Montreal Insectarium. It's a great place to learn and explore!
While there is an admission fee, people who live in Montreal can get a special pass. This pass lets them visit the outdoor gardens for free. So, many locals visit often, even just to relax under the trees. The closest subway station is Pie-IX, which is right by the Olympic Stadium.
The Montreal Botanical Garden is one of four nature attractions in Montreal's "Space for Life" museum district. The others are the Biodome, the Insectarium, and the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium. All of these cool places are near the Olympic Stadium.
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Exploring the Gardens
The Montreal Botanical Garden has many unique areas to discover. Each garden offers a different experience!
The Chinese Garden
The Chinese Garden is designed like a traditional Chinese garden from the Ming dynasty period. It covers about 2.5 hectares (6 acres). You'll find many winding paths, a small artificial mountain, and a Chinese-style building. This building holds a collection of tiny, carefully shaped trees called bonsai and penjing. These trees were donated to the garden. The garden is also filled with plants that come from China.
This garden was built between 1990 and 1991. About 50 skilled workers from Shanghai helped create it. They even imported 120 shipping containers of materials from Shanghai, including 500 tonnes of special stones!
The Japanese Garden
The Japanese Garden was created in 1988. It also covers 2.5 hectares and is filled with Japanese plants. It has a Japanese-style building where you can learn about tea. During the summer, you can even watch a traditional Japanese tea ceremony there. Sometimes, other Japanese arts like Iaido (a martial art) and Ikebana (flower arranging) are shown here too.
The garden also has a large pond with colorful koi fish. Visitors often enjoy feeding the koi. Every year on August 5th, the garden holds a special ceremony. It remembers the Hiroshima event and includes the ringing of a Japanese Peace Bell from Hiroshima.
The First Nations Garden
The First Nations Garden opened in 2001. It celebrates the cultures of Canada's indigenous peoples. You'll see plants that are native to Quebec and other parts of North America here. Maple, birch, and pine trees provide shade along the paths. The garden also highlights plants that First Nations people used for medicine and food. It features several totem poles and displays showing traditional artwork and building methods.
The Alpine Garden
The Alpine Garden has paths that wind over a rocky area. This section is covered with small, delicate plants that grow in high, rocky mountain regions.
Other Interesting Gardens
Besides these, there are other cool gardens to explore. The poisonous plants garden shows different poisonous plants and explains their effects. There's also an economic plants exhibit, a flowery brook, and an arboretum (a collection of trees). The botanical gardens are also home to some wildlife. You'll mostly see squirrels and ducks, but sometimes you might spot turtles or herons too!
Lion de la Feuillée Sculpture
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| Coordinates | 45°33′31″N 73°33′20″W / 45.55868°N 73.55565°W |
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| Location | Sherbrooke Street |
| Type | Monument |
| Material | Bronze |
| Height | 1.4 metres (4.6 ft) |
| Opening date | September 28, 1831 |
The Lion de la Feuillée is a large sculpture located inside the Montreal Botanical Garden. This huge bronze lion sits at the entrance to the rose garden. It was a gift from the city of Lyon, France, in 1992. This gift celebrated Montreal's 350th anniversary.
The original lion sculptures were made for a bridge in Lyon, France, which opened in 1831. The Feuillée Lion in Montreal is one of four copies of the original artwork. These copies were created by René Dardel. When the bridge was rebuilt in 1910, the four lions were moved. In 1992, one of them was brought all the way to Montreal!
Olympic Events
The Montreal Botanical Garden was even a sports venue! During the 1976 Summer Olympics, it hosted two events. Athletes competed in the 20 km walk for athletics. It was also used for the running part of the modern pentathlon event.
See also
In Spanish: Jardín botánico de Montreal para niños
