Summer Getaway Day 3 - Planetarium, Biodome, Insectarium

the stars, the bugs, the animals, the gardens - all in one place!

A trip to Montreal's botanical garden warrants a full day. There's just so much to see, what with the planets and stars, the insects and bugs, the animals and the gardens all in one place, there's really no other choice. We could've split the trip into two days but who wants to come back and see the same thing? Since we had already pre-planned to plan nothing else that day, the botanical garden was the place to be indeed!

Right from the onset, it showed the telltale signs of a long day. We thought that we'd start with the Planetarium before anything else. The walk to the Planetarium, which we were told was about 15 minutes, felt much longer.

 

Once we were at the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, we were treated to some excellent audio-visual presentations about the planets and the stars and the galaxy while lying on bean bags. Outside the theatres, there were cool interactive entertainment media. Although I felt this area benefited the younger crowd more, there was no denying that some of the "toys" were cool. One of these cool toys was a projector that changed your body into an alien's when you step into its line of light.

My alien kids

Next up was the Biodome, since it was right next door to the Planetarium. The Biodome showcased ecosystems and animals and felt very much like a visit to the zoo or an aquarium. Yes, the animals were quite different, some were/might have been exotic, but their allure was lost on me. Despite my ignorance, it remained an interesting walk-through.

Lovebirds

Walking back to the main botanical garden was equally long. They were renovating the area at the time which I think might have contributed to the walking distance seeming farther than it really was. Because of the renovation, we decided not to visit the Parc Olympique, which was in the same locality.

Our next stop was the Insectarium. And as the name would suggest, this place had loads and loads of butterflies and bugs of all shapes and sizes. Literally.

Butterflies