Butterfly Wonderland, located in Phoenix, AZ houses more than 3,000 butterflies from around the world.
Adult admission (ages 18-61) is $19.95 (as of September 2016), with child admission (ages 3-12) being $12.95, student admission (ages 13-17, or college ID) being $17.95, and free entry for children 2 and under. The website does not state the cost of senior admission (62+).
As an alternative to General Admission, you can purchase a Combination Pass, for entry to the OdySea Mirror Maze, at the OdySea Aquarium next door. The OdySea Aquarium was under construction during our February 2016 visit. Memberships (Family, as well as Individual) are also offered.
Upon entry, there is your typical photo op background. We made our way into the Butterfly Emergence Gallery, where there was a wall full of just that… emerging butterflies. Each Chrysalis was in a different stage of emergence, and we spent quite a bit of time watching them all mature. The duo (16 months) weren’t too interested in this exhibit, but I found it fascinating!
We skipped the 3D movie. I wasn’t convinced my toddler duo would be terribly interested in it, since they never seemed interested in any TV at home. The staff helped us to enter the Butterfly Pavilion safely, and we (well, I) was amazed. The kids loved it, too, but they weren’t all that convinced that they should stay on the paved area, meant for walking.
This photo was incredibly difficult to get.
We took a few pictures, and then I quickly corralled them back out of the Pavilion. We stopped for a snack in the café, and then wandered into the next room, where we found sea creatures. I didn’t ask, but I would have to believe this would no longer exist once the OdySeas Aquarium is up and running. It was the perfect size for our two littles, though. They love all things animals, so they were excited to see everything in the tanks. There was also a touch tank, but as usual, that didn’t seem feasible with only one of me.
While we had a good time, I would probably recommend that you visit with your older twins, or if you have a helper. The duo had to stay in their stroller for most of the visit, since they were at the awkward stage where they love to run away infinitely more than they enjoyed following directions. Strollers were not allowed in the Pavilion, so for a short time I was running wild trying to keep them from trampling the butterflies.
I have to say I’d be even more inclined to visit now that the Aquarium is open. At that age, the sea creatures had a larger draw than the butterflies, as expected!