Saturday, February 8, 2025

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Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, CO – A Beautiful Display

The Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster is a great way to burn an hour or two while helping preserve some of Nature’s most beautiful insects. But there are more than just butterflies to see at the pavilion. It also has a few exotic critters that you can see and touch.

It’s probably one of the better locations for those who have young children. Just remember to keep them from grabbing a butterfly as they will land virtually everywhere regardless of who is standing by.

And yes, you can get banned for killing or eating a butterfly at the pavilion. I’m not sure why anyone would do so, but it has happened.

In fact, I watched a child, barely able to walk, immediately reach out to grab one of the larger butterflies. Luckily, his caretaker grabbed the child just as his little hand started grabbing the wings.

Seriously, who puts a child still in diapers within grabbing distance of anything and not expect them to put the item in their mouth?

What You’ll See at the Butterfly Pavilion

Butterfly Pavilion Atrium

The Butterfly Pavilion isn’t the largest facility, but it does have several highlights that make the trip worthwhile. That is if you’re into nature and want to take the kids to see some amazing critters.

Although we went during the winter months (in January, actually), the indoor atrium was exceptionally beautiful. I just wish it was a bit larger and perhaps a bit more immersive with the species they have flying around.

The pricing isn’t too bad, all things considered. Adults can get in for $17.45, children from 2 to 12 are $12.45 per ticket, children under 2 get in for free, and seniors (65+) only have to pay $15.45.

But if you’re a member, you can get all kinds of perks. And they have a lot of different levels to choose from depending on your wants and needs.

Meeting Rosie the Tarantula

One of the things you’ll get to do from the start is hold Rosie the Tarantula. However, it doesn’t seem like Rosie is very social as she doesn’t spend much time on someone’s hand. But I don’t blame her; I wouldn’t want to be held by strangers either.

Rosie the Tarantula

Still, not everyone gets to have a tarantula walk across their palm. Plus, you get a sticker and can share an image or two using the hashtag #IHeldRosie.

I’m not a huge fan of spiders, so I sat that one out. But everyone else seemed to enjoy the experience.

Bugs and Beetles

In the same room where we met Rosie, there were several beetle and bug exhibits, such as the Hercules Beetle, which is a monster. There were also a couple of exhibits of other spiders, the two-spotted assassin beetle and one that resembled a leaf.

Leaf Bug
Disguised well as a leaf

There were also a couple of exhibits for ants, of which there were many. And all I can think of is the episode “Sandkings” of The Outer Limits with Beau Bridges.

There were perhaps 10 to 15 small exhibits in total, which isn’t a lot in the grand scheme of things. But also keep in mind the size of the facility and how funding only allows for so much.

Not everyone is into invertebrates like they are for exotic animals and sharks.

Invertebrate Aquatic Life

The Butterfly Pavilion has a few aquatic life exhibits, such as the upside-down jelly, sea cucumbers, and more. It’s not the same as in an aquarium, but they have quite a few that are interesting with a description of each creature.

Upside down Jelly

I suppose they added the invertebrate sea life as that’s part of the theme of the pavilion – invertebrates. So, it was interesting to see the different underwater creatures that weren’t fish, as you’d view at the Denver Aquarium.

Petting Starfish & Horseshoe Crabs

There were two small tanks; one with starfish and one with horseshoe crabs. You could pet them if you’d like, but they’re not as outgoing as the rays are at the zoo.

For one thing, the starfish hid under their rocks instead of coming out to play. Most of the crabs sat on top of the sand making it much easier to pet them.

Horseshoe crabs are interesting as they have remained virtually unchanged over millions of years, unlike most other life that has evolved for one reason or another. These guys are living fossils as their lineage transcends a large chunk of the history of the world.

The Butterfly Atrium

The highlight of the Butterfly Pavilion is the atrium itself. It has hundreds of butterflies of varying species flying around your head. Some of these may even land on you, as one particularly friendly Monarch did with Sam.

Sam and a Monarch

They ask you not to touch the butterflies and to be careful where you walk as some of them often land on the path.

The atrium is designed to mimic a tropical climate, so it’s a nice 80 degrees Fahrenheit at roughly 70% humidity. This is actually an ideal climate for me, mostly because it does wonders for my psoriasis.

The climate is great for keeping these little guys healthy despite the subzero temperatures in Colorado during the winter months.

Butterfly Pavilion Stream
Chillin’ above the stream

Although the atrium itself is a bit small, it has the feel that you’re in the tropics. They even have a small stream running through the grounds complete with rocks and various plants.

Periodically, you’ll find hanging fruits, feeders, and a few flowers the butterflies can enjoy.

Enjoying Some Lunch
Enjoying some lunch

Some butterflies will have numbered stickers you can use in combination with a QR code to identify the species. It’s kind of a fun element to add, however, we couldn’t find the white butterfly in the picture above in their database.

An Owl Butterfly

The Owl Butterflies are stunning when they open their wings to fly.

The bottom line is that the atrium itself is worth the price of admission. Well, that is as long as you appreciate nature and such. It’s magnificently landscaped with some amazing plants in addition to the little critters hovering overhead.

I can easily see sitting on the bench and reading a good book while relaxing in the atrium.

Atrium Pond and Stream

VR Headsets

There are several VR headsets you can use for a more immersive experience. I didn’t bother with them as I am more of a physical-world type of person. However, they are available if you want to take the experience a bit further in the virtual realm.

Besides, from what I’ve seen, it looks like there are several different ways to enjoy the Butterfly Pavilion in VR. I just didn’t feel the need to try it out.

Playroom for the Younger Kids

There is also a playroom for younger kids next to the atrium, but alas, I didn’t feel the need to explore. It was already full of kids running around and having fun and I am much too old to go climbing on plastic insects.

Still, it looks like the kids were having a great time. Perhaps next visit, I’ll take a brief look just to see what’s all available for those who want to take their children along.

A Fun Gift Shop

The gift shop is full of goodies ranging from plushies to the Colorado flag in the shape of a butterfly on a shot glass. They also had a lot of butterfly displays you can hang on a wall, including one full of monarchs flying in sort of wavy formation.

The Butterfly Pavilion’s giftshop has puzzles, games, and keepsakes galore.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have a plushy of the Tiger Swallowtail, butterflies I feed during the summer on the milkweed plants I grow here in Colorado. I usually have about three or four in the backyard every morning. I didn’t see any swallowtails in the atrium or in the gift shop.

Eh…I experience them every year, so it’s not a big loss.

A Small Restaurant

The Butterfly Pavilion also has a small restaurant attached, but we didn’t visit. The food smelled pretty good, but we were getting ready to head home and some of us are trying to be good on a diet.

Still, if you’re planning a day trip to the pavilion, at least you’ll have access to food. There is a covered patio you can use complete with tables and chairs outside.

Where is the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster?

The Butterfly Pavilion is located on the corner of Westminster Blvd and West 104th Ave. It’s also relatively close to several restaurants, Caribou Coffee, the AMC movie theater, and down the street from Fat Cat’s and Dave & Busters.

So, you can make an entire day of having fun in the area complete with hanging out with butterflies before watching a good movie.

The address of the Butterfly Pavilion is: 6252 W. 104th Avenue Westminster, CO 80020.

You can easily get to it by taking Highway 36 to Boulder from Denver and taking the Westminster Blvd exit.

So Many Beautiful Colors and Critters

Praying Mantis
Taken during the winter months

While the Butterfly Pavilion is a bit smaller than some of the other zoos in Colorado, the number of species of butterflies you’ll see is nothing short of awesome. Keep in mind that I’m kind of biased because I enjoy watching so many different colors and designs fly around.

It’s why I grow milkweed every year. I often attract the Tiger Swallowtail and a couple of Monarchs, aside from hummingbirds and four different species of bees.

In any case, I plan on visiting during the spring and summer months as I would also like to explore the outside of the facility when plants are green.

Michael Brockbank
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Michael Brockbank

Michael developed ColoradoPlays to help various charities through his favorite pastime. Since then, the blog and Twitch channels have donated several hundred dollars to Extra Life, Geeks of Grandeur and Operation Supply Drop, to name a few.

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