Indeed, recent years have seen a veritable hatching of insect exhibits across North America. With names like the San Francisco Zoo's Insect Zoo and the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory, these living bug collections celebrate the insect world through hands-on exhibits that make kids squirm with delight and exotic walk-through gardens that can please a parent. One amazing insect center, not to be missed, is Butterfly World in Florida where rainforests thrive, exotic butterflies take flight, and nature magically unfolds.
BUTTERFLY WORLD
COCONUT CREEK, FLORIDAYear-round, you can stroll three acres of indoor and outdoor
gardens and wander through butterfly houses and bird aviaries. A highlight is the tropical rain forest, where thousands of exotic butterflies and birds fly free and kids can feed Japanese koi fish, explore a cave and a waterfall, or trek across a rocking replica of an Ecuadoran suspension bridge. Visitors are even periodically cooled off with a light tropical rain shower. In the Butterfly Emerging Area, guests can watch just that--butterflies unfolding from their protective pupa casing. Admission is $17.95 for adults and seniors, $12.95 for children ages 4 to 12 and children under age four are free. Call 954-977-4400.
Be sure to check out these great learning tools about bugs.
Writer Troy Corley lives in Reseda, California.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated March 2006.
