Who knew that a trip to the Laval Nature Centre would turn out to be one of our most memorable day trips? Laval parents, what other gems are you hiding from the rest of us?
This park, about 30 minutes from downtown Montreal, works for kids and grownups, offering tons of activities in a beautiful, compact and non-commercial setting.
Peaceful landscape
The park centres around a glassy lake, which instantly makes you feel like you’re somewhere, well, other than Laval. Although it looks similar to the Beaver Lake area of Mount Royal, there’s much more here for the kids to discover.
Surprises around every corner
From the lake area, we caught sight of a multi-coloured train going by on an upper pathway. We took the kids up the stairs to get a closer look, saying hi to a groundhog on the way. At the top, we found a children’s paradise: a mini farm with a bright green barn, and a huge playground area.
“COOL!” yelled our 5-year-old as he and his brother charged ahead.
There’s an older, wooden climbing structure with a tire swing that’s well suited for the 18-month-and-up crowd. Then, there’s a multi-level play structure with lots of fun ramps to run up and down, plus a small climbing wall, and some La-z-boy-style swings.
Oink oink
The farm, which has pigs, goats, donkeys, horses, deer, chickens and peacocks, looks well-kept compared to many mini-farms/petting zoos we’ve seen. If you like, you can open the gate and walk among the goats or deer. Our kids preferred hanging out with the pigs, trying to get them to say oink. Pony rides on small horses are offered for an extra charge.
Choo choo
From the farm, it was on to the mini-train ($3 per person), which is about a 10-minute ride around the park grounds. Our driver had a beard practically down to his waist and worked in character, clowning around with the kids along the way. The train ride gives you a chance to see the various gardens and picnic areas in the park.
Chew chew
When it was time to feed our own animals, we headed to the on-site chalet, which offers basic hot dogs and hamburgers, but also club sandwiches, toasted bagels, cheese sticks, yogurt and apples. We sat at a picnic table overlooking the lake, which was “so relaxing”, according to son #1.
Plan to spend the day
After lunch, we saw a family paddling along the lake in a rented canoe. Another fun feature of the Laval Nature Centre is the mini-village, where there is a pint-size town including a church, barber, bank, college and other buildings.
The great thing about this park is that there’s so much to explore, you could spend the day here. Which is fantastic for a place that charges no admission.
Laval Nature Centre
Address: 901 Park Ave., Laval (view map)
Schedule: Park grounds are open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily; mini farm is open on weekends from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (check weekday hours here).
Cost: $7 parking, admission free. Some activities (boat rental, pony ride, train ride) cost extra.
Bathrooms: There are restrooms with changing tables in the park’s two chalets, as well as two other on-site restrooms.
Website: http://www.ville.laval.qc.ca/ms/centre_nature/index.html
Phone number: 450-662-4942
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