One of the special places we like to visit with our grandchildren is the Butterfly Pavilion located at 6252 W. 104th Avenue Westminster, Colorado.
Information from their website states:
"Butterfly Pavilion is the first stand-alone, Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited non-profit invertebrate zoo in the world and a leader in invertebrate knowledge, inspiration, and connection. Whether it is providing unique, hands-on learning experiences in our exhibits and educational programs, conducting new research that sets the standard for zoos across the country, or building innovative solutions for species and habitat conservation in countries around the world, Butterfly Pavilion is leading the way in ensuring invertebrates are protected for the future."
Located in a large greenhouse-type conservatory called the "Wings of the Tropics," visitors are surrounded by over 1,600 butterflies that hail from around the world. They are all flying free within the brightly lit climate-controlled environment which is kept at 80 degrees, making it the ideal climate for butterflies and the over 200 lush tropical plants and flowers that grow inside.
It is a photographer's dream to try to capture the beautiful colorful butterflies as they alight on the leaves and flowers!
My husband was wearing a yellow shirt and we discovered that the butterflies were very attracted to his shirt as they kept landing on him.
We also noticed that the butterflies appeared to enjoy sipping from the water-soaked sponges hanging from the trees. It gave us the idea to try this at our home as moisture can be hard to find for butterflies in our drought conditions.
The many tropical flowers growing in the pavilion were also wonderful to see!
A fun part of a visit is being able to hold Rosie the Tarantula. As you can see from the collage above three of our grandchildren were brave enough to do so! Would you be as brave as they were?
The Butterfly Pavillion has exhibits about other invertebrates--as it is an invertebrate zoo. About 97 percent of all the animals in the entire world are invertebrates, animals without backbones. Some exciting news we learned is that a new 60,000 sq foot center(5,574 sq meters), which will be called the Butterfly Pavilion at the Center for Invertebrate Research and Conservation (CIRC), is being constructed in Broomfield, Colorado. It will become the Global Hub for Invertebrate Research, Conservation, and Education.
The video above will explain more about the present Butterfly Pavillion and the future new Center for Invertebrate Research and Conservation.
We all had lots of fun at the Butterfly Pavillion and can't wait to visit again!
Even our ride home was beautiful as we could see some puffy clouds and snow-capped mountains in the distance as we passed by Standley Lake.The weather has turned warm here in Colorado--summer is on its way!
Hello, What a great day with your grandchildren. The Butterfly Pavilion looks like a fun place to visit. Your last scene and photo is gorgeous. Have a great day and happy new week!
I’m all aflutter with your your lovely post. ;-() Butterflies or Flutterbies as I like to call them are truly beautiful. What a wonderful place to take your grandchildren!
That really is incredible! I know there's a butterfly place in Gainesville, FL and we should go some time. I know I would enjoy it. You sure got good photos and I know the little ones had fun!
Pat - you are surrounded by so many cool institutions to visit, and your grandkids give you an excuse (as if you need one) to go! The last time we visited anything even close was the Butterfly Farm in Stratford-Upon-Avon in the UK. I love the idea of the sponges - could work well in our dry Montana environment! I recognized the Shrimp Plant in your flower collage - I had one in my dorm throughout undergrad! And no, I would not have held Spidey!!! Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday!
I have to do something like this sometime. It looks just fabulous and every photo is a gem -- really beautiful. I've only been to one butterfly house, years ago, and I'll never forget it. Thank you for the reminder and for the beauty to begin my day!
What an amazing institution. Beautiful butterflies and blossoms, but this only scratches the surface of the variety of invertebrates they display and encourage their protection.
The Butterfly Pavilion looks like an awesome place. Would love to see that many different Butterflies. I've been to a local butterfly area when they land on you, but it's all Monarch's. Butterflies big thumbs up, spiders of anykind...big thumbs down. I HATE spider. Sandy's Space Adding you to my blog list.
Hello, I love the butterflies, what a great place to take your grandchildren. It is fun, I am not sure about holding a tarantula. I could spend hours there too, a fun experience. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. I appreciate your comment and visit. Take care, have a great day and happy new week.
This was one of our grandchildren's favorite places to visit when they were young. I definitely took my "big" camera when we had that outing. I did read that they're going to build a new habitat. I remember the old building sometimes got pretty crowded, so I'd imagine nowadays, they have to limit tickets so everyone can fit.
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I'm Pat, a lifelong New Yorker who has recently moved to a suburb of Denver in the beautiful state of Colorado, so that I can live close to my children and grandchildren. I look forward to learning many new things about my new "mile high" city and I will share them on my blog.
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33 comments:
Butterflies are so beautiful.
What a beautiful collages of the butterflies and the flowers are also beautiful.
Looks like everyone had a good time including the butterfly hitching a ride on Vinny's shirt. Fabulous photos of the butterflies.
Hello,
What a great day with your grandchildren. The Butterfly Pavilion looks like a fun place to visit. Your last scene and photo is gorgeous. Have a great day and happy new week!
That looks like a fun place to visit. I'm intrigued by the water soaked sponges and if butterflies would actually use them outside.
I’m all aflutter with your your lovely post. ;-() Butterflies or Flutterbies as I like to call them are truly beautiful.
What a wonderful place to take your grandchildren!
A wonderful place to visit. So many amazing varieties of butterflies. God is an amazing creator. Happy new week to you.
That really is incredible! I know there's a butterfly place in Gainesville, FL and we should go some time. I know I would enjoy it. You sure got good photos and I know the little ones had fun!
What an interesting post loved all the photos looked like fun too :-)
Have a flitter flattertastic week 👍
I love live butterfly exhibits. So many beauties at this pavilion. Beautiful photos
Oh, the joys of butterflies! May they multiply!
How marvelous! I once went to a small version of something like this in a greenhouse. It was exciting to have the butterflies land on me.
Pat - you are surrounded by so many cool institutions to visit, and your grandkids give you an excuse (as if you need one) to go! The last time we visited anything even close was the Butterfly Farm in Stratford-Upon-Avon in the UK. I love the idea of the sponges - could work well in our dry Montana environment! I recognized the Shrimp Plant in your flower collage - I had one in my dorm throughout undergrad! And no, I would not have held Spidey!!! Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday!
I could watch those butterflies for hours. I would be interested to hear if the wet sponge attracts any butterflies in your garden.
1,600 butterflies? Wow. I'm sure that's a very pretty place.
What fun it must be to photograph those beauties. :
I love butterfly houses. We don't have one here that I know of but I've been to some on travels...#SharonsSouvenirs
I love seeing all the things y'all do and the places you go!
I have to do something like this sometime. It looks just fabulous and every photo is a gem -- really beautiful. I've only been to one butterfly house, years ago, and I'll never forget it. Thank you for the reminder and for the beauty to begin my day!
...what a fabulous collection!
I would have no issue holding a tarantula
It's lovely to visit places like this.
I did enjoy seeing all of your fabulous photographs and mosaics.
Have a great week.
All the best Jan
What a fun place! I spy a Blue Morpho among the colorful wings. I love to see them in Costa Rica fluttering along. Great post.
OH what fun! We have a few very small butterfly places near us and I just love to try and scout out all the different varieties around.
Looks like an awesome place to visit, and especially for kids. Your butterfly photos are incredible!
What an amazing institution. Beautiful butterflies and blossoms, but this only scratches the surface of the variety of invertebrates they display and encourage their protection.
The Butterfly Pavilion looks like an awesome place. Would love to see that many different Butterflies. I've been to a local butterfly area when they land on you, but it's all Monarch's. Butterflies big thumbs up, spiders of anykind...big thumbs down. I HATE spider.
Sandy's Space Adding you to my blog list.
Pat, these are beautiful! Thank you for sharing. Blessings.
Visiting today from friendship Friday #27&28
Wonderful.
Thanks also for joining in #Allseasons. It's such a joyous post!
These butterfly photographs you presented are absolutely beautiful.
Gorgeous collages and pics!
Hello,
I love the butterflies, what a great place to take your grandchildren.
It is fun, I am not sure about holding a tarantula. I could spend hours there too, a fun experience. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. I appreciate your comment and visit. Take care, have a great day and happy new week.
I love going to butterfly gardens! The one you went too looks wonderful.
This was one of our grandchildren's favorite places to visit when they were young. I definitely took my "big" camera when we had that outing. I did read that they're going to build a new habitat. I remember the old building sometimes got pretty crowded, so I'd imagine nowadays, they have to limit tickets so everyone can fit.
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