Butterflies & Blooms at The Conservatory of Flowers

The Conservatory of Flowers has brought back the exhibit, Butterflies & Blooms. One of the most requested exhibits since its last appearance three years ago; it’s the perfect weekend activity for you and the whole family. Enter the special exhibit gallery and experience its current transformation to a cottage garden filled with 20 species of vibrant and North American butterflies. You’ll even get a chance to get up close to monarchs surrounded by blossoms like zinnias, and daisies.

You’ll learn about the important role Butterfly pollination plays in our environment. It’s important to the survival of many plants such as the firecracker plant, which is exclusively pollinated by them. They are not as efficient as the bee but with the slow extinction of bees, butterflies are becoming an even more important part of the process. Without the process many plants wouldn’t be able to produce fruit and/or reproduce.

You’ll learn fun facts like how Butterflies taste with their feet using special receptors. This helps them determine if a flower is a good place to lay eggs or take a drink. You’ll also learn about the monarch and its approximate 3,000-mile migration journey, the longest migration of any insect.

A Butterfly Bungalow is located at the entrance of the gallery where you can observe the different stages of a butterfly’s life cycle. You may be lucky enough to observe one during its final stage of transformation from caterpillar to butterfly. For $20, you can become a patrol member and release a newly emerged butterfly into the exhibit. You’ll also receive a complimentary people-sized antennae and a special Patrol badge to take home. The extra $20 donation benefits conservatory school programs.

The exhibit will run Tuesdays through Sundays, from 10am to close, until June 30, 2017. Admission is $6 for adult San Francisco residents, $2-3 for children, and $8 for non-residents. 

Conservatory of Flowers
Golden Gate Park – 100 John F. Kennedy Drive – San Francisco
http://www.conservatoryofflowers.org