Scottsdale is the home of the largest butterfly atrium in the U.S. What a pleasant way to spend an hour or two on the holiday weekend.
The Butterfly Wonderland experience starts off with a 3D film that made me think I could catch butterlies in my hand as they flew past my face. That, of course, was an optical illusion.
Here is their own introduction video:
Some photos from our time at Butterfly Wonderland:
The Blue Morpho butterfly is difficult to photograph with its wings open when it lands because it tends to close up. In the photo below you can see that only the brown/black side shows when the wings are closed.
The chrysalids of the Blue Morpho are pale-green or jade-green and emit a repulsive, ultrasonic sound when touched.
The Butterfly Emergence Gallery where the public can see metamorphosis in action:
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What a cool place! One of my favorite memories of my son’s childhood was opening our butterfly garden and releasing them. I can still see the wonder in his dicey!
? Dicey? Yes, very cool place! How lovely to release the butterflies!!!!!!!
Eyes. Damn you spell check!
Eyes. Dicey. Hmm. Sure, I can see that. hahaha
Beautiful!
The photos just don’t do them justice. They are so lovely.
This is like a breath of Spring or Summer air for us wintering in the cold!
Oh, I’m glad! I only miss the cold winters when I fantasize about the snow blizzards and the woodpiles and fires and indoor marshmallow roasts and hiding schnapps in the snowdrift when crosscountry skiing ;). Otherwise, it’s really nice to just walk outside in my shirt sleeves or sweater and go for a nice walk in the soft air.
I liked the photographic details like the butterfly purse and one on the man’s clothes. You captured some great moments here. I envy the shirt sleeves or sweater, since it will be cold at the end of this week again! But those hiking in the snow memories and marshmallow roasts sound fun and delicious, too!
That’s my son :). Those wintry memories sound beautiful. I always romanticize the winters because I miss Michigan, but I know the reality would be really tough for me today.
How cool! We loved the butterfly exhibit at the botanical garden, and this one looks wonderful too. It may seem counter-intuitive, but Arizona is full of butterfly fanciers, and Arizona is important for Monarch overwintering, as well as for tracking Monarchs just passing through. I love this website: http://www.swmonarchs.org/
Thanks so much for the link–Monarchs are such a flamboyant addition to the landscape. They remind me of Frank Lloyd Wright designs, so I wonder if he got his design FROM the Monarchs. And FLW reminds me of you visiting me!
That’s right! A delightful time.
I love butterflies and this is definitely a cool place, Luanne! For some reason the Butterfly Emergence Gallery made me think of the scariest/creepiest movie I’ve ever seen…The Silence of the Lambs. When I got home from the theater, I looked in my closets and under my bed. That movie freaked me out…still does. 🙂
Jill, that movie terrifies me. I really don’t like to watch movies like that, but I couldn’t really turn the TV off when it was on. I’m sorry to remind you of that horror! The butterflies really are not like that!!!
I don’t enjoy movies like that either…this was many years ago. I think in the movie, they were moths, not butterflies. I know, butterflies are beautiful. We have several butterfly bushes on our property, I love watching them. 🙂
We have a butterfly museum here but it is not as big. I remember all the employees constantly admonishing us to watch our step!
Right! They can land anywhere!
What an amazing place! I hope to get there someday. Thanks for sharing and for including their intro video. Very informative. 🙂
Oh, Deborah, I hope you can visit the wonderland! it’s just marvelous. Even their movie they show at the beginning is so cool as you can’t help but try to catch the butterflies in your hands (thinking they are flying right by your face).
I’d love to see that place, Luanne – thanks for the vicarious visit! That Blue Morpho is stunning!
The Blue Morpho is really something. Even closed up it’s obviously an interesting looking insect, but when the wings are open it’s glorious. Very hard to catch shots of them open though!
Luanne, I love this! One of my favorite places I’ve gone on a date is to a butterfly conservatory. There’s something so magical about being surrounded by flapping wings and air. This post just brought me back to that special day 🙂
What a fun date! Wow! I hope he was as good as he sounds!!! 😉
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