Plan Your Visit
Tropical Butterfly House
Step into Pacific Science Center’s Tropical Butterfly House for a quick vacation. Welcome to 4,000 square feet of free flying butterflies and colorful fragrant flowers. It is warm and sunny every day of the year. Experience the flight of hundreds of butterflies; a different mix of species every time you visit.
Some of the plants are stars in their own right, including the trees that give us coffee, cocoa and cinnamon. Others feed the butterflies with nectar-rich flowers, or give them resting spots when they take a break from flying. Learn more about our plants with the Butterfly House Plant Identification Guide (En Español). Chrysalis are just as beautiful and intriguing as butterflies. Look in our emerging window for a sneak peek at next week’s butterflies. If you are very lucky, you might watch a butterfly emerge.
Preparing For Your Visit
The Tropical Butterfly House walkways are too narrow to allow strollers, but there is plenty of stroller parking just outside. To keep things in good order, we ask guests not to bring food inside with them. While butterflies are completely harmless to people, they are very delicate animals. Please do not touch any butterflies. Butterflies do occasionally land on guests so as you leave, we will ask you to help us check for any accidental hitchhikers. What might you see while you visit? Here is our Butterfly Identification Guide (En Español). If you wish to do a bit of research before visiting, try our Discussion Ideas & Activities. Braille guides are available upon request. An audio guide is available here.
Sourcing Our Butterflies
We purchase the butterflies in our exhibit as chrysalis from farmers who raise them in their countries of origin.
We source from farms that sustain not just our butterfly species, but also the habitats that support a host of other organisms.
If you raised butterflies at home or for a class and are looking to responsibly find them a home, Pacific Science Center can accept them and will add them to our live butterfly exhibit. Before bringing any butterflies by, make sure to connect up with our Animal Care team who can arrange a good release time and let you know all you need to know. You can email them at butterflies@pacsci.org.
The Tropical Butterfly House is included with general admission to Pacific Science Center’s exhibits. Plan your visit today!
Adopt a Butterfly
Love the Tropical Butterfly House? Spread that love by adopting one of our beautiful winged creatures! Starting at just $50, your adoption will help care for the butterflies in the Tropical Butterfly House, and support of the hands-on science programming offered at Pacific Science Center. And, you’ll receive some exclusive benefits for your generosity.