Montreal is home away from home for my family. My husband and I travelled there often before kids and now with our 3 children we find ourselves there every other week currently for work. Even when we aren’t there for work related travel we love exploring this city. There is always something happening, no matter the season, and the city is full of life and fun.
We have had a family membership to the Biodome for the last 5 years and my 3 children (ages 2, 5, 7) can tell you about every animal and species in that entire building because they love it so much!
We were excited when we got an invite to visit the Insectarium & Botanical Gardens as my oldest had been asking to visit the Insectarium for a while. Creepy crawlers aren’t normally my thing so I had been procrastinating and this was the perfect nudge for us.
We arrived mid morning on a warm and sunny day excited to explore. First thing I loved? That parking was easy peasy! Montreal can be a challenge for parking at times and even if there is parking available it is often still a fair walk to your destination. At only $12/day for parking there were plenty of options for parking.
Insectarium
We decided to hit the Insectarium first and we loved the outdoor play area that was also onsite for the kids to explore and play. The kids could have spent a few hours here but the sun was blazing and we had a lot to see and do. We had a quick snack at the Outdoor cafe where we found many healthy options that were enjoyed by all. The Insectarium 
was full of creepy crawlers and various species from around the world. Our favourite? Watching the ants hard at work breaking off pieces of the leaves and carrying them all the way across the branches to the other side of their home.
On the way out I asked the kids if they wanted to stop at the Insect Cafe for some termite ice cream or special bug tacos but they declined. We did see many others enjoying these adventurous eats.
Botanical Gardens
We then continued our adventure through the beautiful grounds of the Botanical Gardens and I truly could have spent hours and hours here. I am hoping that hubby agrees that this would be a great date day adventure for him and I too. The different areas were absolutely breathtaking. The kids enjoyed the Shade Garden area the best and were also amazed of the smell of the fresh roses in the Rose Garden.
The cafe in the Botanical Gardens was gorgeous, full of delicious food and the seating area was divine. The kids enjoyed spending time close the fountain as they enjoyed their ice cream and I enjoyed the quiet time
taking in the views.
The day was hot and by 3 p.m. the kids were happy to call it a day. We still had about 1/4 of the Botanical Garden grounds left to view and I am looking forward to coming back for another visit this summer.
Looking for some fun exploration in the Montreal area? Definitely check out the Insectarium & Botanical Gardens! Admission to both is included in 1 price and you can easily spend the full day exploring!
Exploring with little ones? I would definitely recommend a stroller and/or baby carrier as the grounds are quite expansive.
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