Butterflies Roam Free In A New York City Museum

As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, both visitors to the city and native New Yorkers will want to take advantage of a unique, family-friendly experience in the Big Apple that brings nature’s beauty indoors.

The popular Butterfly Conservatory, an annual event at the American Museum of Natural History, opens to the public again this weekend, starting Saturday, October 12, and extending through Monday, May 25, 2020.

At this special exhibit, visitors can enjoy opportunities to learn about the life cycle of butterflies and their contributions to the environment while walking amidst an immersive environment with lush foliage and tropical flowers in the museum’s transparent, 1,200-square-foot vivarium.

Some 500 tropical, free-flying butterflies will be flying overhead (representing more than 100 species), hailing from farms in South, Central and North America, as well as from Africa and Asia. Because the life span of a butterfly is only 2-3 weeks, the supply is continually replenished.

The dazzling array of butterflies of different iridescent colors, shapes and sizes is sure to capture the imaginations of visitors of all ages, and offers an unparalleled opportunity for photography and Instagram buffs, too—although patience is required: The museum cautions that camera lenses tend to fog up in the humid environment.

“The Butterfly Conservatory is a joyful, enchanting, and educational exhibition for both children and adults, and truly transports visitors out of their everyday lives into a magical setting teeming with color and flourishing life,” said Ellen V. Futter, President of the American Museum of Natural History. “Butterflies are also important harbingers of environmental change, and so this exhibition offers not just a unique and fascinating experience, but also an opportunity to learn about the roles butterflies play in ecosystems and why it is so critical that we protect them.”

Spanning four city blocks, the four-floor American Museum of Natural History is the largest natural history museum in the world.

IF YOU GO:

• The Butterfly Conservatory is located in the Whitney Hall of Oceanic Birds on the second floor of the museum, which is located at 200 Central Park West (at 79 Street)
• To prevent overcrowding, timed entry tickets to the Conservatory are available every 15 minutes, beginning at 10:30AM.
• Tickets may be purchased online. A General Admission + One ticket to the museum includes the opportunity to visit all 45 halls of the museum, the Rose Center for Earth and Space, and a choice of special exhibition (such as the Butterfly Conservatory).
• General Admission + 1 tickets are $28 for adults, $16.50 for children 2-12 and $22.50 for seniors and students. Museum members enjoy discounted rates. Pay-what-you-wish admission is only available on site, at ticket counters.

For additional information, call 212-769-5100 or visit the Museum’s website.

As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, both visitors to the city and native New Yorkers will want to take advantage of a unique, family-friendly experience in the Big Apple that brings nature’s beauty indoors.

The popular Butterfly Conservatory, an annual event at the American Museum of Natural History, opens to the public again this weekend, starting Saturday, October 12, and extending through Monday, May 25, 2020.

At this special exhibit, visitors can enjoy opportunities to learn about the life cycle of butterflies and their contributions to the environment while walking amidst an immersive environment with lush foliage and tropical flowers in the museum’s transparent, 1,200-square-foot vivarium.

Some 500 tropical, free-flying butterflies will be flying overhead (representing more than 100 species), hailing from farms in South, Central and North America, as well as from Africa and Asia. Because the life span of a butterfly is only 2-3 weeks, the supply is continually replenished.

The dazzling array of butterflies of different iridescent colors, shapes and sizes is sure to capture the imaginations of visitors of all ages, and offers an unparalleled opportunity for photography and Instagram buffs, too—although patience is required: The museum cautions that camera lenses tend to fog up in the humid environment.

“The Butterfly Conservatory is a joyful, enchanting, and educational exhibition for both children and adults, and truly transports visitors out of their everyday lives into a magical setting teeming with color and flourishing life,” said Ellen V. Futter, President of the American Museum of Natural History. “Butterflies are also important harbingers of environmental change, and so this exhibition offers not just a unique and fascinating experience, but also an opportunity to learn about the roles butterflies play in ecosystems and why it is so critical that we protect them.”

Spanning four city blocks, the four-floor American Museum of Natural History is the largest natural history museum in the world.

IF YOU GO:

• The Butterfly Conservatory is located in the Whitney Hall of Oceanic Birds on the second floor of the museum, which is located at 200 Central Park West (at 79 Street)
• To prevent overcrowding, timed entry tickets to the Conservatory are available every 15 minutes, beginning at 10:30AM.
• Tickets may be purchased online. A General Admission + One ticket to the museum includes the opportunity to visit all 45 halls of the museum, the Rose Center for Earth and Space, and a choice of special exhibition (such as the Butterfly Conservatory).
• General Admission + 1 tickets are $28 for adults, $16.50 for children 2-12 and $22.50 for seniors and students. Museum members enjoy discounted rates. Pay-what-you-wish admission is only available on site, at ticket counters.

For additional information, call 212-769-5100 or visit the Museum’s website.