a new discovery and now one of my favourites museums in montreal! I can't believe it took me this long to visit. Everything is so fun to look at and read and learn, the views at the top are also very nice with comfortable couches to just sit relax and enjoy. I loved reading about the history of the building as well as walking through the small garden area. What's also nice about this place is that there isn't many people so you can enjoy at a leisure pace and peacefully. This is an instant add to my list of recommendations for people visiting the city. read more

See all

5 stars for staffs, 3 stars for history, 1 star for science. Too few ideas, too few illustration

As a huge Disney fan, I couldn't help but come here admire the structure that surely must have been the inspiration for Epcot's Spaceship Earth. The museum itself is kind of lacking in content and you'll probably spend less than 30 minutes. I definitely would have felt ripped off if I had paid the full admission fee vs the passport deal. In summary, the structure itself is really the best part and attraction, but it's okay just to admire it from the outside. read more

It's not a lot to see here. You will get a time slot for VR, but that's only about 10 mins. We had a lot of downtime just waiting. Went up to the 5th floor to see over the city. Took some nice pictures. The people here are very nice. You can go and take pictures outside and you should be good. It is a little pricey for a small museum. read more

See all

The Biosphere was constructed in 1966-1967 to be the American Pavilion during the 1967 World's Fair. It's only one of 2 structures from the 1967 World's Fair that remain--the other one is the Canadian Pavilion which is now the Casino nearby. The Biosphere is now an Environmental Museum. I rode my Bixi rental bike over to this island from downtown--not a bad ride. There is a Bixi bike dock next to the Biosphere. Also close to the Biosphere is the Formula One Racetrack that they will let you ride your bicycle around when there is no car racing. Just a cool looking building is my assessment. read more

Biosphère - American Tourist in front of the Biosphere. The Biosphere was the former American Pavilion at the 1967 World's Fair. - Museums Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

See all

TICKETS AND CHECK-IN We had a lovely experience here at the Biosphère. We visited in the morning around 10 am, and checked in via our eTickets we bought the day prior. There's about 200 passes available per time slot daily, but no more than 50 are usually taken up at a given time (at least when we checked the day before). There is also no rush to check in on time as we were about fifteen minutes late to our time slot. I also assume that you can check in early without any problem as well. MUSEUM Scavenger Hunt The museum hosts eight different exhibits and offers a hunt to decode the three pentagonal messages found at stations around the museum. You use the code at the back of the messages to decode the message at the top of the museum. The message is on the glass itself, which we struggled to find against the cloudy skies the day we went. Exhibits The eight exhibits embody the effects of human pollution on the environment and on our own bodies, atmospheric changes throughout the millennia, a greenhouse, and more. It's a great learning experience into the ramifications of climate change and the imperative mess of our actions today to protect the future. The facility is also very child-friendly! AMBIANCE The place is very clean, and everyone was very kind when we were interested in the history of the museum and more. There is also a nice lounge at the top of the museum where we were able to get a great view of Montréal and the surrounding park. read more

See all

Although many people feel there are not much to see inside the biosphere, this is a great place to take pictures of the biosphere at night. The night photos of the sphere with different colors come out very beautiful. When we went there last week, the night sky in Montreal was bright with a full moon. A combination of a full moon with the colorful biosphere rendered an amazing photo. In additional to the biosphere onto opp, the view of the night sky line of Downtown Montreal from here is just as a spectacular a photo spot. I took a photo of the skyline with the full moon on the side. The picture was fantastic with full of colors. Getting to the biosphere is a bit difficult as it is located on a man made island. You can either take a ferry from the mainland or ride an Uber. We chose a latter. Getting Uber to come back to the mainland was easy as well. We only waited less than 10 minutes for an Uber to pick us up and another 15 minutes for us to get back to our hotel in downtown. read more

See all

Another great piece of art/architecture for the city of Montreal, maybe the best city in Canada.....? Very subjective, obviously. Other cities don't have a biosphere, so that's a plus! read more

See all

If you're more of an off the beaten path traveler, don't waste your money on this. My wife, toddler, and I went here and literally stayed 20 minutes max. Here's why it's not worth it: 1) Trek: During the week on high season, one ferry leaves from the port from mainland Montreal every hour. The ride itself takes ten minutes to get to near the Biosphere, but can feel like a trek when all is said and done. 2) Area: It's on a manmade island that was built for the 1967 World Fair. The Biosphere was the US pavilion. The area has a park, a pool, and a handful of mediocre food options. 3) Price: It cost us $30+ for us to go inside the Biosphere for just a few lame exhibits. The coolest part is going to the second floor, but even that gets old after five minutes. If we could skip over one thing we did in Montreal, it would be this for sure! read more

See all

Since I came to Montreal, I notice that the town is full of Arts and architectures. France are natural artist and when they migrate to this land they have learn and have influencer. long walk and enjoyed clean subway. We got there 4:45 PM and Biosphere close to 5 so we only have a chance to see the first level of the exhibition. As long as we don't miss any of our friend we are enjoy if the visitor has fun. read more

See all

This attraction is included in the city pass, but It's not worth the city pass if you have children because children under 17 are free. It had some interactive things to do, but not much. It's more educational, but we whizzed it by for about less than two hours. They stress on how we need to tKe care of the environment, especially trees, and how scientists are studying the environment to make it better, especially since Montreal city is one of the most polluted cities in the world. We weren't too impressed with this place. Looking at the outside is more interesting than the inside unless you're an environmental enthusiast supporting their cause. read more

Biosphère - We spotted several muscrats walking to the biosphere - Museums Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

See all

Despite being roasted in a fire back in 1976, the main steel spherical structure has remained well intact, even after so many decades since its construction in 1967 for the World's Fair. WARNING! I'm a science geek, but be prepared for some serious information overload. Each section is filled with interactive displays with lots to read all over the place. I get the general idea of climate science, global warming, pollution, ecosystems, etc...but this is a lot of data being thrown at the average human. If you're one of the dumber conservative citizens from my native country of America, you'll have a tough time with this fact filled institution. But hopefully you'll learn a thing or two, and at least enjoy the architectural beauty from inside and out. Which by the way, also took science to build. Its $15 to enter this entertaining an educational site. Luckily its entry is covered by the Montreal Passeport. If you're a carless tourist, take the metro to Station Jean - Drapeu. Live long and prosper. read more

See all

Took the metro here. It's very cool but not a lot of exhibits so you don't need a whole day here. We did it all in less than an hour. There was a movie to watch about the environment and then some hands-on exhibits. We took the elevator to the top for the cool views and enjoyed the physical space of the place more than anything. Glad we did it. read more

See all

The Biosphere is a beautiful piece of architecture designed by Buckminster Fuller. But inside this awesome structure is a mini environment museum that's great to take a walk through! There are some pretty cool projected exhibits like a 360 surrounding weather simulation and some art installations (see attached pics). The informational plaques and interactive screens are educational for kids and the staff are very friendly and give tours. It's a bit out of the way, but if you Uber there from downtown Montreal, it is fairly cheap. We got a student price which was great, but I think the full price is a bit expensive for how much time you'll want to spend looking around. They gave us a wifi password while we were there which was nice since we were tourists without data plan. read more

See all

La visite au biosphère a été une belle surprise car nous y sommes allés sans grande attente, juste pour occuper un dimanche après-midi très froid. Nous avons le passeport 'Espace pour la vie' et la biosphère est l'un des lieux de visite. Il y avait un film dans une salle 360- les enfants ont adoré et j'ai trouvé ça bien fait. Après on a passé beaucoup de temps dans les expos au rez-de-chaussée car il y avait des activités interactives et des jeux qui permettaient de découvrir des éléments de pollution, de météorologie. J'ai trouvé ça bien fait et très adapté pour des enfants de 8-12 ans. Il manque un espace de restauration et certaines expo sont plus faciles à visiter en été. En effet quand on monte dans les étages supérieurs on accède à une plateforme d'observation qui donne une belle vue sur Montréal mais si on veut sortir voir certaines des expositions il faudrait un manteau en hiver, or ceux-ci sont généralement laissés en bas, 129 marches plus loin. On y retournera donc en été. Le parking était également très pratique et le staff relativement sympa. read more

Biosphère - Museums Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

I usually give museums and cultural establishments five star reviews, bit this is one place I really cannot justify it. It is a very neat building from the outside, but that is just about it. This is supposed to be a museum geared towards the environmental, but is is so sparse, there are just four rooms, one of which is a 4D movie, another some activities for the kiddies, and the other two are just as uninteresting. Very boring stuff (to me) On the top floor there's an observatory where you can see Montreal from all angles and this is what made the $15 admission a little for me. The view was great. Other than that, nothing special about this place. read more

See all

3.5 This museum is pretty cool just for the architecture, but if you aren't a science fan then I wouldn't recommend it. Definitely visit the island though to take a photo of this spectacular architectural landmark and don't forget to visit the Tour de Levis as well while you're hear. The museum is 5 levels and has different scientific themes to each level including wildlife and insects, weather, nature and more. The museum definitely has interesting elements to it including live demonstrations, movies, and hands on activities. You could easily spend a few hours here. Admission is relatively cheap at only around $6 for students and $10 for adults...some days are even free. One of the coolest spots inside is the observatory deck where you are inside the sphere part and have a view of the city. Definitely stop by to at least get a photo of the architecture! read more

I adore the simple, elegant design of this repurposed former US Expo 67 pavilion gifted to Canada and was happy to get a close-up look of the highly visible iconic structure located in Parc Jean Drapeau on St Helen's Island on the St Lawrence. Parking was easy. The surrounding environment was very serene, clean and green. I found myself mesmerized by this towering majestic globe, designed and built in a simpler time. Long passage of time has not withered its magnificence as it stood stoically there silently bearing witness to crises through the ages from Vietnam War then to Climate Change now. read more

Biosphère - Museums Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

See all

The Biosphère was one of my favorite places in Montreal. While we got in for free after purchasing Montreal Passports for our honeymoon I would 100% pay the full price of $15 CAD. The roof of the biodome is absolutely breathtaking. The views of the city and river from there are worth the admission price even without the other wonderful exhibits. I loved the Expo 67 and Not an Umbrella exhibits but they even had hands on exhibits such as the ecolab to keep kids occupied while they are learning about ecosystem and why it's so important to care for the planet. read more

See all

The Biosphere is the only environment museum in North America. Located at the Parc Jean-Drapeau, accessing this place is super easy, as there is literally a stop designated to this area off the Metro. On Saint Helen's Island, this was the former pavilion of the 1967 World Fair. The museum offers various films and exhibitions, but the highlight attraction is the geodesic dome that was designed by Buckminster Fuller. Made out of steel, it's a pretty interesting sight to see and to take pictures! +geodesic dome designed by Buckminster Fuller +only envrionment museum in North America +right off the Parc jean-Drapeau stop off the Metro read more

Biosphère - Museums Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

See all

The biosphere is a bit far from the city center of Montreal. It kind of reminds me journeying to the Hall of Science from Manhattan to Queens. We actually took the cab from Habitat 67 to the Biosphere- so we sort of cheated ;) Anyways the biosphere is an AMAZING place to check out with kids. They have a lot of great exhibits and interactions! The prices are also pretty friendly and you can spend 1.5-2 hours there :) The surrounding area is also very relaxing and nice! Check it out for sure! read more

Biosphère - Museums Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Biosphère is a peaceful science related museum near Casino Montréal on l'Île Sainte-Hélène, where in WW II German and Italian POWs were secretly kept and on the American Pavillon site of Montréals' 1967 World Expo. The museum is 1970s Future Modern that is wrapped in a pretty barbed like sphere that has five levels of interesting exhibits that focus on pollution, conservation and Montréal in relation to other cities from an environmental standpoint. It was raining in Montréal and this was a nice getaway. Parking cost $CDN7 for an hour; $13 for 2 hours and $20 all day. Entrance fee is free for youth under 18. Adults pay $CDN15. Prior to coming here, I knew nothing about Curitiba, Brazil a city known for amazing sustainable growth plan. On the top level, there is a nice view of Montréal as well as interactive device that shows how much energy a human can produce by their own force. Kind of fun. Had a great time here and would recommend visiting this place. read more

"A little in between hit and miss" Aside from the beautiful pictures you can take of this place, there is much more that could be added to make it a better experience (this is coming from a biomedical scientist). The latest fashion exhibit (October 2015) was kind of interesting because glamour gowns were created from things that we normally would discard (plastic bags, fish skin, hair, etc. ). The views from the top of the museum are nice, especially when the leaves are turning orange. This place would be great for the kiddies, since there were lot of interactive things to do. There is even an interactive microbiology lab. But, many older folks probably only would enjoy the structure of the building's "exoskeleton" and the views of Montreal. If this is your first time visiting Montreal, I would put this at the bottom of the list unless you really want to go. Since this was my second trip, I did not mind so much. read more

See all

Despite below par weather during my visit, the views from the top floor are amazing. It's a really interesting view of the city and the river. The museum itself is very informative but a little depressing. Lots of climate change talk but there is also some interesting history of the Biosphere and ideas for the future of Montreal and other cities. There is a metro location very nearby which is very convenient. read more

Oh, Montreal, seducer of tourists, you made sure that if poutine didn't sweep me off my feet, your Montreal Museums Day did. How did I ever find myself back home in NYC? Montreal Museums Day (la Journée des musées montréalais) was the day when 29 museums opened their doors free of charge to the public, with 5 free bus routes to take people from museum to museum, and this happens once a year. I was dying to visit as many museums as possible, but since I was traveling with a group, they voted to stick to our original itinerary :( and decided to visit the Biosphère to see the penguins. IMPORTANT NOTE: Don't confuse the Biosphère with the Biodôme. They are two separate museums. If you see any pictures/reviews of animals and/or penguins, that's the Biodôme. The Biosphère has no animals. We didn't know that, and hopped on a bus to the Biosphère. Even though we got our museums mixed up, getting on that bus and finding ourselves in front of the Biosphère was so worth it. First, I thoroughly enjoyed the ONE | Outfits from a New Era exhibit, which displays dresses created out of garbage, such as airbags, batteries, books, fish skins, and even cans of Arizona Ice Tea, and an outfit made of hair!! Very creative and eye-opening, and a clever way of encouraging awareness of the vast amount of garbage we throw out. Second, after the exhibit we got on the elevator and went all the way to the top, where the views of Parc Jean-Drapeau (the park where the Biosphère was located) and the skyline of Montreal were, put simply, amazing. Also, if you ever wanted to know what it was like to be in a circular cage, this is the place to be in! Would I go back a second time? Probably not, and why? I think I have seen all there is to see in the Biosphère since the exhibits were few in number. I was surprised there weren't more, and was in and out in a few hours. But if you're in Montreal and don't come to check this out, well, you've missed out. Merci beaucoup, la journée des musées montréalais!!! read more

See all

Go here if you want to take a picture of the exterior but then do yourself a favor and leave without paying to go inside because it is not worth it. A couple of things: 1) There's a good view of the city from the top floor but it is not worth the entrance fee really. This combined with the cost of parking makes the experience far too expensive. 2) There is a student discount so make sure to ask for it if you don't get asked 3) For anyone that might mistake this for the Biodôme, they are not the same! We were confused (totally our fault for not planning adequately) and only realized after 2 "exhibits" that there are no animals here. 4) I can only imagine this experience being a positive if you have kids but strangely there were only adults when we were there (though not many). Basically the different halls or exhibits are designed to tell you about the environment and conservation techniques etc. One hall has a bunch of microscopes set up showing effects of pollution, one hall has a bunch of pictures of different forests, one hall has a few examples of how different renewable energy sources work. It is like a big science project demonstration -- skip it all unless you have kids! read more

The people of Montreal must be huge fans of Star Wars to have a replica of the Death Star in the middle of the city. We went to Montreal for a weekend and came here on a rainy Saturday. It is the Environment Museum on Ile Ste Helene in Parc Jean-Drapeau (I got it confused with the Bio Dome and thought I was going to see penguins). Admission is $12 and you have 3 parking options (1 hour - $5; 2 hours - $10; All day - $15). You can do the entire place comfortably in a little over an hour. The museum is broken out into 8 halls on about 4 floors with interactive activities, lectures, and exhibits about the environment (and our effect on it). The highlight of the visit was their current exhibit: "One - Outfits from a New Era". It looked like a fashion show with outfits made out of consumer products: batteries, car parts, book pages, etc. Very cool exhibit! read more

See all

If you happen to find yourself in Montreal and need to kill some time or get the kids out of the house than this would be a good thing to do, my wife and I found it pretty cool and it's interesting to interact with all of the virtual reality's they have here, and if you're a student you get $5 off of your ticket of entry. read more

See all

Surprisingly entertaining and engaging! I don't know what my family was expecting because it's difficult to tell from the website and the building itself. The grounds surrounding the Biosphere are beautiful and are worth exploration, time permitting. We really enjoyed ourselves. The kids especially found the Biosphere engaging. Every exhibit is hands-on and makes you think, make decisions. My kids especially liked the exhibit where you had to match the biome using greenhouse gases and temperature. They also liked the movie. There aren't many benches to sit while your kids are interacting with the exhibits. If you get hungry, be prepared to take the subway off the island. There aren't any choices here. You can spend 2-3 hours here. Enjoy a taste of science. read more

Great place! Great attraction for kids. Very informative with lots of cool activities (determining which has more poison, air or water?) and awesome videos about the eco system and environment. They also offer a great 45 minute nature trail where you learn about the different plants and species. As a native New Yorker, it's always good to see that trees and plants still exist haha. read more

The biosphere is esthetically pleasing to the eye. It's a spherical wonder seen from afar and adds character to the Montreal skyline. The Environment Museum within this inciting steel skeleton is good in concept, but is lacking in execution. The Environment Museum seems to miss the mark. It doesn't cater to any one specific demographic or any specific type of learner effectively. It appears that it's intended target audience are school-aged kids, but I can see them losing interest very quickly. Very quickly. It's missing the modern interactive experience that younger audiences are accustomed to and the integrated learning approach that has become standard in the medical and science field. The interactive activities available may be too laborious for the average museum patron who intends to be spoon-fed information. The price for admission and parking is questionably justifiable for those of you with younger kids. read more

See all

An amazing place to learn and enjoy your time around Montréal. Do not forget to take a look around the city from the top. Videos and a lot of cool activities can take half day! Good for kids and adults! read more

See all

Pretty cool place, my husband and I stopped here to see what it was. A lot of information on every floor/in every room. It was cool, but it wasn't really my cup of tea. It's very kid-friendly and if you're a science guru then you should definitely check it out. Views from the top of the building were beautiful! read more

Biosphère - Museums Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

We came during a time that it was closed. This actually made it better for what we wanted it for. We had saw the building when we were visiting the Casino and knew we wanted to come back in the day time to take pictures. It totally is worth taking pictures of it from the outside. It looks like a giant snowglobe from far away. It made for some epic looking pictures! If you are in the park near by this is a must stop while in Montreal. Overall, it made for the best pictures on our whole trip. read more

From the outside, you would think it's a very interesting big museum. They offer a show which lasted for 25mins about the environment. The other halls also features some exhibits about science and environment. Overall, I don't think it was worth a visit. I've been to a lot of science museums which are far more interesting than this place. read more

Biosphère - Museums Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

This is a great park. We didn't actually get to go inside because it was closed when we went. But even just seeing the biosphere is pretty awesome. It makes for great pictures, especially when some random people are holding an umbrella in front of you. lol Its a pretty cool place to see, and definitely worth the trip over on the train. read more

See all

My son's review: Looking at the outside I was very excited! I thought It looked very futuristic. You can see the Biosphere from far away. I was expecting more of the Biosphere. I liked the movie presentation. They were talking about climate change. I like the 360 degree view of the movie. When it would rain in the video, It would rain in the room. It had snow inside the room. I would recommend to go when It is hot outside. Don't come here and expect a lot if it is cold. The exhibits were nice, but I heard that there is a futuristic room. It was closed on that day. I like how you learn new things, and they keep you aware about global warming. Since, I was a kid I went there for free. My review: I was disappointed in the Biosphere; but glad I was able to take my son. This was one of the attractions he wanted to experience on this trip. I'm glad we did. Unfortunately, 1/2 of the exhibits were closed today. Fortunately, I was charged $7.50 CA instead of the usual $15.00 CA and my son was free. I agree with my son, the 360 view movie was great! The best part was the weather in the movie was actualized in the theater. It was exciting for me to see him be so excited over the experience. I enjoyed watching him. The climate change presentation was also nice. It was a lecture and Q & A style. It was great to see how much children int he audience knew about climate change and Global Warming. The presenter was excellent. Based on today's experience, I wouldn't recommend the Biosphere. However, I would have liked to spend more time on the island. read more

Definitely beautiful architecture when we walk in. The dome shape is seen from most areas in Montreal and definitely very noticeable when you walk in. It's great to see the exhibits for environmental preservation. However, the exhibits could have been more interactive and geared towards adults- when we were walking through, it seemed like it was more marketed toward children to help them understand environmental issues than anything else. read more

A great museum dedicated to understanding and improving the environment in the old USA pavilion at Expo 67, right next to the Jean-Drapeau metro stop on the yellow line. Also, a great exhibit on Expo 67 with old films. Great view of downtown Montreal from the 4th and 5th floor outdoor patio. Enjoyed our time there. It was our third favorite museum in Montreal, behind the Montreal Museum of History and Archaeology, and Museum of Fine Arts. Recommend skipping the 360 degree multimedia presentation at the beginning, as we learned nothing from it. read more

It was closed when I came. That's OK because I think you get to experience what it was from looking at it from the outside. I believe it was US pavilion during the International Expo a while ago and they kept it up because it was so cool. Luckily the sun came out when I got here so it reflected off this beautiful metal geometric sphere. Interestingly, it now has a Canadian flag in it. We spent about 30 minutes here walking along the main path to an area with a jagged silver sculpture and a view of downtown Montreal. Worth a quick trip on the Yellow metro line. read more