Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park Butterflies Are Blooming Exhibit

If you live in, or near, Grand Rapids, MI, you are most certainly familiar with Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. My husband and I have a membership and have been visiting on Tuesdays, so today I’m very happy to once again be writing about Meijer Gardens (as those of us who live in this area fondly call them) and their amazing Butterflies are Blooming Exhibit!

If you have never had the opportunity to experience, explore, discover, and learn in a butterfly exhibit, you are absolutely in for a real treat at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park as their Butterflies are Blooming exhibit is a most delightful opportunity, and certainly all you would hope and more than you can imagine!

This may sound like big “build up”, but it is the truth! So many amazing, beautiful butterflies flying all around in and among the beautiful tropical plants! It is unforgettable!

They have a Glaswing Butterfly this year - which I have not yet been able to find, but hope to do so.As you might expect, a visit would most certainly include the opportunity to see butterflies – Meijer Gardens describes it as; “This temporary, annual exhibition features thousands of tropical butterflies from Central and South America, Africa and Asia freely flying in the Tropical Conservatory. From March 1 through April 30, experience butterflies close up and watch them emerge from their chrysalises’ right before your eyes.” And, yes, it is even more incredible than it sounds!

But, this is not all! No, there is more for you to explore, experience and discover! Just look . . .

• There’s the Caterpillar Room - “The Caterpillar Room is home to the lifecycle of the Monarch butterfly during our Butterflies Are Blooming spring exhibition from March through April. Guests can watch as tiny black and yellow caterpillars feed on milkweed, spin a cocoon and emerge as Monarch butterflies.”
• The Butterfly Bungalow – “The butterflies emerge from chrysalides, or cocoons, daily at the Butterfly Bungalow. To help ease their transition to the open conservatory, staff will collect and release adult butterflies throughout the day.”
• Butterfly feeding stations – “Feeding stations provide a great spot to closely watch and identify butterflies as they feast on a honey-water solution. Also look for trays of juicy, overripe fruit.”
• On a nice Spring Day, go outside and discover the . . . “The Butterfly Maze, solve it by navigating the right path and ring the bell to sound a victory.”

A Butterfly exhibit, Caterpillar Room and Butterfly Maze all are more than enough opportunities to explore, experience and discover, but they are not all! There is more . . 

• Tropical plants and birds! “Within the Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory over 500 species from five continents are displayed in a lush, verdant setting including waterfalls, streams and bridges, as well as varieties of tropical birds.” We have noticed the Chinese Painted Quail are quite active - and fun to see for sure!
• Carnivorous Plants! “The Kenneth E. Nelson Carnivorous Plant House is the only publicly displayed plant collection in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to carnivorous plants.”
• The Children’s Garden with the treehouse, Great Lakes Garden, Kid Sense Garden, Log Cabin, and so much more!
• The Japanese Garden and, So Much More!

Yes, you could easily describe the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park as, “So much more!”

You have until April 30, 2023 to enjoy this year’s Butterflies Are Blooming exhibit, so if you live anywhere near here, or will be planning a visit anywhere near here during this time, be sure to visit . . . you will be so glad you did!