Amazing Butterflies!
Amazing Butterflies. It’s all in the name. This family fun exhibit will take you along a magical journey where you transform from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Some people may compare the experience to the ever-popular “Honey I Shrunk The Kids” movie. All of the grass, leaves and trees are larger-than-life. Remember, you are a caterpillar with the everyday challenges and obstacles that it takes to become a beautiful butterfly. Everything in the exhibit is hands-on; around every corner there is a new surprise. You will play games to help feed your fellow caterpillars and even enjoy a teamwork race with you family. While wearing a set of caterpillar feet, you will have to race to the finish line. “Nectar Food Path Puzzle” and “Squeeze and Sniff” are just two of the many games you will play during your adventure-packed transformation from pupa to butterfly. While you are traveling through your life cycle maze, get your Amazing butterflies card stamped because that is your ticket out on “The Monarch Monorail!”
Amazing Butterflies compliments the popular Butterfly Rainforest very well. Summer is a great time for young children to learn about caterpillars, pupa and butterflies, so they understand the changing life cycles going on in their own backyards. Come see the exhibit before it flutters away on September 7th.
Speaking of butterflies, while at the Florida Museum of Natural History, try to experience the Butterfly Rainforest! Kids LOVE this place. Located in McGuire Hall right next to Power Hall, they bring the outdoors in and let you play with the butterflies. This screened in 6,400 square foot patio is full of green foliage and lush gardens. They release the butterflies on Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm, 3pm and 4 pm, weather permitting of course. Last time I went to the Butterfly Rainforest a bright yellow, orange and black butterfly landed on my head! Apparently this happens all the time to people when they visit the butterflies. The Butterfly Rainforest is a great photo opportunity for anyone looking to brush up on their photography skills.
Owned by the University of Florida, the Florida Museum of Natural History is the states official museum of natural history and the largest in the Southeast. It has 3 main facilities, remember not all of these buildings are open to the general public: Dickinson Hall, since the 1970’s, Power
Hall, since 1998 and McGuire Hall, the newest building. This facility holds the Amazing Butterflies exhibit, Butterfly Rainforest and some pieces from Allyn Museum of Sarasota. UF also has a building on Pine Island near Ft. Myers called the Randell Research Center.
The main museum (Power Hall) is located across the street from the University Hilton on UF campus and just off of Hull Road. Admission is free and open to the public. The Butterfly Rainforest does have separate charges. Memberships and Butterfly Rainforest Annual passes are available. Check their website every so often to find out what exhibits are displayed. They are always changing! For more information or directions call the museum at (352) 846-2000. Tell them you saw it on GatorMagazine.com!
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