Butterfly Pavilion, Invertebrate zoo in Westminster, Colorado.
The Butterfly Pavilion is an invertebrate zoo in Westminster where visitors walk through a warm, humid environment filled with free-flying butterflies and other arthropods. The facility displays multiple insect species in settings that mimic their natural habitats, allowing them to move and behave as they would in the wild.
This facility opened in 1995 as the first of its kind in North America devoted entirely to invertebrate education and arthropod biology. Its establishment shifted how institutions approach teaching about small creatures and their ecological roles.
The pavilion creates a tropical setting where butterflies fly freely around you, making it feel like stepping into their natural world. The experience helps visitors connect with these insects in a way that feels personal and immediate.
The facility is open daily to visitors and experiences varying crowds depending on the season, with early mornings and weekdays tending to be quieter. Most exhibits are indoors, making a visit pleasant during any time of year.
The Survival exhibit allows visitors to interact with various arthropods including a tarantula and witness their survival abilities firsthand. This proximity to predatory arthropods helps many people overcome their fear of these creatures.
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