The Biosphère geodesic dome on Île Sainte-Hélène behind a maple tree in orange and red autumn leaves, with a reflecting pool in the foreground

Park / Île Sainte-Hélène / Île Notre-Dame

Parc Jean-Drapeau

TWO ISLANDS, ZERO ADMISSION

Two islands with 25+ km of paths, a Fuller dome and skyline views, a short metro ride from downtown.

From home: 13 min drive; 7.57 km. Walk 69 min
Spend: $$$$; est. $0 per person
Our dates: Open all 4 days; Give it 2-3 hours

The verdict

Worth a half-day if the sky cooperates, especially for fall colour and the skyline from the water's edge. Pair a walk with the Biosphère dome, open 9 to 5 even on Thanksgiving Monday, and the free autumn decor in the Floralies Gardens. Skip it in hard rain: the good parts are outdoors and exposed. Mid-October means most summer attractions and shuttles are off, so this is a walk, not an amusement day.

Open every day including Oct 12
Free access, 25+ km of roads and trails
Biosphère open Oct 12-15 9am-5pm
Fall colour season

Vibe check

chill/low key

Best fora fall walk, skyline views, architecture fans (Biosphère)

What it costs

$$$$Est. $0 / person

Site access to the islands and Lune Noire Colours and Decorations is free per the official rates. Biosphère admission and parking are separate and not recorded here.

Our estimate from posted prices, CAD, before tax and tip. Québec purchases carry the 5% federal GST plus the 9.975% Québec Sales Tax (QST, TVQ in French): 14.975% combined on taxable items. Tourisme Montréal: it is customary to tip restaurant servers, taxi drivers and hairdressers 15% of the bill, before taxes. Bellhops, porters and doormen generally get at least $2 per bag or service; coffee and food counters often have a tip cup by the register.

On our dates

Île Sainte-Hélène daily 6am-midnight; Île Notre-Dame daily 6am-11pm

Mon 12Open6am to midnight
Tue 13Open6am to midnight
Wed 14Open6am to midnight
Thu 15Open6am to midnight

Thanksgiving MondayFAQ states the islands are open every day; Biosphère and Lune Noire schedules list Mon Oct 12 as open (9am-5pm and 6am-11pm). Taxibus does not run on statutory holidays.

Full week

Mon	6am to midnight
Tue	6am to midnight
Wed	6am to midnight
Thu	6am to midnight
Fri	6am to midnight
Sat	6am to midnight
Sun	6am to midnight

Weekly grid is Île Sainte-Hélène; Notre-Dame closes 23:00. Biosphère 9am-5pm Oct 12-15 (closed Mondays otherwise). Île Notre-Dame was inaccessible Sun Oct 11 6:30-11am (event); not our dates.

Hours from the venue's own listing, checked Oct 8, 2026.

Is it worth it?

Yes for a dry day: free, easy by metro, strongest in fall. Not worth a trip in heavy rain.

Best time: Daylight, late morning to mid-afternoon
Time needed: 2-3 hours
Cost: Free site access; Biosphère admission and parking extra (not recorded)
Weather: Mostly exposed and outdoors; best dry. Biosphère is the indoor fallback.
This season: Official page highlights autumn colours. Lune Noire Halloween decor in the Floralies Gardens runs daily through Oct 31; evening ticketed events (Noce des canaux) are not on Oct 12-15 per schedule.

Good forwalking, photography, skyline views

Pair it with

Biosphère, on Île Sainte-Hélène, for the Buckminster Fuller dome
Floralies Gardens (Lune Noire autumn decor, free site access), on Île Notre-Dame

Where

Parc Jean-Drapeau, Île Sainte-Hélène and Île Notre-Dame, Montréal, QC (GPS 45.514160, -73.533894; street address not found on official pages read)

69 min walk (5.15 km) / 13 min drive, no traffic / 25 min by bike

From 216 Rue Young. Routes from OpenStreetMap data; transit times are in the maps app.

Show on our map parcjeandrapeau.com Instagram

While you're there

Buckminster Fuller's geodesic dome of the Biosphère on Île Sainte-Hélène, seen from the entrance path with autumn trees at left and a reflecting pool

THE GLOBE ON THE ISLAND

Biosphère (Parc Jean-Drapeau)

Parc Jean-Drapeau (Île Sainte-Hélène)11 min drive$$$$

5 min walk from here

The illuminated Clock Tower in Montréal's Old Port at dawn, with the Jacques-Cartier Bridge and the river beyond

WALK IT, DON'T SCHEDULE IT

Old Port of Montréal (Vieux-Port)

Old Montréal8 min drive or 37 min walk$$$$

73 min walk from here

Night view of the stone facade of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel in Old Montréal, floodlit, with a gilded statue of Mary above the door and blue-lit bell towers against a black sky

OLD MONTRÉAL'S QUIET ONE

Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours et Musée Marguerite-Bourgeoys

Old Montréal (Vieux-Montréal)30 min walk$$$$

64 min walk from here

Close-up of crusty sourdough baguettes standing in a wicker basket, with more baskets of bread softly blurred behind

BREAD FIRST, WINE SECOND

La Cave à Manger

Old Montréal (Vieux-Montréal)29 min walk$$$$

64 min walk from here

SILVER DOME, LOCAL GOODS

Marché Bonsecours

Old Montréal28 min walk$$$$

65 min walk from here

A stirred amber cocktail in a cut-crystal rocks glass with orange peel twists, on a dark veined stone bar top in a dim room

RING THE BELL, GO DOWN

The Coldroom

Old Montréal25 min walk$$$$

68 min walk from here

Two cocktails on a dark table in a dim room with green velvet seats: a pale yellow drink in a cut-glass coupe with apple slices, and a red amber drink with citrus in a rocks glass

SHERRY BEFORE DINNER

Bisou Bisou

Old Montréal26 min walk$$$$

69 min walk from here

A tiled-roof paifang gate with blue and gold painted panels spans a pedestrian street in Montréal's Chinatown, with trees and brick buildings beyond.

SMALL BLOCK, REAL APPETITE

Chinatown (Quartier chinois)

Chinatown / Quartier chinois (Ville-Marie)27 min walk$$$$

68 min walk from here

The receipt

Where every fact on this page comes from.

ResearchedResearched Oct 8, 2026. Second check pending. Confidence: medium.

Details to confirm

Street address not found on official pages read
Biosphère admission price and exact park parking rates not checked
Skyline viewpoints and specific trails not individually sourced; 25+ km total from official hiking page
Fall colour peak timing not verified
Web search budget exhausted, so no independent editorial sources consulted

OfficialParc Jean-Drapeau (official): Home page: location, islands, coordinatesaccessed 2026-10-08
OfficialParc Jean-Drapeau (official): FAQ: hours of operation, dogs, smokingaccessed 2026-10-08
OfficialParc Jean-Drapeau (official): Biosphère schedule, Oct 2026accessed 2026-10-08
OfficialParc Jean-Drapeau (official): Lune Noire: schedule and rates, Floralies Gardensaccessed 2026-10-08
OfficialParc Jean-Drapeau (official): Hiking: 25 km of roads and trails, scheduleaccessed 2026-10-08
OfficialParc Jean-Drapeau (official): Getting to the Parc: metro, shuttles, taxibusaccessed 2026-10-08
OfficialParc Jean-Drapeau (official): Notices and alertsaccessed 2026-10-08