Rain or shine: Indoor tourism in Laval

Family on the Run
Christine, Mathieu, and their three children 

We’re once again sharing the stories of a family from Sherbrooke—two adults and three children—who came to spend a week in the Laval area during their summer vacation. Here is the fascinating account of the “Famille en Cavale” family’s stay!

There’s nothing sadder than planning a weekend of outdoor activities months in advance only to end up with THE stormiest day of July—or the one day in history when a tornado hits the campground where you’ve pitched your tent (true story).

If you’re convinced that bad luck follows you on vacation like a curse, you might want to plan activities that will go ahead no matter what—whether it’s -75°C or a deluge is flooding half of Île Jésus.

We’ve already talked on this blog aboutCosmodome,Clip’n Climb, andthe Armand-Frappier Museum—three indoor activities we loved—but indoor tourism in Laval offers many more possibilities.

Putting Edge

We were particularly surprised to find a real “nightlife” scene at Centropolis! Of course, with so many restaurants and bars, things stay lively well into the night. Putting Edge, an indoor mini-golf course with fluorescent courses, is one of those spots where night owls can hang out, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, when the doors close at 1 a.m. Without taking ourselves too seriously, we went to play the 18-hole course in the evening, much to the delight of the kids, who were trying their hand at the classic activity of mini-putt for the first time. We’re not really sure who won, but Eva certainly wore out the slide—and our ears—by sliding down it over and over while screaming “WOOHOOOO!”

iJump

Just five minutes from Centropolis, right in the heart of an industrial neighborhood, lies iSaute, a colorful indoor trampoline park where you can jump to your heart’s content with family or friends. Monday night was “family night,” so we took the opportunity to go bounce around on their countless trampolines. Since we’re not exactly daredevils at heart, we started by jumping in place for a few minutes before exploring the venue’s various activities: slacklining, basketball, dodgeball, and jumping into foam pits.

Every child found their favorite activity, and despite a few daredevils who gave us a scare, everyone had a great time.

Sometimes, even nice weather can be uncomfortable. On Monday, the day before the storm, when temperatures neared 40°C, we took the opportunity to snuggle up indoors and visit one of Centropolis’s main attractions: iFLY

Even though our children are too young for these kinds of activities, just watching them is an experience in itself, and it costs the public nothing to spend the afternoon sitting comfortably in the cool shade, watching people enjoy these breathtaking attractions.

iFLY

If there’s one activity we would have loved to try, it’s flying through the air in the powerful wind tunnel at iFLY. Even though the technique seems hard to master at first, everyone manages to hover steadily, and the smiles on their faces say it all about how it must feel to be weightless. We happened to be there during a completely wild demonstration by the instructors, who were performing stunts worthy of an air show! We were completely speechless.

Children's Museum

Perfect for sparking a sense of wonder in children’s eyes, this museum let them pretend to be “the real deal.” In just a few hours, they became firefighters, crane operators, singers, astronauts, veterinarians, and airplane pilots! They had the chance to try out several activities that filled them with wonder while having fun.

In short, whether your vacation is shaping up to be rainy and gloomy or too hot and sweltering, indoor activities in Laval offer plenty to keep you busy and full of new discoveries for a whole week!

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