Learning about butterflies – from caterpillar to chrysalis to colorful fluttering critter – is fascinating in itself. But how much more fun would it be if you were surrounded by hundreds of live butterflies while picking up knowledge on the winged creatures?
The Michigan Science Center is letting families experience precisely that at its live new exhibit, Wish Upon a Butterfly, running Jan. 11-June 15, 2014. Families can get up close and personal at this temporary event, set in a specially constructed indoor greenhouse full of plants and live butterflies.
Of course, the big attraction is that this is a live exhibit, so prepare to see many different kinds of real butterflies! Most are native to the United States, says Julie Johnson, director of education at the museum. Kids can use a special nectar solution to feed butterflies, and they’ll be able to see actual caterpillars and chrysalides, too.
Don’t forget to bring a camera: There are photo opportunities around the exhibit – and if you’re really quiet, Johnson says, a butterfly might just land on you while you’re inside.
While there’s a lot to observe, there’s also a great deal to learn. Budde says there are educators around to teach visitors about the butterfly life cycle, plus hands-on stations for kids, where they can dissect a flower and cultivate artificial plants.
Times for the exhibit are as follows:
- Wednesday-Friday: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Saturday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Sunday: noon-6 p.m.
You can add to the experience by heading to Mi-Sci’s Chrysler IMAX Dome Theatre to see Flight of the Butterflies. Also opening on Jan. 11 and running through 2014, this flick follows monarch butterflies and their migration to Mexico.
Admission to just the exhibit is $3/person plus general admission, which is $9.95/kids ages 2-12 and $12.95/adults. Admission to both the exhibit and IMAX movie is $5/person plus general admission.
To learn more about the Wish Upon a Butterfly temporary exhibit at the Michigan Science Center in Detroit, visit the Metro Parent calendar listing.
