A month of Halloween at the Botanical Garden. From October 1 to 31, 2026, Espace pour la vie presents Halloween Shivers at the Jardin botanique de Montréal, according to its September 24 announcement. The story follows Kalbacius the sorcerer and his sidekick Pétiole, who have "bewitched" the Main Exhibition Greenhouse with transformed gourds and a collection of seeds.
What kids can do there. The program is designed first for young children, but everyone is welcome. It includes a sorcery lesson with Kalbacius in the main greenhouse, a creative workshop where you build little creatures out of leaves, branches, seeds and conifer needles, and an enchanted labyrinth where you hunt for hidden creatures. The show Même pas peur! is for ages 4 to 8 and is performed in French only. The detailed schedule for each activity is in the announcement.
Pair it with the Gardens of Light. If you book the two together, you can add an evening visit to the Gardens of Light at no extra cost. This illuminated walk runs through three of the Botanical Garden's cultural gardens until November 1, and this year's edition features a new creation, Résonance, in the First Nations Garden, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, according to Tourisme Montréal. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, short 30-minute workshops are often added to the visit.
Tickets and opening hours. Admission to the Botanical Garden is paid, and both prices and evening opening hours vary by date. Check Espace pour la vie's ticketing before you go rather than relying on a price you heard elsewhere. The Botanical Garden is at 4101 Sherbrooke Street East, near Pie-IX metro station.
Good to know for newcomers. In Quebec, Halloween is very much a family event: children dress up and go door to door on the evening of October 31 to collect candy. An outing like this one is a gentle way to introduce the holiday to children who are discovering it, before the neighbourhood rounds. On the vocabulary side, you will often hear "se déguiser" (to dress up), "une citrouille" (a pumpkin) and "passer l'Halloween", the local expression for going trick-or-treating.
