Tropical flowers, hot humid rainforest, 1600 brightly colored butterflies and in Westminster, Colorado.    This is one room at the butterfly pavilion, the one that gives the complex its name.

Zeb the duck at the Butterfly Pavilion

Strolling down the many paths we marveled at the tropical plants, hibiscus, bleeding hearts and a couple hundred more.  The butterflies fly around the 7,200 square foot tropical rainforest, some land on trays of rotting fruit to feed, some fluttering among flowers

Butterfly on tropical flower

and some just soaring and gliding.

Butterfly resting

Near the exit are trays of butterfly chrysalids, filled with young butterflies waiting to emerge. The life span of butterflies is only a few weeks; so new butterflies are constantly being added.  Glad I am not a butterfly.

The Crawl-A-See-Em room was unreal.  In glass enclosures we saw tarantulas from many different areas of the world.  They sure can hide from predators.   Rosie is the good will ambassador for tarantulas at the pavilion.  An employee is with Rosie at all times and you, or your child, but NOT your duck, will have the opportunity to touch Rosie the tarantula and have her placed on your hand.

Rosie the tarantuala on a young human hand

In the Water’s Edge room we touched and learned about sea stars, horseshoe crabs and other invertebrates.

Exhibit at water’s edge

These invertebrates, animals without backbones, are from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Inside the complex children, adults an ducks will enjoy Tropical Odyssey, an interactive area of educational games.  This is the area where I was introduced to the hissing cockroach from Madagascar.  We also learned that in the natural rainforest, only 2% of butterflies survive.

Outside the pavilion the half-mile nature trail loop

One very large grasshopper at beginning to nature trail

highlights native Colorado insects, prairie dogs, rabbits and the occasional heron, hawk and eagle.

Nature Trail and Discovery Garden

This is protected area where Colorado’s native plants and small animals and birds can be observed and enjoyed in their natural environment.  There are picnic areas; so bring your lunch.

The Butterfly Pavilion is located in Westminster, Colorado and is worth seeing.  Visit www.butterflies.org