An Update on the Butterflies LIVE! Exhibit
After more than a decade of captivating and educating visitors, our Butterflies LIVE! exhibit is taking an extended pause to make room for something very exciting. We will not have the exhibit in 2024 and 2025 while we expand the Conservatory to include a permanent butterfly house as part of the THRIVE: A Campaign for Communities expansion project.
The new state-of-the-art butterfly exhibit is designed with both the butterflies and the guest experience in mind. Butterflies LIVE! Coordinator Clara Aus tells us, “Each portion of the exhibit space will be carefully curated to comply with USDA policies so we can continue to house tropical butterflies from around the world, and do so responsibly and ethically. Uniquely, in the new space guests will get a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes when they look through the observation window.”
On a typical day, guests might see staff caring for the pupae, caterpillars feeding on fresh foliage, or even new butterflies emerging from their chrysalis in real time! Inside the exhibit space, guests will be able to explore an immersive world of spectacular butterflies fluttering amongst a variety of interesting nectar plants. Clara adds, “Themed art, special displays, and a water feature decorate the exhibit and contribute to the full experience. My personal favorite feature is the second level, accessible by stairs or elevator, where guests can look out on the butterflies from above and get a unique perspective of the exhibit space.”
In the meantime, a lot of our visitors are curious to know where the butterflies and moths from our 2023 exhibit went. With the help of our team, they traveled south! After closing day in October, our butterfly educators came to the Garden at 6:30 am to carefully collect all of the winged participants and sent them to our friends at Tucson Botanical Gardens! Check out the entire process in a video from 2022 here.
HOW TO SEE BUTTERFLIES IN THE GARDEN DURING THE EXPANSION
A beautiful black swallowtail butterfly!
We’ve planted nectar and host plants for butterflies all over the Garden! Look and see how many types you can find. Some of our most common sightings are the Black Swallowtail, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Monarch, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, and Sulphur. Butterflies are some of our most beloved visitors at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. These charismatic insects promote pollination and support plant life in our gardens and all over the planet.
PLUS: Join us for fun activities in the Children’s Garden where families can participate in a variety of drop-in programming throughout the summer, some insect-tailored, typically on Saturdays and Sundays from morning to early afternoon.
Coming soon to the Klaus Family Treehouse: Butterflies LIVE! Coordinator Clara Aus is creating an educational display case with native butterflies and moths so guests can look for them in the garden!
If you love native butterflies, be sure to check out Butterflies LIVE! Coordinator Clara Aus’s Top Tips for a Virginia Butterfly Garden and 8 Tips to Help Native Butterflies Thrive. Looking for activities for your kids this summer? Visit our Kids Activities page and Kids Learning page! Here, you’ll find activities for both at home and at the Garden.
Want free admission year-round and endless butterfly sightings? See our Top Reasons to Become a Member including unlimited visits to the Garden. Click here!