Butterfly icon

Tropical Butterfly House

Butterfly icon

Tropical Butterfly House

Ongoing
Included in General Admission
Wheelchair Accessible
Buy General Admission Tickets

Step Into a World of Wonder

Experience hundreds of breathtaking butterflies in their tropical habitat. Practice your powers of observation with our butterfly and plant identification guides.

Attacus atlas
(Atlas moth)
Morpho peleides
Morpho peleides
(Common Blue Morpho)
Papilio memnon

Did you know?

All of our butterflies come from sustainable farms around the world.

Curiosity Takes Flight

New Butterflies Emerging Weekly

  • 5 – Attacus atlas
  • 5 – Attacus lorquini
  • 10 – Catopsilia scylla
  • 10 – Cethosia biblis
  • 30 – Cethosia cyane
  • 10 – Chilasa clytia
  • 30 – Doleschallia bisaltide
  • 10 – Graphium agamemnon
  • 40 – Hypolimnas bolina
  • 10 – Idea leuconoe
  • 20 – Pachliopta kotzebuea
  • 30 – Papilio lowii
  • 20 – Papilio memnon
  • 10 – Papilio nephelus
  • 10 – Papilio palinurus
  • 10 – Papilio rumanzovia
  • 20 – Parthenos sylvia lilacinus
  • 10 – Parthenos sylvia philippensis
  • 10 – Parthenos sylvia violetta

A Tropical Wonderland

Have you ever examined the trees that give us coffee, cocoa, and cinnamon up close? The plants in our Tropical Butterfly House delight the senses with unique colors, textures, and smells.

Pachystachys Lutea
Cocoa Tree
Voodoo Lily

Did you know?

Some plants feed the butterflies with nectar-rich flowers, or give them resting spots when they take a break from flying.

Sourcing Our Butterflies

All of our butterflies are sustainably raised by farmers in tropical locales around the world, and they’re sent to us in their chrysalis stage. The farmers we choose to work with focus on native butterfly conservation and sustainable farming practices—butterflies are never taken from the wild for our exhibit.

If you raised butterflies at home or in your classroom and are looking to find them a good home, chances are we can welcome them into our kaleidoscope—yes, that’s what a group of butterflies is called! Please contact our Butterflies Team to learn more and arrange a possible release day and time.

Help Keep Our Butterflies Safe

  • Butterflies are completely harmless to people, but they are very delicate. Please watch your step and take care not to touch any butterflies. 
  • The Tropical Butterfly House walkways are too narrow for strollers, and strollers could harm our winged friends. Please leave strollers in the parking area outside the habitat.  
  • If a butterfly lands on you, wait patiently for it to be on its way. Please help us check for accidental hitchhikers as you leave. 
  • For the health and safety of our butterflies, organic materials are not allowed in the Tropical Butterfly House.

Resources

More to Explore

Butterfly Puddle Station

Create a healthy habitat for butterflies and observe who visits your butterfly puddle station.
Activities

PacSci Now: Butterflies Emerging

Have you ever see the moment that butterflies emerge from a chrysalis? Watch this insider’s glimpse.
Videos
More Resources

Our Supporters

Generous support provided by The Pendleton & Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation.

Additional support comes from more than 1,500 individuals, companies and foundations that donate to Pacific Science Center each year, as well as more than 13,000 member households from every corner of Washington State and around the country. Learn more about ways you can support the Tropical Butterfly House and Pacific Science Center.