In Brief:
Green Gables, part of Parks Canada, is the most famous farmhouse in Cavendish. The farmhouse, now part of Prince Edward Island National Park, served as the model for Lucy Maud Montgomery's Green Gables, the home of fictional heroine Anne Shirley. (Montgomery's classic series of books about Anne begins with Anne of Green Gables and continues through eight more volumes. Anne is also a minor character in two more books by Montgomery.) Today, this restored farmhouse has reached near-pilgrimage status, with hordes of vacationers visiting each year in search of Anne's history.
Getting There:
Green Gables is located on Route 6, just past its intersection with Route 13, in Cavendish. You can drive to the park or sign up for one of many bus tours leaving from Charlottetown and elsewhere. Check with tourist information centers on the Island for tour details.
If you're driving from Charlottetown, the trip to Green Gables will take about an hour. The roads on Prince Edward Island are in reasonably good shape, although you will be driving on two-lane roads for most of your trip. Be aware that road construction is common during the summer months and can cause delays for drivers.
Ticket Prices:
Adults CAD 7.80; seniors CAD 6.55
Children CAD 3.90
Prices lower in off-season months; combination tickets for the L. M. Montgomery Birthplace are available.
Group and family rates are also available.
Park Hours:
The park is open from 9:00 a. m. to 5:00 p. m. daily from May 1 through October 31. From July 1 through September 6, Green Gables stays open until 7:00 p. m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Green Gables is open Sunday through Thursday, 12:00 p. m. to 4:00 p. m., November 1 through December 3 and March 28 through April 30. During the rest of the year, Green Gables is open by appointment only. These dates vary from year to year, so it is best to check with Parks Canada before you plan your trip.
Green Gables is closed on Easter weekend each year.
Address and Telephone Number:
Mailing Address: 2, Palmers Lane
Charlottetown, PE
C1A 5V6, Canada
Physical Address: Route 6
Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada
(902) 963-7874
Things to Know About Green Gables House:
- Green Gables House is one of two locations that make up Lucy Maud Montgomery's Cavendish National Historic Site. The other location is L. M. Montgomery's Cavendish home.
- Green Gables House has been restored to how it might have looked in the late 18th century, the time period depicted in Anne of Green Gables was published. Although Anne and her guardians, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, are fictional characters, rooms in the house have been named as though the adoptive family really lived in Green Gables House.
- After you explore Green Gables House and the barn, you can walk along the Haunted Wood Trail or the Balsam Trail (featuring Lover's Lane, made famous in Anne of Green Gables). The scenery is very pretty and the trails feature signs that help you identify plants and animals.
- There is a small café on-site as well as a gift shop selling the ubiquitous Anne dolls and other Green Gables souvenirs.
- Guided activities are offered during the summer months.
- Expect crowds. All of the sites on Prince Edward Island related to Lucy Maud Montgomery and her books are extremely popular with tourists.
About Green Gables
Green Gables has taken on the air of a pilgrimage destination for fans of Anne Shirley. If you've never read the books, you will be amazed at the number of people who not only have read them, but feel compelled to visit every site related to Anne and her creator on Prince Edward Island. The legions of Anne fans who visit each year make Green Gables a very busy place.
Despite the crowds, Green Gables retains an air of historic charm. Vines creep up the side of the farmhouse, and the interior is furnished with period pieces set against backdrops of colorful wallpaper and white-painted walls. Don't miss the garden, filled with flowers that would have delighted Anne. If time permits, stroll down Lover's Lane, which you'll find at the beginning of the Balsam Hollow Trail, and imagine a red-haired, pert young lady skipping along ahead of you, surrounded by shrubs, trees, birds and tiny creatures.
