Summary
No matter what time of year you are visiting the city of Montreal, if you’re a fan of lush nature, you’ll want to check out the Westmount Conservatory and Greenhouses. Westmount’s greenhouses offer an oasis in the middle of Montreal, complete with a banana tree, orchids, deep purple hyacinths, a fountain, and even a shallow, audible waterfall. When open, the Conservatory is completely free to the public, offering the perfect floral antidote to Montreal’s harsh winters and the hustle and bustle of the city’s summers.
While you wait for this beautiful nature preserve to open back up, explore the following images and slides to learn more about the greenhouses’ history, location, and restoration efforts.
Before Heading Out to the Westmount
Compared to the Montreal Botanical Gardens, a relatively popular tourist attraction in the city, the Westmount Conservatory and Greenhouses are much smaller in scale and act as more of a pit stop for urbanites aching for a dose of nature than a major destination for tourists.
As mentioned, the facility is currently undergoing renovations and will not be open to the public for several months. However, once it does finish renovations, the Westmount Conservatory is expected to remain open seven days a week, with at least one of its greenhouses accessible on any given day.
When planning your trip to Westmount, it’s important to wear layers, especially in the colder winter months, as the greenhouses’ temperatures are regulated and much warmer and balmier than the outside environment.
A History of the Conservatory and Restoration Updates
This Victorian-style conservatory, built in 1927 by Lord & Burnham, the same greenhouse manufacturer behind the New York Botanical Garden, the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the United States Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C., the Westmount Greenhouses underwent a restoration in 2004, reopening to the public on March 31, 2005. This restoration included new masonry, windows, waterfalls, fresh cast iron, and a water basin.
Getting There: Location and Directions
Located on the corner of Arlington and Sherbrooke West in the Montreal neighborhood of Westmount, the Westmount Conservatory and Greenhouse offer visitors a beautiful escape into nature just 15 minutes away from Downtown Montreal.
Although Montreal is very much a pedestrian-friendly city, if you’re staying in the downtown area, you can easily hop in a cab, take a city bus, or get off at Station Vendôme on the Montreal Metro’s Orange Line.
This destination is perfect for a quick afternoon trip or a full day of relaxation in nature. The Conservatory is nestled in Westmount Park (Parc Westmount), so even if you can’t get into the greenhouses at the moment, there’s still a beautiful park to explore.
Address: 4624 Sherbrooke West, Westmount, Quebec H3Z 1E8
