Parc la Fontaine

Great place to go with the family, great playground and we stopped at the bagel shop before and brought our food with us. Great place!

Parc très agréable pour un pic nique, un tour de vélo, une balade ou déguster une bonne poutine de la banquise qui se trouve à proximité sur la rue Rachel :))

Parc La Fontaine is an 84-​acre urban park, located in the Le-​Plateau-​Mont-​Royal neighborhood of Montréal. You can run/​job, take a stroll, sit on the benches to relax, feed the ducks in the pond, or even go sledding during the winter months. While it’s nice to have some type of a ‘greenery’ in the middle of the city, the park itself seemed a bit bare-​boned, and there isn’t much of a scenery.
+84-​acres
+located in the Le-​Plateau-​Mont-​Royal ‘hood

Un parc vraiment grand et idéal l’été pour faire plein d’activités, comme courir, faire des repas entre amis (attention à l’alcool! c’est rendu interdit si vous n’êtes pas sur une table de picnic + en train de manger! ils mettaient des amendes l’été passé…), faire du sport d’équipe (volleyball, soccer, pétanque, etc.)
Il y a pas mal d’écureuils pour ceux qui découvrent Montréal ^^ (les autres sont assez tannés de leur présence! :D)
Il y a un grand lac au centre, vous pouvez vous asseoir autour pour lire, faire une sieste, relaxer, etc.
Le parc est propre et pas si mal fréquenté

Superbe parc où j’ai pris l’habitude d’aller courir. Il n’est ni trop grand ni trop petit, ainsi il convient aussi bien au petites déambulations qu’aux marches/​courses un peu plus conséquentes.
Il semble également parfait aussi pour aller y pic-​niquer ou flâner avec des amis.
Bref, étant devenue une habituée de cet endroit, je recommande à tout ceux qui veulent prendre l’air d’y faire un tour !

Beautiful park that was probably on my bucket list since the first time I visited Montréal. Four years later and I finally was able to cross it out on my last trip there.
Eyes full of breathtakingly beautiful greens, the serenity of the fountain and the surrounding waters provides an urban oasis in the midst of downtown Montréal. A fair companion for mount royal. A lot of activities here and a lot of audiences from rollerblading little kids to running adults. There is even a mini train going through the park (not on tracks)! A small cafeteria to grab a bite and plenty of chairs to people watch and lazying in the sun.
A breathe of fresh air.

I wasn’t to thrilled with this fairly large park located near the Plateau Mont Royal neighborhood. Went for an early evening stroll and the place seemed a bit run down in spots. There’s plenty of green space for a picnic and paths to jog, bike or even walk. It’s ok to come take a break or people watch but, like I said, it’s not that pretty and a bit run down. Just note, coming here from The Village by foot and you’ll have a nasty hill to walk up to get here so consider that.

Walk, stroll, bike, run or sit and picnic with wine, beers, whatever you like! The park is filled with very talented musicians hanging out and practicing their various instruments (along with some drunken novices trying out whatever little instrument they’ve brought along).
That’s summertime fun. The park is always packed! Feasting, clouds of pot smoke, cigarette butts littering the grass, empty bottles left laying around for the homeless to gather, and ducks making the most of it in the very large, central lake where the namesake fountain is featured.
I always love to bike through the park on my way downtown, or to wherever I’m going.
This park is so huge, that on any given Saturday/​Sunday, there will be two dozen separate fêtes going on — from cultural gatherings, to yoga or chi-​kung groups, to music groups, to family birthdays, to… you name it. The atmosphere is definitely festive!
Also situated within the park is the Théâtre de Verdure, an open air stage with all kinds of free presentations and performances throughout the summer and fall, including the Montréal Symphony Orchestra, Pop Montréal, dance, etc. Nearby is the Espace La Fontaine, which is a charming café/​resto, where you can sit and chill with your latté. In other areas of the park, you have a bocce court, which is always lively, as well as tennis, a dog park area, and more. Definitely a place to spend repeat days exploring and enjoying.
In the winter, you can skate to music with a hot chocolate vendor nearby. It’s very pretty all year round and I’m glad I live nearby and get to take advantage of such a vibrant, nature-​filled public space.

This is one of Montréal’s larger parks with a a body of water in the center and plenty of places to picnic or just spread a blanket out to catch some of the suns summer rays. In the fall the foliage is the attraction and even in the dead of winter this place is magical when covered with snow. The park is right around the corner from La Banguise, it is the perfect spot to walk off your poutine and for a breathe fresh air.

I obviously haven’t spent enough time in Parc Lafontaine. I was always a Mt Royal person but I think that will change next summer. Lafontaine Parc reminds me of Central Park. It’s larger, has a multitude of paths, nice water features like Westmount Park but it still relatively calm. They also have a restaurant that I’m dying to try and it’s not as packed with tourists as most other Montréal greenspaces. Not to mention, you have bars like Le Lab right across the street. Certainly looking forward to spending more time here.

We were walking from an apartment where we were staying to Le Lab, and Parc Lafontaine was provided by Google Maps as the fastest walking route. Since we were not familiar with Montréal at all, I was a little hesitant to walk through here in the evening, but soon discovered I had nothing to worry about.
Parc Lafontaine is huge! There were a lot of people out and about in the evening playing volleyball, bocce ball, and kids playing. The paved walkways are wide, allowing for multiple people to walk side by side and let bicyclists or joggers pass without needing to move off of the path.
There are about a million squirrels frolicking and running up the trees, but they mind their own business.
Nice spot for a picnic or just for passing through.

Un des mes coups de coeur de Montréal.
Vous souhaitez flâner, profiter de la faune et de la flore, vous relaxer en toute tranquilité? Le parc Lafontaine est fait pour vous.
Au coeur du Plateau, le parc est assez grand pour accueillir promeneurs, runners ou encore cyclistes. Personnellement j’habite juste à côté et c’est idéal pour faire mon running quotidien. Vous côtoierez écureuils ou encore des gens faisant de sympathiques BBQ.
Pour le décrire, le parc est un poumon vert dans un univers urbain !
Je n’y suis allé que durant la saison d’été. Mais j’imagine qu’en hiver, le cadre doit être encore plus charmant !
Et puis, si vous faîtes une sieste et que vous avez faim, n’hésitez pas à aller déguster une poutine à La Banquise, ce n’est pas très loin (rue Rachel Est) :)

Que de souvenirs! Jeune, je passais souvent du temps ici à faire du canot sur le lac. J’y rencontrais parfois mon grand-​père qui travaillais parfois à l’école du plateau. Juste à côté, le pavillon d’éducation de l’UQAM, l’ancienne «école normale» où ma mère à jadis étudier. Plus tard, mon fils prenais des cours de théâtre au pavillon situé au centre. Toutes des choses qui sont encore là, dans ce magnifique parc urbain!
Un havre pour prendre une pose à la limite sud du plateau!

Love this place. I make sure to cut across it every time I need to head up Duluth. It’s a pretty big park that is filled (yet never crammed) with people. Perfect for a picnic, stroll, or bike ride through.
There is a theatre in the park though, so depending on where you are, you may have to put up with bad opera renditions, or just choose a new spot.

Amoureuse de la nature, j’ai du mal à né pas aimer un parc. Cependant, je reste critique si l’endroit n’est pas convenable.
Le Parc Lafontaine est sublime à voir. Il est très agréable d’y aller se promener, d’y aller courir, d’y aller flâner, d’y aller faire une sieste, d’y aller faire un BBQ, etc.
L’été, j’y fais une journée de Sandball (du handball dans le sable). Nous avons constitué une équipe avec des amis. C’est payant, car on a droit à des bières et hotdogs sur place, mais tout le monde peut participer. Voici l’information si cela vous intéresse:

Who doesn’t love a park ?!? Great place to get a sun tan in the summer. Lots going on at the outdoors theatre (music, movies ect…). Bike lane, running lane, small lake, sitting area, everything you need to have a good time.

Petit parc bien sympa que j’ai eu l’occasion de faire de nuit. Il est sympa pour se balader un peu. Il parait que l’été tout le monde est la pour faire un BBQ entres amis et en hiver tout est mis en place pour profiter: patinoire et autres.
Pas forcement un très grand parc mais c’est sympa mais il est interdit de faire du hockey par contre !!

Easy breezy beautiful day to skate outside… for 30 minutes. I couldn’t hang longer than that but it did give me a chance to admire my hubby’s iceskating skills as he’s a former hockey superstar.
Hot chocolate available to warm you up, can rent a locker for 5 bucks and skate rentals are 8 bucks per.

Great park as a destination for running. Squirrels and ducks in the lake. Great for barbecues.

Parc Lafontaine is a wonderful place to take a stroll and smell the roses — or watch the squirrels — in all seasons. In summer it’s lawns are inviting to bask in the sun or share a picnic with family or friends. Free theatre performances on weekend nights draw a crowd. The bike path along the park’s edge is great for roller blading. And in winter you can switch the wheels for blades and enjoy one of the cities largest free ice skating rinks — skate rental and lockers available.

Best free skating in Montréal!
This place is my favourite outdoor skating spot! Nestled in the middle of Parc Lafontaine in the very trendy Plateau Mont-​Royal, it welcomes people of all ages. There are even areas to sit down when you need a well-​deserved break. Open days and nights, it’s a great place to spend an afternoon or an evening with friends. If you don’t own skates, rentals are available. There are also lockers for boots so bring your lock. After you finish skating, why not visit the new café upstairs for a beer, a hot chocolate or a yummy French Onion Soup with aged gouda! Free has never been so fun!

Probablement un des parc les plus beaux de Montréal. Très open comme parc et c’est souvent un lieu pour les familles, couples (de tout accabis). Bön endroit pour fumer des bats ou boire en cachette à l’ombré sous un arbre en piqué-​niquant et en écoutant de la musique sur un mini-​speaker.. Un truc que je né ferais plus maintenant mais disons que c’est un truc assez communs dans ce parc l’été. Le Parc est une bonne marché de santé, un endroit parfait pour promener son chien (ou chat de garde). Très vert et offrant un lieu vert de fraicheur en temps de canicule, le parc est bien situé au centre-​ville de Montréal. Bön endroit pour faire du Rollerblade ou du vélo ou du jogging. La dernière fois que j’y ait été y’avait un robineux qui a été retrouvé mort flottant sur le marais artificiel mais ce genre de truc est extrêmement rare. La proximité d’un petit chalet publique pour se rafraichir, aller au toilette.

Il serait facile de penser qu’un parc, c’est juste un parc mais ça n’est pas le cas pour le Parc Lafontaine. C’est un des plus jolis parcs de la ville, parfait pour faire une promenade, aller patiner, manger un pic-​nique, courir, faire de l’exercice et y laisser jouer vos enfants. En été comme en hiver, le parc bourdonne d’activités. Bien que la ville semble très tranquille les matins de fin de semaine, au Parc Lafontaine, vous y trouverez une bonne foule qui courent ou font leur exercice avant d’aller bruncher. Puis, en après-​midi et en soirée pendant la saison estivale, le Théâtre de la Verdure présente une pièce qui change à chaque année et d’autres spectacles. L’hiver, profitez en pour lacer vos patins et faire des pirouettes sur les Étangs du Parc. Le centre communautaire offre un endroit parfait pour y laisser vos choses que vous pouvez laisser en sécurité si vous emmenez votre propre cadenas.

Pourquoi vous devez absolument passez par Lafontaine lors de votre séjour à Montréal :
— Parce que c’est l’un des plus grands et des plus beaux parcs de la ville
— Parce qu’il y a un lac géant qui fait office de plage l’été et de patinoire l’hiver
— Parce que c’est en partie ici que se déroulent les «Chroniques du Plateau «de Michel Tremblay (auteur québécois célébrissime, à lire absolument pour les nouveaux arrivants au Québec)
— Parce qu’on y rencontre des milliers d’écureuils, même des blancs.
— Parce qu’il est parfait pour les sportifs, les pas sportifs, les familles, les p’tits couples, les copains, les musiciens, les artistes, les photographes, les touristes, etc.
— Parce que le dimanche il se transforme en pays imaginaire que les enfants parcourent une épée en bois à la main
— Parce qu’au nord du parc il y a la Banquise, et qu’une bonne poutine après le patin ça fait du bien (et non pas avant le patin. SURTOUT PAS AVANT!)
— Parce que son petit théâtre ouvert propose des spectacles gratuits et sympa dès le printemps

Small urban park in the middle of the city. Great walking paths, lush grass, and as fall as officially started, gorgeous leaves turning colors. We sat by the lake across from the amphitheater for some time enjoying the sunshine, observing the animals (lots of birds and squirrels), and people-​watching.
The animals are super fun. These squirrels are not as fat as the ones on my college campus back home in the US, but just as entertaining. We saw one climb into the trash can and pull out a brown paper bag another visitor had just tossed in. As it nom-​ed on crumbs, several birds gathered round to try to take. Another squirrel stepped in and charged into some of the other birds. It took the bag when the first squirrel was done and finished the remains. Meanwhile, one bird chased another bird with a large piece of bagel in its mouth. On our way out of the park, we saw an albino squirrel.
Fun times. Everyone should bring a picnic and enjoy nature without having to hurt themselves (see my reviews of Mont Royal or Rhode Island Cliff Walk). Free plays in the summer and the lake is turned into an ice skating rink in the winter.

As a squirrel enthusiast this park blew my mind. Squirrels of all shapes, sizes and colors approached me and one even climbed onto my leg while I was feeding him. I was in heaven. I make it a point to spend as much time here when visiting Montréal as possible. The pond, fountain, ducks and lush foliage also adds to the beauty of this place but let’s be honest I go there for the squirrels. I’m also super excited about the fact that you can bring beers and just hang out here. Rad.

I am ashamed. This park was only a couple of blocks from my hotel and yet when I looked on the map I thought to myself that it was just a little park that wasn’t worth a trip. I’m so sorry because it totally was worth it.
This is no little park. I don’t know what the mapmaker was thinking but this is one heck of a park! There is a lovely pond in the middle with scores of benches and a little footbridge over the middle where you can watch dogs splash about and water running over some mini-​falls.
I walked the entire perimeter of the park, and on a Sunday morning, it was packed with people enjoying a sunny, summer day. Its great for families and I saw more than one group with a blanket enjoying a Sunday brunch picnic! What a great idea!

During the winter, the pond become a skate rink. It’s free, big, nice, beautiful… Bring your skates and have fun!
Good place for families, friends…
If you don’t have skates like me :) It’s nice to walk around and watching people.

This is one of the biggest parc’s in Montréal.
I love it here. Located on the top of the Plateau, this large European styled park has much to offer for young and elders alike.
From ball fields to duck ponds, soccer to skating, open space to tall maples and shady oaks, this park stretches out over many blocks.
The city maintains the parc and keeps in clean and tidy. Love the flower gardens, fountains, statues, and virtually tame squirrels.
Open from sunrise to 11:00pm sharp and curfew is enforced so be wary.

This is how a small urban park should be! Easy to get to from the bike path (s), super lush, some manicured gardens, and full of folks enjoying the outdoors. Even on a hot day (mid-​90s!), people – old and young – were sitting around, playing music, reading, biking, skating, napping, picnicking.
As an aside, I particularly liked the shallowness of the ponds because I’m terrified of murky pond water and also of drowning. If you are too, then you’ll love. .. the shallow and very clear ponds at Parc Lafontaine.