Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to spend time with friends and took our kids to the Butterfly Biosphere at Thanksgiving Point. It was the first time I'd been there. It occupies a relatively small area, but I felt it was worth the money. For context, adult tickets were $24, and children's cost $17 each.
In the front part of the biosphere are displays of various critters. I was surprised that the kids weren't too scared of the gnarly-looking tarantulas and scorpions.
The most exciting part for the children was watching the vast artificial tunnel network for the leaf cutter ants. It was cool seeing how the ants move their goods and grow their farms. We tried to find the queen ant with no luck. She was well hidden. I don't have any photos that didn't require me to edit out people's identities, so you'll have to take my narrative at face value.
The biosphere itself was a hot and humid climate. Visitors were to take off their coats before entering.
There were plaques pointing out the types of butterflies we should expect. There were longevity studies, and they asked visitors to send photos of marked butterflies. They were trying to compare the lifespan between wild types and conservatory-kept specimens.
During my visit, none of us had the privilege of having a butterfly stop on our fingers. Although, the staff did warn us about hitchhikers who might accidentally escape the area.
The residents seem to enjoy fruity snacks. There were also flowers which they could feast on the nectars.
Overall, it was a pleasant environment with lots of light and occasional mists raining down the conservatory.
The more exciting part of our visit was watching butterflies emerging from their chrysalises. I was pretty excited myself. I have never witnessed it in person before. The kids, too, were stoked to see it happening before their eyes.
After exiting the biosphere, the children played at the playground in the area. We had lunch at a local Slab Pizza afterward. There are other attractions at Thanksgiving Point that are great for families. I might plan on more trips with friends over the summer before school starts.