1. The Butterfly Pavilion & Insect Center
City: Westminster, CO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (303) 469-5441
Address: 6252 West 104th Avenue
Description: No matter how many times children visit, they never tire of the Butterfly Pavilion. After touring the display of living insects, visitors enter a greenhouse that’s the home of exotic tropical butterflies. The large and colorful butterflies often land on children, producing squeals of delight and a charming sense of awe. In one corner you can watch the last two stages of metamorphosis as butterflies emerge from their chrysalises. A gift shop and cafeteria are adjacent to the Pavilion. Admission is $7.95 for adults, $5.95 for seniors, and $4.95 for children ages 3–12. Up to two children ages two and younger are admitted free with a paying adult. The Pavilion is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The facility is closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
2. The Butterfly Pavilion & Insect Center
City: Westminster, CO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (303) 469-5441
Address: 6252 West 104th Avenue
Description: This amazing place is about 20 minutes south of Boulder on the Church Ranch Boulevard exit off US 36 to Denver. Half of the center is a fascinating display of living insects, the other part is a greenhouse for exotic tropical butterflies. At the insect center, visitors can handle a live tarantula, see scorpions that glow in the dark, and learn about exotic cockroaches of the world. In the Butterfly Pavilion, 70 percent humidity and lush tropical foliage simulate the Costa Rican rain forest and butterflies flit around freely, hitchhiking on visitors.There’s also a nifty gift shop full of butterfly-themed items, plus a cafeteria. The center was created by the Rocky Mountain Butterfly Consortium and is a nonprofit organization. Its purchase of the insects from various tropical countries helps create a viable industry for sustaining tropical forests. The Butterfly Pavilion purchases butterfly chrysalises and hatches its own butterflies. Those who visit in the morning can see these beauties emerging from their chrysalids and cocoons. Outside, the facility has gardens of native wildflowers and prairie grass planted to attract local butterflies, so it’s a great place for gardening ideas, too. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; admission is $7.95 for adults, $5.95 for seniors, and $4.95 for kids ages 3 through 12. Kids younger than age three are admitted for free.