Montreal is home to the Biodôme, which was originally built for the 1976 Olympic Games as a velodrome (a cycle-racing track). In 1992, it was repurposed into a natural science museum, becoming one of the city’s most unique and popular attractions.
The Biodôme houses four distinct ecosystems found in the Americas – a tropical rainforest, a Laurentian forest (representative of North American wilderness), the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, and the Subpolar Regions (both Arctic and Antarctic environments). Each ecosystem is accurately maintained to represent its respective region, complete with climate, plant and animal life. This allows visitors to experience these vastly different environments within the city’s boundaries. The Biodôme is a significant educational tool for the public to learn about environmental science and biodiversity.
One particularly noteworthy feature is its “eco-friendly” design, which includes measures to reduce energy consumption, waste production, and greenhouse gas emissions. It’s a stellar example of sustainable architecture in a science-based setting.
