I needed something for the kids to do inside as their Florida blood couldn't handle the rainy "chilliness" of Denver in May (I wish I was kidding about this). I found Butterfly Pavilion mentioned on a number of websites and figured this was an experience unique to the area. So the three of us piled into our rental car and made the half hour drive (from downtown) to the Butterfly Pavilion. My preschooler had done a lot of studies in school about butterflies and I figured she'd be all about the outdoor butterfly exhibit. This exhibit has butterflies flying free, eating and drinking and camouflaging themselves amongst the plants. As it was, she walked through this area rather quickly. I was able to draw her attention to a few things but overall, it didn't last long. Right inside the entrance of the butterfly exhibit there were a number of cocooned creatures that were hatching. My daughter did take some time to sit on one of the benches facing the hatching area and watched some butterflies emerge. It was really cool to see this process take place right before your eyes. After the butterfly exhibit, we checked out the inside of the Pavilion. Here you can see various land and sea creatures, hold a tarantula, pet some ocean animals and learn a bit about conservation. Again, we moved through this area pretty quick, and within forty-five minutes the three of us were headed towards the gift shop and exit. I was very disappointed that this was all the pavilion offered. Definitely wasn't worth the price of admission. Then I noticed that to the left of the gift shop, there was a whole other section of the pavilion. This section featured hands-on activities and an indoor play area. My kids had a blast in this portion of the pavilion. I had to tear them away after about an hour and half of playing. They could've stayed a lot longer if I had let them. In the end the Butterfly Pavilion was a unique and fun way to spend an afternoon indoors. It offered a great balance of learning/experiencing/playing fit for a preschooler and toddler. read more

Amazing experience. I could not recommend this place enough to anyone who is trying to make some fun in one of the most boring downtowns ever (eek sorry Denver!). It's a massive well-maintained space with beautiful plants, trees, and... you guessed it... BUTTERFLIES! There are soooo many of them, all different types, colors, and sizes. It's crazy! Get your camera ready, you'll get some great shots. Side note: I recommend to walk the outside grounds if you get a chance - down below the parking lot is a whole colony (?) of prairie dogs!!!!!! read more

See all

Absolutely a wonderful exhibit of beautiful butterflies and insects. A great place to spend a couple hours with your kids to be awestruck and appreciate mother nature. If you can stomach it, you can have your little one hold a big tarantula! Eek! We passed on that and headed towards the photo opportunities of the fluttering friends. read more

See all

My family LOVED the Butterfly Pavilion. This was on our must see list when visiting Colorado and I'm so glad we went. My nephews were not interested in going to see "butterflies" but they loved learning new info and seeing all the different insects and sea life inside. The bees were my favorite part of the whole exhibit. It's so cool to see them come and go from their hive- in and out of the building. Also, listening to them buzz so close was amazing! We saw the butterfly release and my son enjoyed every moment of that. He loved touching the sea animals and playing in the indoor play area. He got his arm painted, held Rosie the tarantula, made souvenir pennies and got a squid souvenir. It was worth everything. It's so reasonably priced too! And to know that it goes back to the butterflies is great. read more

Butterfly Pavilion - Museums Near Me - Westminster, Colorado

See all

This place is incredible and you don't need a kid with you to enjoy it! It works just great on adults. The number of butterflies is astounding and they are very active. It is so relaxing and exciting, both at the same time. You can easily get through the whole thing in 45 minutes so it's a great stop for lunch or on the way to someplace else! read more

See all

I work with adults with developmental disabilities & they always love when we are able to take a group for one of the daily outings. When we went last week, it was an amazing time - as usual :). The group that day had varying abilities & everything was set up in a way that they would all be able to enjoy. One of the educators there, Jane Hill really took the time and showed the group starfish - and let them touch one if they wanted. This was absolutely a highlight for one in the group specifically. We had someone who is unable to communicate with words and is not able to move around on their own so they weren't able to put their hand in the tank but Jane handed a demonstration starfish to me so that I could show her and let her touch and feel what an actual starfish would feel like. All of the staff there was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and willing to hear any questions that arose and answer. Thank you for a wonderful day read more

This was our second trip to the pavilion. This is a must see if you were in the area or even passing through. The best part is the butterfly exhibit. You are in a rain forest with hundreds of butterflies all around you. It's an absolutely amazing experience. There is even an area where you can see all different kinds of chrysalis and freshly emerged butterflies. There is also an aquarium area with exhibits to touch and feel starfish and Horshoe crabs. In another area is a bug exhibit where you can hold Rosie the tarantula. And a very interesting be exhibit. They also have shows throughout the day such as new butterfly releases. read more

We have been looking for an excuse to go to the Butterfly Pavilion since we moved here about a year and a half ago and having our 2 year old nephew in town was perfect. Having worked for the USDA, I have toured a number of live butterfly exhibits and typically, they're very focused all on just butterflies. However, this one has a great variety of insects and sealife that is VERY interactive - for both kids and adults. As an educator, I was very impressed at the intentionality of the design of all of the exhibits and the play place! It's clear the animals and their habitats are well maintained and cared for. Great value - can't wait to bring my kids here some day! read more

I came here with my toddler and husband, we had an awesome time. They place is really well kept and there are a lot of butterflies! They even land on you or are just chilling on the ground (make sure not to step on them!) The place is extremely humid (I guess to mimic the natural habitat) so leave your coat in the car, we went in the Winter with our coats and I was sweating like crazy. I wish there were more of the "colorful" species. It seemed like I was seeing the same type over and over it did get old fast. read more

Cool place to take your kids in a little tour . Not too many butterflies though but it's worth it . read more

See all

The Butterfly Pavilion left me in awe...it's such a cool place! Not only was my visit educational but also it gave me an up-close look at some of nature's most enchanting creatures. The price of admission ($12) gives visitors access to five exhibit areas. I rushed through in 45 minutes (to catch a flight) but I would recommend two hours to enjoy the entire 30,000 square-foot facility. Here are a few highlights. CRAWL-A-SEE-EM This exhibit room featured glass displays of live insects. A beehive in one corner had a bee counter to track their movements through a tube to the outside world. An interactive exhibit spotlighted Rosie the Tarantula. Children took turns holding the spider to earn a badge of courage sticker. Just watching that made me feel woozy...so definitely no badge of courage for me. WATER'S EDGE The next exhibit room showcased invertebrates in water--lobsters, sea stars, coral reefs and a freakishly large roly poly. There was also a petting area where visitors could touch sea stars. WINGS OF THE TROPICS My favorite exhibit was filled with over a thousand beautiful butterflies. The space was climate controlled with heat and misters to recreate a tropical environment. Butterflies fluttered in the air...on the ground...onto trees...even on visitors' hair and clothing. Some children were creeped out and wanted to leave. Others threw Veruca Salt tantrums because they weren't ready to go. On one wall was a giant picture window where we could watch butterflies hatch from their cocoons. FORENSIC ENTOMOLOGY This exhibit explained the study of insects at crime scenes to reveal clues. At one of the stations a large bug was making artwork. (See photo) The set up was ingenious. They put splats of paint on a surface between the bug and its hiding place. The bug scurried across the paint to get to safety and in doing do it deposited traces of color onto a blank sheet of paper. GIFT SHOP They had typical items--shirts, books, toys and trinkets--but also had a selection of edible insects. While chocolate covered ants and insect lollipops aren't my thing, they made the perfect gift for the boy. In short, there's more than enough education and amusement at the Butterfly Pavilion to hold the attention of children and adults. I highly recommend a visit. read more

See all

The Butterfly Pavilion was so much more than I thought it was going to be! Admission is very reasonable for both adults and children. There is a room where you can see all kinds of poisonous creatures and a bee hive that shows you the number of bees going in and out. You can hold Rosie the tarantula which was really cool. The woman helping people hold Rosie was very friendly and informative. It was like the spider wasn't even there when you held her- although Rosie weighs about as much as four paperclips so that explains a lot. Once you walk past the poisonous creatures room, you'll get to the butterfly room. It's a large space that has all kinds of beautiful butterflies. You can walk through to find them and make sure you look down so you don't step on any that might be on the ground. Take your time so you see the ones that aren't flying about as they can sometimes blend in. Near the front of the space there is a large window where you might catch a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. It was awesome to walk through and we had a great time seeing all of the beautiful butterflies. Don't forget to stop in the gift shop- the employee behind the counter was a friendly Michigan native who very carefully wrapped two butterflies e purchased with the recommendation that they go into our carry-on luggage to avoid any destruction in our checked bags. Thanks to him they made it home safely! read more

See all

It's not so big but my son loves this place. Very peaceful place. Also they have nice little play area for kids too.

We took our son here for a fun day off. I'd never been, and my husband has been here once before. We got there about 12:30, right as they were letting some of the butterflies out. I've never experienced anything like it. Walking through an arboretum with butterflies of all species flying around. Landing on you and the flowers and trees and water puddles. I'm a little jumpy when it comes to things flying towards me, so I was on edge, but it was really cool. Now, let me tell you a story about my son. First thing you should know is that even though he's almost 3, he looks like he is 5 and is strong. He also has an Autism diagnosis and doesn't talk. They have a tarantula named Rosie. She is so pretty and docile and they let people hold her. We went to look at her, and the lady asked who wanted to hold her. My husband and I chickened out, and we wanted our son to just "look" at her. So, the lady put her hand down with Rosie on the palm of her hand, and our son was looking at Rosie. Almost hypnotized.... And then he grabbed her. Our son picked Rosie up by her back. I jumped, my husband jumped. It all went so fast. I was thinking "Don't get on me, don't squish her, don't drop her. Don't hurt her!" The next thing I see is Rosie sitting nicely on the back of our sons hand and his lip quivering, like he was going to cry. I didn't have time to grab my camera before she was take off of my sons hand. I did get a picture of Rosie, no harm done! read more

See all

BUGS. Lots of bugs. Not just butterflies. But also a ton of butterflies. And also sea creatures. Butterfly Pavilion is a cute little bug haven to visit if you're in the area and have a spare hour or two. Everyone that works here is super knowledgeable about all of the critters on display. If you're feeling it, you can even hold Rosie the tarantula! read more

See all

We brought our toddler here early on a Saturday morning. It was amazing! He loved all the creepy crawler bugs, the fish in the aquarium, the butterflies everywhere and especially the play area. He was too busy to sit down for story time, but the other kids all really enjoyed it. I would highly recommend bringing your little ones here for an adventure. It's not that big so it doesn't take a lot of time to walk through but worth it! read more

What a fun place! Especially when you can get tickets free from the library and kids under 2 are free. My 3 girlfriends and I got to go with our kids for the price of fuel. The normal admission prices would start to get expensive if you went with a family of 4 and the kids are older than two but for us it was great! It's a very cute place. We got to hold Rosie the big hairy spider and saw some starfish, fish and other things in tanks before going through to the butterflies. It was beautiful inside the butterfly room. There was loads flying around and perched on flowers, leaves, signs etc. We took the strollers in and it was pretty hard to get through when the bus loads of kids came in but I guess the place is so popular there would be busses on most days. The play area is fun but it was hard for the little kids that are a bit too big for the baby area but too small for the bigger kid jungle gym. There floor area was hard to manoeuvre when the big kids don't care that there's a little kid trying to play there. But aside from other people, the place was great and the staff all really friendly read more

I love this place and I'm kind of sad they're changing locations. That's because I live 2 blocks away and I'm selfish. I love the butterflies, but I love watching the cocoons and the baby butterflies breaking out. read more

This place was great. Took my nephews here and they weren't expecting the aquarium. Educational and fun while being reasonably priced. read more

Butterfly Pavilion - Museums Near Me - Westminster, Colorado

See all

My wife and I are from California and were visiting our daughter, Josh, and grandson. She suggested we go to the Butterfly Pavilion. I was a little hesitant but once in the building, I loved it. There are more than just butterflies like bugs, insects, water life and much more. But the room with all the butterflies was immediately a hit. There must be millions. They are so friendly and they will land on you. My 1 year old grandson, loved it. He would stare for minutes at a time then turn his head and stare in awe another couple of minutes. It was wonderful. I highly recommend and it will sure to bring a smile to your face. read more

I had not visited this marvelous place for too many years so went in August 2023. It has so many things of interest that I couldn't see it all in one visit and will return. The gift shop is full of beautiful items. On my bucket list was holding Rosie and I did! read more

Such a peaceful, calming experience for me. I wish it were even larger to explore. Staff is friendly and willing to assist.

Fun for kids and even for adults. The main attraction is, well, the butterfly 'area'. But there are also some spiders, roaches and other interesting stuff (locked in display boxes - not to worry) and you can even hold a Tarantula in your hand (I'll pass, thank you). There's a hotdog stand outside with reasonable prices and a little park right next where you can take a walk so overall a really nice place where you can spend a few hours with the entire family. read more

Love this place. It was such a great place to visit and it is a memorable spot. Definitely give it a visit.

Butterfly Pavilion Event Space The Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, CO has excellent event space and the staff to help you along the way. Adisa helped us through the sales and contracting phase and it was quite simple via DocuSign in email. He was very accommodating and willing to make minor changes. Catie was truly amazing and very helpful throughout. She met with us several times to work through the logistics of the event. Every time we needed to meet, she made herself available. She got all of the tables set up on the day of the event, stayed throughout to help, as needed and then did the cleanup and take down. We contracted to have the space available 1 hour prior to our event, but since there was no prior event that day, we were able to start a bit early, which was good, because we needed the extra time. As far as the facility, there is a large room that easily accommodated our 100 guests, but I think you could get 120 in with no problem and may even be able to stretch it to 150. There is an outside patio, with a gazebo nearby and 2 propane fire pits. We set 10 bar height tables out there and contracted with AllWell rents for some lighting. We also chose to pay $250 to include an attendant at the butterfly exhibit. All of our guests were adults and they all loved it. This was a nice addition to the night. I can't think of anything I would have done differently, but Catie had several good suggestions that we implemented, so be sure and consult with her or Adisa for advice. read more

After a few visits, we became members. Our kids like this quick escalate from reality. Can be a 30 minute walk through or a two hour day. Bugs, bees, aquariums, and butterflies keep their minds engaged and their parents getting some exercise. read more

Butterfly Pavilion - Museums Near Me - Westminster, Colorado

Great place to take your child for a fun time! Lots of different butterflies that just flies around! Amazing little things!

The butterfly pavilion was the perfect outing for my nanny girl and me. We only stayed about an hour, but we saw all of the creepy crawlies and the beautiful butterflies. Definitely recommend. read more

Butterfly Pavilion - Museums Near Me - Westminster, Colorado

I love this place! Is wish I could pitch a tent and camp in the butterfly exhibit! I've taken several guests there when they're in town. Expect to spend o my a few hours here, it's not a whole day activity. Also, look for the awesome octopus in the large tank! read more

See all

I love taking the kids I take care there, they love looking at the insects and finishes inside, walking through the butterfly area, and specially the new playground they have inside! We also went to a story time there once. read more

Butterfly Pavilion - Museums Near Me - Westminster, Colorado

Fun & educational place to visit. We have been stopping by here for years because it's practically in our backyard. There is an amazing rainforest atrium where you can walk around and spot a variety of butterflies and moths. If you look closely you can usually spot a turtle or two. Outside the atrium is a small aquarium area with some hands on displays. There is the bug room and of course, there's Rosie . They also have a cool play area for the kids. read more

See all

Went during Covid. No Rosie, the star of the place but eh, it's a fun place for little kids to learn and see insects, some marine life and of course butterflies. People complain about the price of admission but we only come once a year so it's not like it's breaking the bank. Expect to spend about 45 minutes here. read more

We visited with a friend who lives in Westminster. Neither of us have kids but it was a delightful educational center for all ages. The center houses the butterfly pavillion as the main attraction but has a bunch of other neat areas. The opportunity to hold Rosie the tarantula was hair-raising!! There were several salt water animals and insects on display. They had a nice bee exhibit with a tarantula wasp. The butterfly pavillion was amazing and hosted a great variety of species. It was amazing! The price is reasonable and a great way to spend an hour or two. read more

See all

Where is it 85 degrees and humid in Denver in February? At the Butterfly pavilion! (Remember to dress in layers if you come here on a cold day, because it's HOT in there!) Yeah, you get to hold a tarantula (I didn't. Mr. Me did.) Yeah, you can get creeped out by Black Widows and Brown Recluses (Ewww. Spiders) and your neck will crawl at the sight of the Millipedes. But the stars of the show here are the Butterflies. There are multiple-times-daily releases of newly-hatched butterflies, which you can watch. There are Cocoons on display in every stage of butterfly metaphorphosis, too. There's tons of tropical plants: Hibiscus, Bottlebrush, vines, palms, airplants, and so many more. The bright, tropical plants make for wonderful backgrounds for photos of the butterflies. Oh, and they've got turtles. I can easily kill an hour plus in here with my camera. (Tripods are not allowed, be forewarned) It's a great, warm oasis on a cold Winter day! (Photos posted) read more

See all

My grandkids love it here and usually I have a membership. Traveling right now so I don't but we sent while I was home this past week. Always different and interesting. read more

We were on our way to Boulder to do some amazing shopping when we say a sign for the Butterfly Pavilion, I ad always wanted to go so we decided to stop in for a visit. It was $8.50 per person, apparently the jig is up and I don't pass for 12 years old anymore, who knew? There are lots of rooms to visit, one with all the bugs and spiders. This was the first one we did and really enjoyed learning a little bit and my Mom even held Rosie the tarantula - she faced her fears and loved it. The Butterfly area is definitely the diamond here. We must have come at the right time of year because we couldn't take a step without walking into a sea of butterflies. It's humid and sticky, for the butterflies of coarse. All different varieties flying all around and doing the mating dance at times. Make sure you bring your camera for great pictures of the butterflies and even the plant life which is awesome as well. We really enjoyed looking around and trying to take pictures of all the butterflies. This place is absolutely kid driven, lots of educational exhibits and places for the kids to play. I was very happy we stopped buy and felt the $8.50 was well worth the experience. From the previous reviews it seems the time of year could impact the experience and the activity level of the butterflies you can have, I highly recommend April 22 for a visit. Hehe. read more

See all

Definitely worth checking out a few times. Kids like it. They like holding the tarantula, and seeing the butterflies land on them. There is also a small kids play area. read more

We stopped in on a visit to Denver and this place is pretty cool. It is not a very large place but the quality is spot on. We loved it. I could see coming here on our next visit to Denver. I loved all the different bugs they have on display. If you are brave enough you can hold Rosie the spider. We were lucky to be there when they let the butterflies go in hr pavilion. They give a brief description of all the butterflies they are releasing, how long they live, and explain the program and how they acquire the butterflies. I believe this is daily at 3:30 pm Fun place for the whole family. read more

We had our wedding there. The ceremony is in the tropical garden and there is a room next door for the reception. The ceremony in the garden was beautiful. The only thing is that you can not have it with many people (it is fairly small) and there is not much space for the photograph. The person we dealt with was not the most charming, but we made it work. The lighting is not great in the reception place (neons) so if you do it you have to plan for that. Anyway, our wedding there was beautiful and all worked out. read more

Butterfly Pavilion - monumentation or something - Museums Near Me - Westminster, Colorado

See all

I visited for the first time with a friend and her ~18-month old daughter during the last weekend of "Living Lights," which was sheer madness. Their parking lot was full so we ended up parking at a car dealership across the street, which meant dashing across a busy street with a stroller. What a great start to the evening. Now, likely because of living lights, it was particularly crowded, so while I would have liked to have spent more time looking at the exhibits I was feeling kind of claustrophobic. I did notice that many of the displays were both kid and adult scale, which is nice. There were a couple of interactive stations, where you could touch a starfish or hold a tarantula, if you're into that sort of stuff. The actual butterfly pavilion looks like it would be beautiful to visit during the day, but after dark with lighting displays? Less appealing. The butterflies are for the most part inactive, but if you have a sharp eye you might spot a few hanging out on the undersides of leaves or on branches. Unfortunately, I found myself getting blinded by the lights every now and then -- and butterfly spotting is difficult when you are seeing spots in your eyes. The actual Christmas light displays outside were fairly modest, but it was a relief to get outside and away from the crush of people. The featured displays were the butterfly and insect sculptures around the outdoor grounds, illuminated with a shifting palette of light. Would I go back for Living Lights? Probably not, but I'd certainly visit again during the day. Admission fees are quite modest (~$10 for an adult), which I reckon is well worth it for the butterfly pavilion alone. Spending more time looking at the exhibits under less crowded conditions would be worthwhile, as well. read more