July 4, 2011 – After a rejuvenating facelift in 2010, the Biodôme is now, more than ever, outfitted to welcome visitors of all ages. Gone are the days of wooden information panels – the Biodôme 2.0 has embraced new technological equipment so as to offer an even more enriching, entertaining, and captivating museum experience.
The changes are apparent as soon as you walk in the door, with a soundtrack adding to the new, coloured directional panels located in the introductory zone of each of the five re-created ecosystems, all designed to plunge visitors into the atmosphere of the environment that they are about to discover.
More than forty new interactive terminals are located along the remodeled pathways to provide visitors with a wealth of information about biodiversity, including plant and animal species identification, conservation, climate, habitats and much more. Even young visitors aged 4 to 7 years are treated to new, kid-oriented game stations along the way.
Among the other modifications made is the replacement of former illustrations with digital photographs. Also, a new camera and big screen installed over the beaver lodge affords visitors with the opportunity to watch Nature’s little architects in action!
Even more realistic living conditions for the animals
Over 4,000 animals and 1,500 species of vegetation call this former Olympic velodrome home, where a standardized enrichment program has now been implemented in order to ensure an optimal quality of life for these animals in captivity. In particular, the program contributes to recreating the most realistic living conditions possible, which encourages animals to behave naturally, and consequently, to be more active, much to the benefit of their physical and psychological condition… and to the delight of visitors.
Tropical Rainforest, Laurentian Maple Forest, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Labrador Coast, Sub-Antarctic Islands… the new Biodôme offers an experience so realistic that, right up until they leave, visitors forget that they are actually in the heart of Montréal!
