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I was in the area for the 2023 Texas Master Naturalist annual meeting. Ironically, I was staying less than a mile away at the Bentsen Palm RV Village. None of my field trips during the conference were at the butterfly center. I was going to stop in a couple of times, but they charge $10. No, I'm not complaining about the price, but those times that I wanted to stop, I only had about 30 minutes to an hour to explore it. Finally, the day the conference ended, I had a whole day to myself to explore the things I hadn't gotten a chance to do. I headed straight to the butterfly center. I really enjoyed walking the trails and lingering around the gardens taking pictures of different wildlife that I saw. There were lots of birds, insects, and, of course, butterflies. I got some really great pictures, and no doubt got my $10 worth.
We had such a wonderful experience here! Beautiful spot with lots of opportunities to see birds and butterflies. The gift shop is really great as well. I will definitely visit the NBC again when I am in McAllen. A couple of warnings, make sure you bring mosquito spray and generously apply it! A sun hat and sunscreen are also a really good idea. Also, be aware you will be near the border wall with patrols happening all around the center. We didn't encounter the national guard but I know they trespassed onto the center's land several times while we were in town--it can be quite starting to encounter soldiers toting guns so be aware that's a possibility.
The inside of the building is nice with a gift shop, informative displays and friendly employees, but the exterior looks uninviting like it has either closed down or isn't quite finished. There is a trail, which is really just a path cut through the tree-line at the edge of a field. It's not really marked too well. There are also a few beds of flowers. I guess I expected more butterfly-attracting flowers and and plants and assumed the trail would have been more than just a generic path through a tree-line. It looked like they were starting construction on what I would guess/hope is a butterfly house which would be a nice addition. We did see some butterflies - mostly in the front beds and on the hanging feeders - but not nearly what you would expect. There is an informative display under the pavilion that has pictures and descriptions of different types of butterflies and indicates which species of butterflies have been seen here which is pretty cool. We did enjoy our visit, although I don't think it was impressive enough that I would drive an hour to bring guests out there. I would be curious to see what it is like at another time of year and might check it out again if I am in the area.
After straightening out some familial confusion about where we were actually going to look at butterflies, some of us ended up here, while others just went home. I'm glad we stuck around, though, on a drizzly, slightly chilly day. First off, it's a nonprofit organization that is NOT affiliated with Bentsen State Park and the World Birding Center, so if you want to do both, you have to pay for both, separately. That was part of our familial confusion, so I thought I'd just throw that out there. It's been updated/finished since the previous review and pictures, the front area now has a small pond with water lilies and, allegedly, a turtle, which I never saw. The building houses a nice gift shop and a lot of information about what to look for in the butterfly gardens. Behind the building there were several areas with different local, flowering plants to attract the butterflies. We didn't see a WHOLE lot of them because of the weather, but my friend (visiting from Wisconsin with a degree in entomology) was very excited by the ones we did see. There's a long trail through a slightly wooded area to take you to the second portion of the butterfly center, but we opted to drive, again because of the weather. This other area houses a caterpillary, a butterfly greenhouse of sorts (where you can walk through and maybe they'll land on you), and, my favorite, Spike, the African Spurred Tortoise. This area also hosted large, butterfly attracting bushes. There were a couple people there that were VERY excited about a butterfly they saw the day before, and they were itching for a glimpse of it again (not sure what type). I had a hard time dragging myself away from watching Spike, who was pacing along the fence back and forth, like he was on some sort of tortoise mission. It took everything I had to not reach over and touch him. Anyway, I can see how this place could be amazing at the right time of year, I'd consider another visit. Maybe even just to see Spike.
10/10. Was in the area for a conference in July and braved the heat to visit the National Butterfly Center. Admission is $10 per person and hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We only covered a fraction of this 100-acre park, but enjoyed every minute. We saw many butterflies and birds, including green jays and plain chachalacas, and loved the short 30 min loop trail. The docents inside were extremely nice and even lent us their binoculars. Highly recommend for those in the area, even in July! A little far from town via rideshare, but easily accessible with a car. Look out for the Galapagos tortoise. read more
Nice center located near McAllen and part of the American Horticultural Society. Enjoyed the vast acreage and bird watching areas with a ton of different birds and sounds towards the back of the property. They offer classes and are self guided tours across the property. read more
3 months ago
I was in the area for the 2023 Texas Master Naturalist annual meeting. Ironically, I was staying less than a mile away at the Bentsen Palm RV Village. None of my field trips during the conference were at the butterfly center. I was going to stop in a couple of times, but they charge $10. No, I'm not complaining about the price, but those times that I wanted to stop, I only had about 30 minutes to an hour to explore it. Finally, the day the conference ended, I had a whole day to myself to explore the things I hadn't gotten a chance to do. I headed straight to the butterfly center. I really enjoyed walking the trails and lingering around the gardens taking pictures of different wildlife that I saw. There were lots of birds, insects, and, of course, butterflies. I got some really great pictures, and no doubt got my $10 worth. read more
We had such a wonderful experience here! Beautiful spot with lots of opportunities to see birds and butterflies. The gift shop is really great as well. I will definitely visit the NBC again when I am in McAllen. A couple of warnings, make sure you bring mosquito spray and generously apply it! A sun hat and sunscreen are also a really good idea. Also, be aware you will be near the border wall with patrols happening all around the center. We didn't encounter the national guard but I know they trespassed onto the center's land several times while we were in town--it can be quite starting to encounter soldiers toting guns so be aware that's a possibility. read more
The inside of the building is nice with a gift shop, informative displays and friendly employees, but the exterior looks uninviting like it has either closed down or isn't quite finished. There is a trail, which is really just a path cut through the tree-line at the edge of a field. It's not really marked too well. There are also a few beds of flowers. I guess I expected more butterfly-attracting flowers and and plants and assumed the trail would have been more than just a generic path through a tree-line. It looked like they were starting construction on what I would guess/hope is a butterfly house which would be a nice addition. We did see some butterflies - mostly in the front beds and on the hanging feeders - but not nearly what you would expect. There is an informative display under the pavilion that has pictures and descriptions of different types of butterflies and indicates which species of butterflies have been seen here which is pretty cool. We did enjoy our visit, although I don't think it was impressive enough that I would drive an hour to bring guests out there. I would be curious to see what it is like at another time of year and might check it out again if I am in the area. read more
After straightening out some familial confusion about where we were actually going to look at butterflies, some of us ended up here, while others just went home. I'm glad we stuck around, though, on a drizzly, slightly chilly day. First off, it's a nonprofit organization that is NOT affiliated with Bentsen State Park and the World Birding Center, so if you want to do both, you have to pay for both, separately. That was part of our familial confusion, so I thought I'd just throw that out there. It's been updated/finished since the previous review and pictures, the front area now has a small pond with water lilies and, allegedly, a turtle, which I never saw. The building houses a nice gift shop and a lot of information about what to look for in the butterfly gardens. Behind the building there were several areas with different local, flowering plants to attract the butterflies. We didn't see a WHOLE lot of them because of the weather, but my friend (visiting from Wisconsin with a degree in entomology) was very excited by the ones we did see. There's a long trail through a slightly wooded area to take you to the second portion of the butterfly center, but we opted to drive, again because of the weather. This other area houses a caterpillary, a butterfly greenhouse of sorts (where you can walk through and maybe they'll land on you), and, my favorite, Spike, the African Spurred Tortoise. This area also hosted large, butterfly attracting bushes. There were a couple people there that were VERY excited about a butterfly they saw the day before, and they were itching for a glimpse of it again (not sure what type). I had a hard time dragging myself away from watching Spike, who was pacing along the fence back and forth, like he was on some sort of tortoise mission. It took everything I had to not reach over and touch him. Anyway, I can see how this place could be amazing at the right time of year, I'd consider another visit. Maybe even just to see Spike. read more
5 years ago
4 years ago
8 years ago
I cannot say enough good things about this place. I look forward to returning next year to see the planned growth and improvements. Butterflies are the star of the show here but I enjoyed the many pretty birds and feeding apples to Spike, the tortoise. Bring bug spray, sunglasses and a good camera and be prepared to take lots of beautiful pictures. The staff is over the top helpful and friendly. Be sure to buy some plants to take home with you. Education is a big priority here so great fild guides and books are available for purchase along with the obligatory fridge magnets and tshirts that all go to suppott a wonderful cause. read more
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