Address: Lafontaine Park is bordered by Sherbrooke St., Lafontaine Park Blvd., Papineau Ave. and Rachel St.
Parking: There is meter parking along Rachel St.
La Maison des cyclistes
Address: 1251 Rachel St.
Hours: Opens at 8 a.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. on weekends.
Telephone: 514 521-8356, ext. 344
Lafontaine Park is a Montreal landmark, with beautiful walking paths, fairytale ponds and an outdoor summer theatre. If your last visit to this Plateau Mont-Royal park was before you had munchkins and moved to suburbia, you probably never discovered that it’s a great park for kids. Located right on the bike path (which runs along Rachel St.), Lafontaine Park is definitely worth a summer visit.
The park spans several city blocks, so your best bet is to enter on Rachel St. at Calixa Lavallée St. (view map). This street cuts between the two large playgrounds. One is for older kids (age three or four and up), and has an unusual cement-block fort to explore. The other one is for about age one and up, with a long stretch of swings and several climbing structures. The other bonus in the summer is that there are two long, rectangular wading pools right next to the playground (with bathrooms and changing areas).
The whole playground area is shaded by giant, mature trees, and surrounded by paths. If you have a baby and a toddler/older sibling, one parent can stroll the baby around while the other does playground duty.
Is anyone hungry for a snack or lunch? About a block from the playground area on Rachel St. is La Maison des cyclistes, a café/sandwich place (with yummy chocolate croissants).
Good to know: There’s a changing table in the bathroom.
