One of the wonderful places we visited last summer, with our oldest granddaughter, was the Butterfly Pavilion, which is conveniently located just 15 minutes from downtown Denver off Hwy 36 at 6252 W. 104th Avenue in Westminster, Colorado.
The Butterfly Pavilion, founded in 1995, is the first stand-alone, Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited non-profit invertebrate zoo in the world! Their immersive exhibits provide guests the opportunity to discover the wonders of nature's hidden heroes through hands-on, interactive experiences that are catered to all ages. (All photos and collages will enlarge if clicked on)
As you can see in my video above, as soon as one walks into the extensively skylighted conservatory area called "Wings of the Tropics" you are surrounded by over 1,200 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 was quite exciting to have butterflies flying all around you as you walk on the paths inside the pavilion. They sometimes even land on your clothes and hands.
It can also be a photographer's dream to be able to take photos of all the different colorful butterflies as they rest on leaves and flowers...
...and I could spend hours there!
There was a butterfly release, and a few different educational demonstrations presented to the children during our visit which added to the overall experience.
Some of the many different tropical flowers, ferns, and fauna within the rainforest area.
The Butterfly Pavilion purchases butterfly chrysalides (butterfly pupae) from butterfly farms in tropical rainforests around the world. This allows people that live in or near rainforests the opportunity to make a living to support their families without having to cut down the rainforest trees. Visitors can watch the butterflies emerge from their chrysalides, and twice a day can watch the staff release them into the rainforest.
In another section of the pavilion, there is an area called "Water's Edge." It has exhibits about animals in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean tide pools. Visitors can see and touch sea stars, sea cucumbers, and horseshoe crabs. Also, there is an exhibit area called "Crawl-A-See-Em" which allows visitors to observe tarantulas, leaf insects, scorpions, beetles, giant millipedes...
...and even hold Rosie, a Chilean rose hair tarantula!
That was really the highlight of our visit for my granddaughter--she is a brave little girl!
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