The best place to start an “Anne tour” is at Green Gables itself…even if Green Gables didn’t ever actually exist. But as a stand-in for the fictional place that Montgomery created, it’s not a bad way to get a feel for the period and the home she might have lived in if, well, she was not a fictional creation. The farmhouse here dates from the mid-19th century and did belong to cousins of L.M. Montgomery’s grandfather; it is considered the chief inspiration for the Cuthbert farm in the books and has since been furnished according to descriptions in the books. The home is operated by Parks Canada as part of the larger Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Cavendish National Historic Site; as such, the parks department operates a helpful visitor center on the site where you can watch a short film about Montgomery, view a handful of exhibits, and explore the farm and trails. If you’re a die-hard Anne fan, you’ll no doubt delight in visiting settings where the literary characters ventured: Haunted Woods, Lover’s Lane, and the like. But you'll need an active imagination to edit out the golf carts puttering through the scenery at an adjacent golf course and the busloads of tourists crowding through the house and moving, herdlike, down the outdoor pathways. Come very early or very late in the day to avoid the biggest crowds.
Admission mid-June to late Aug, C$9 adults, C$7.50 seniors, children under 17 free; rates discounted 25%