Biosphère

«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 Montréal.
If this is your first time visiting Montréal, 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.

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 Montréal. Worth a quick trip on the Yellow metro line.

This is such a cool environmental museum, in lovely Jean-​Drapeau Parc. I loved the exhibit on clothing made out of recycled materials. One of the first exhibit rooms on the first floor has walls covered in everyday statements people make that significantly effect the environment; «I want a bigger car,» «I want the newest phone,» «Shop ’til you drop!» It was really eye-​opening. I also saw a presentation on Typhoons, which was very interesting. Montréal has amazing museums, and I’m glad I visited this one. Plus, the views at the very top of the Biosphere are great!

The biosphere is esthetically pleasing to the eye. It’s a spherical wonder seen from afar and adds character to the Montréal 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.

One of the best museums I’ve ever been to. Extremely interactive, educational, fun, and interesting. The place is laid out beautifully with wonderful guides to help you along the way. There is so much to see and learn here. You’d have to spend at least 3 hours here to take full advantage.

Visited the Biosphere on Museum Day which is the last weekend in May so it was free for us to enter. Inside the Biosphere there is exhibitions on Water, fashions made from waste products, cars and sustainable fuel sources. There are some interesting things for kids but also a lot of reading. Its a good place to visit if you want to find out about sustainability but didn’t take us more than an hr to see everything so I would have been disappointed if I had paid admission. It was built during the expo 67 and is easily accessed by subway nearby or by car from downtown.

We wanted to go to the Biodome, but it was closed, so we went to the Biosphere instead. :) It’s pretty cool to see the sphere up close, though the museum inside is less impressive.
Like many museums, the interactive parts were run down and not working as well as they should have been.
Overall, it’s kind of a depressing museum.
«Here’s a million ways you’re destroying the environment, and anything you try to do won’t have much effect.»
«Here’s a hall dedicated to all the wonderful things Buckminster Fuller invented to save the world. This was decades ago, but no one actually uses any of them today.»
Sigh.
My girlfriend says «it had such a sad empty feeling».

Great mixture of different climates under a single roof, a little tiny but setup quite well. Went to the insectorium and greenhouse as well which was more than enough greatness to view for a single tour.

It seems the Biosphère is in danger, and will close its doors to the public in October. Mmm, what does that say about the general interest in ecology and sustainability in Canada… I admit it, I’m pretty green, I’m your annoying friend with a sustainable water bottle who won’t shut up about it. Did you turn off the light when you left the room?
I also have to admit that, shamefully, I had never, as a Montrealer, set foot in the Biosphère before. Still, I can’t imagine a sky-​view of Montréal without the pretty dandelion globe.
It’s even more beautiful and surreal in person than it is in pictures, but the interior is surprisingly small and intuitive. There are different exhibitions, all revolving around natural ressources and ecology. The room dedicated to water is pretty fun since YOU have to participate in the activities and get yourself wet! You can even unleash your inner messiah and walk on water! Another cool exhibition highlights how we could reuse waste in the fashion industry, the pieces are not always practical but always pretty neat. My favourite outfit was 98% air according to the wall text! Don’t miss the circular cinema room, and get to know the fauna of Quebec (little birdies! Aww)
Where you really want to be is at the highest floor, not only is the view spectacular, but it retraces the story of the Biosphère and its architect’s other projects such as a sustainable more efficient (and stylish) car, or how he gave his name to an atom structure and later to a common office-​desk toy (bucky balls!).
I feel a very special sense of relationship with the Sphère: it became such an icon of Expo 67, which had such a great impact on Montréal. I can’t help but be proud of it, even if it was, originally, the US pavilion! But a lot of things about it make me unbearably sad: it will close, and I think we’ll loose a wonderful part of our history. The lack of funds is felt: some exhibits artifacts don’t work, or not as well as they should be. The rooms are a bit of a mumbo-​jumbo, why aren’t they organized by elements? Or regions of the world, or environmental dangers?
And then I feel so small, because even tough the museum highlights how we negatively impact our world, there is no specific section on what we can do to help. What ressources are there, in Montréal, in Canada?
Go see the dandelion before it’s blown away!

Ahh, the Biosphere is full of interesting short films and interactive exhibits about sustainability. Kudos to the museum for promoting the education of this idea! We stumbled upon here thinking it was the more popular Biodome, which we didn’t figure out until later. Such is the life of an ignorant American traveling in a different country! (It looks like we weren’t the only ones judging by a fellow Unilocaler. You see, anyone can make that mistake.)
Anyway, I highly recommend this museum if you love learning about eCOOLogique. They have a sweet rooftop exhibit as well with an amazing view. We, New Yorkers, love anything with rooftops (don’t know why — we just do). Don’t forget to fill out the survey at the end of your trip and take an awesome photo with your friends.

Oh, Montréal, seducer of tourists, you made sure that if poutine didn’t sweep me off my feet, your Montréal Museums Day did. How did I ever find myself back home in NYC?
Montréal 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 Montréal 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 Montréal and don’t come to check this out, well, you’ve missed out.
Merci beaucoup, la journée des musées montréalais!!!

Superb views!
Biosphere might be a little difficult to get to without a car, since it is located on an island — but definitely worth the effort! The biosphere is all about sustainability and keeping our planet in working order.
Must see’s include the temporary exhibit with various dresses made out of things like arizona iced tea cans, fish skin, hair, cords/​wires! After checking out some of the exhibits (we skipped all the movies), we made our way to the top floor to see one of the most beautiful views of Montréal ever!
Plus there are hammocks near the bottom of the Biosphere to just hang around in. Perfection!

The Biosphere is really cool to visit. AND it’s primarily free to see. I think you can pay to go inside and up to the observation deck but we just walked around it and took pictures of the structure.
The park that it’s in is great for hanging out too.
Take 30 mins out of your trip and go see the Biosphere.

Went there a few years ago and love the place!
they have plenty of parking and the location is great. Would not mind bringing tourist and children.
Cheers,
Eric Van Nguyen

The people of Montréal must be huge fans of Star Wars to have a replica of the Death Star in the middle of the city.
We went to Montréal 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!

I want to write the review for the entire city of Montréal but unfortunately I can’t do that. Instead I’ll just have to write about each location I went to.
Let’s just say this is one of my favorites! The sphere is beautiful and I really loved learning about the environment and biodiversity. The little park across from it is peaceful and beautiful too.
Montréal is the best city i’ve ever been to!!!

Very fun touristic activity. Go look at the otters. They’re cute.