Winging it

Butterfly exhibitions are becoming a popular attraction at the nation's zoos and museums.

By John Seewer, Associated Press
Published May 20, 2007

WHITEHOUSE, Ohio

First, she flinched. Then Caitlin Myers covered her face with her hands and squealed.

The 2-year-old didn't know which way to turn. Butterflies with blue, orange, yellow and white wings fluttered and swooped around her.

"She loves them, " said her mom, Chris Myers. "They're fine as long as they don't come too close."

It's nearly impossible to avoid erratic movements of the monarchs, longwings and swallowtails skipping about the Butterfly House, an indoor garden filled with tropical plants and hundreds of butterflies.

"These guys travel around like drunken sailors on a 10-day binge, " said Gilbert Martinez, who visits the exhibit in suburban Toledo at least twice a month. "That's part of their beauty."

Whether it's the butterflies' spectacular colors or their close interaction with visitors, these walk-through exhibits have become big crowd-pleasers. There are at least 100 nationwide, with many at zoos and museums where visitors are sometimes charged an extra fee, usually $2 to $3, to walk among the winged insects, according to the International Association of Butterfly Exhibitions.

"People love going to the zoo, but you can't get in the cage with the lions, " said Mike Weissmann, a consultant who helps set up butterfly exhibits across the country.

Some stand-alone exhibits are open year-round:

- Florida is home to nearly a dozen exhibits, including the Bio Works Butterfly Garden at the Museum of Science & Industry in Tampa, the Butterfly Rainforest at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville and the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservancy.

- The Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory in Canada is just 10 minutes from Niagara Falls and features more than 2, 000 tropical butterflies.

- The Butterfly Palace in Branson, Mo., offers an alternative to country music and shopping.

More outdoor butterfly gardens are open in warm weather months. New York's Bronx Zoo, and zoos in Oklahoma City, Oakland, Calif., and St. Paul, Minn., are among a growing number with butterfly gardens.

The Smithsonian's outdoor garden is just outside the National Museum of Natural History in Washington. The museum also is building an enclosed butterfly exhibit that will open in November. The American Museum of Natural History in New York City has an annual indoor exhibit that opens each October and this year closes May 28.

Indoor butterfly houses got their start in Europe during the 1970s. The first one came to the United States in 1988 when Butterfly World opened in Coconut Creek, north of Miami.

As many as 10, 000 butterflies are on display. "We have an entire farm that breeds exotic species of butterflies, " said Butterfly World founder Ron Boender.

Most butterflies at other exhibits come from farms in Costa Rica, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Weissmann, who is consulting on about a dozen new exhibits this year, said zoos are looking beyond the traditional crowd-pleasers, such as elephants and polar bears, to educate visitors about habitat and species conservation.

"A huge portion of animals are underrepresented in zoos, " he said. "Butterflies are great ambassadors to teach about the rain forest.

If You Go

Butterfly World: Coconut Creek; www.butterflyworld.com or (954) 977-4400. Open year-round 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Two outdoor cafes. Picnic area available. Adults $19.95, ages 3-11 $14.95. Admission also includes lorikeet and hummingbird exhibits.

The Butterfly House: Whitehouse, Ohio; www.butterfly-house.com or (419) 877-2733. Open daily April through September, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Picnic tables available. Adults $6, ages 4-12 $4.50, ages 65+ $5.

The Butterfly Palace: Branson, Mo.; www.thebutterfly palace.com or (417) 332-2231. Garden with tropical plants and 1, 000 tropical butterflies. Open year-round 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Adults $16.95, ages 4-12 $9.95.

Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory: Niagara Falls, Ontario; www.niagaraparks.com/garden/butterfly.php or (905) 356-8554. Just north of Niagara Falls, the center has more than 2, 000 tropical butterflies in a rain forest. Open daily at 9 a.m., closing hours vary by season. Adults $11, ages 6-12 $6.50.

Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center: Pine Mountain, Ga.; www.callawaygardens.com or (706) 663-2281. The glass-enclosed conservatory near Atlanta features tropical butterflies. An outdoor garden attracts butterflies in the spring and summer. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Adults $13.91, ages 6-12 $6.96.

American Museum Of Natural History Butterfly Conservatory: www.amnh.org/exhibitions/butterflies or (212) 769-5100. October through May 28, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Ticket includes museum admission. Adults $25, children $16.

[Last modified May 18, 2007, 14:56:21]