Gardens of Light — Attraction in Montreal

We have been going as a family for about 15 years skipping the odd year as we live over 100kms away. We make a day of it and buy passports because we enjoy having the possibility of going to other activities and events. 2022 was so overcrowded and poorly controlled ( children playing on rocks over water, no supervision) that we didn’t buy passports ( we buy 3 at least for our family -adult kids now) for 2023. Some kids opted out of joining because it was such a negative experience in 2022, so they didn’t even want to give it a try this year in 2024. Despite loving the Biodôme and planetarium. So we brought friends of ours guests That had never been. They were unimpressed. 2024 was a really underwhelming experience . The pathway was traitorous and poorly lit/uneven and they are quite lucky no one has yet been seriously injured, i know i twisted my ankle even wearing good runners. The path of the first nations is usually much more interesting with more sounds and stories and lights, but it Was just very dark this year. There are very few signs and explanations of where to go And it’s really dark between the few stations of light. There was nothing happening at the Japanese garden. There was no music. There were very few lanterns and most were cranes or pandas or monarchs . Not much else.

The folks at the gates are unpleasant, but the ticket agent was really nice that afternoon ( Her name was Guylaine i think). The parking lot is ALWAYS a nightmare, people got into a physical fight in front of us in 2022 with one guy pulling the other out of the car(!!!) Their website and ticket system is a nightmare , which the employees will eagerly confirm,

the Rendez-vous horticole in may is another favourite event but even that one was boring in 2022 as they had only a handful of seed houses/nurseries as opposed to a decade ago when it was massive and amazing.

So i bought 450$ worth of passports plus 13$ of parking. We might go back for seedy Saturday if they have one and we may try the rdv horticole in may , but i think this was our last time for a very long time doing the passports and lanterns … Just too...

I recently visited the Garden of Lights at the Montreal Botanical Garden, conveniently located near the Pie-IX metro, and it was an enchanting experience from start to finish. The standout attraction was undoubtedly the mesmerizing light show in the Chinese garden. The display brought an ethereal beauty to the garden, with lanterns illuminating the pathways and intricate designs casting colorful reflections over the ponds. It felt like stepping into another world.

Another intriguing part of the experience was a forested area that captured a mysterious, almost eerie atmosphere. It reminded me of a wolf habitat, with shadows playing among the trees and sounds that kept us on edge – perfect for adding a touch of thrill to the evening. This unique blend of beauty and mystery made for a truly memorable night. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a magical autumn...

So you know, when you get ticket for the light show, you can show up in advance, the tickets give you access to the botanical garden for the entire day. And as soon as the show starts you can start following the path to the Chinese garden where the light show takes place. Speaking of, the tour takes a little more than an hour, which is maybe a little too long but it's definitely worth it for the end show at the Chinese garden, which is incredible to watch. Keep in mind that once the show is done, all the people rush to the exit and you might get stuck in a huge line until you get to the exit, so I recommend staying on the left side during the show so you can leave as...