from a flower. It then raises its delicate wings, takes flight and lands--on your nose. This happens every day at year-round butterfly centers across the country. Even when it's winter outside, it's spring inside these conservatories where thousands of butterflies fly freely in climate-controlled environments.
The best time to visit these conservatories is during the morning when the butterflies are most active and when new butterflies emerge from their chrysalises. To observe and learn more about these delicate creatures, visit the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House and Education Center in Chesterfield, Missouri.
CHESTERFIELD, MISSOURI
Near St. Louis, the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House and Education Center is the only butterfly house in the Midwest. The center's 8,000-square-foot
glass conservatory counts more than 60 species, including Blue Morphos from Costa Rica, Ruby acewings from Malaysia and Goldbanded Foresters from Kenya.
Open daily 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Memorial Day through Labor Day and 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. Tuesday through Sunday the remainder of the year. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is $6 for adults, $4.50 for seniors and $4 for children ages 4-12. Children age three and under are free. Call 636-530-0076 for more information.
BUTTERFLY WEB SITES
Find general information about butterflies at the following Web sites--good places to do research before your visit to a butterfly house and to continue your education after you're back at home.THE BUTTERFLY ZONE: To find out what types of butterflies you'll find in your neighborhood, click here. Plus, learn the kinds of flowering plants you can put in your garden to attract butterflies.
BUTTERFLIES OF NORTH AMERICA: The U.S. Geological Survey has a great site, which includes hundreds of butterfly photos, a FAQs page to answer butterfly/moth questions and a Monarch life cycle coloring page.
Troy Corley lives in Los Angeles with her two children, and is writing a book on insect zoos and butterfly houses.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated July 2005.
