Festival of Butterflies at Powell Gardens 2014
August means Powell Gardens' Festival of Butterflies! Our family looks forward to the festival every year where we delight in the magic of enjoying hundreds of beautiful butterflies, from those native to Missouri to tropical species. Caterpillars, chrysalis, some emerging (how exciting it was to watch monarchs emerge from their chrysalis this year), and adult butterflies abound at this truly magical event.
It's safe to say that our family LOVES butterflies. Almost every room of our home includes butterflies in the decor (including a world map of butterflies), and my oldest daughter has been studying and enjoying them from day one... having many butterfly birthdays over the years. We never tire of seeing them in person (we have visited the Butterfly Palace in Branson, the Butterfly House at the Henry Doorly Zoo of Omaha, the Butterfly House at the St. Louis Zoo, and our favorite Sophia Sachs Butterfly House in St. Louis). Still, we always look forward to the Festival of Butterflies and my oldest daughter was so excited she counted down the days on her calendar in anticipation!
Tip: Powell Gardens members receive free admission to other botanical gardens across America - including the Sophia M Sach Butterfly House in St. Louis!
We try to visit on Friday or Sunday if possible (Saturday is fun too - and we have attended on Saturday before - however, for smaller crowds your best bet is Friday, then Sunday, but go with the crowds if Saturday is your only option - it is still worth it!).
The Festival includes children's activities, crafts, and exhibits, but the highlight would have to be the butterfly breezeways. You will have the chance to walk through the Butterfly Breezeway where you'll see butterflies native to Missouri. The Black Swallowtail, Pipevine Swallowtail, and Zebra Swallowtail were the favorites for my girls in this exhibit. You can also walk through the Butterfly Conservatory where up to 500 tropical butterflies and moths are on display including Blue Morphos, Luna Moths, Atlas Moths, and White Morphos. Upon entering the Conservatory you are provided with a photo chart to help identify the various species. And, you can also explore the Monarch Watch where children are taught how to gently hold monarchs (many land on people - including in the hair and on clothing), may have a chance to watch a monarch emerge from a chrysalis (we were fortunate to see this happen four times), and learn more about monarchs and their conservation.
Throughout the festival you'll see displays and educational guides on butterflies, their life cycle, what they eat, how to plant butterfly gardens and more. Other interesting experiences included "The Cat Room" where dozens of caterpillars were on display, the multipurpose room where children could participate in crafts, and the youth tent where children could catch and release butterflies and participate in educational activities. My girls also enjoyed the caterpillar hunt where they learned about five types of caterpillars among the gardens.
In addition to the festival attractions, we enjoyed exploring the gardens themselves and the girls enjoyed the Gardens Gone Wild exhibit (my four-year-old is enamored with bears and LOVES the many beautiful bear sculptures).
My girls had such a great time today, the first day of the Festival, that they've asked to return tomorrow night (Saturday) for the Evening with Butterflies!
5 Reasons we visit Every Year:
- We notice new things every year and my girls are so excited to see so many beautiful butterflies. Thanks to wonderful volunteers, we learn new things each year as well!
- New things are sometimes beautiful (I did not notice the White Morpho butterflies in the past), and sometimes they are funny - the Hickory Horned Devil Caterpillar was one of a kind!
- My children get such joy out of touching monarchs and I love the education provided by the team in the Monarch Watch Tent.
- As my girls get older, their appreciation and love of nature grows. I love that they learn about mimics, how butterflies are protected through camouflage, some are even toxic to predators, and what we can do to help the butterfly population.
- It's simply beautiful. The gardens, the butterflies, the smiles on the girls' faces... beauty!
The Festival of Butterflies is one of our family's favorite summer traditions - a definite must-see in KC!
Tips:
- You may see the butterflies all week at Powell Gardens, but festival events occur only on the weekend. Click for more Festival of Butterflies tips and info.
- Picnics are only permitted in designated areas. You may purchase food at Cafe Thyme Indoor Cafe and Outdoor Grill, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily or at reFresh: Drinks and Light Bites from the Garden, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Heartland Harvest Garden.
- Wear comfortable walking shoes - you will do a lot of walking!
- Bring the camera.
- Wear sunscreen.
- Bring water (there are drinking fountains and places to purchase drinks as well).
- Children may play in the fountain, bring swim suits / towels.
- Read about this year's Gardens Gone Wild exhibit before your visit.
Festival Schedule: August 1-3, 8-10, 2014 from 9am - 6pm
Festival Admission: $12/adults, $10/seniors 60+, $5/children ages 5 through 12, FREE/children 4 and under. Festival admission includes parking, trolley service and access to all of Powell Gardens.
- Storytelling featuring "Fancy Nancy," 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily
- Caterpillar Float & Costume Parade, 11 a.m. daily
- The Purpose of a Butterfly: Interactive Art Installation, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Learn more >
- Trolley Service, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
- Children's Activities, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Free activities include a caterpillar hunt, catch-and-release, costume parade and antennae headbands. Fee-based activities include butterfly wings ($3), paint-a-pot ($3) and face painting ($2).
- Fresh Bites with Barb the Gardener, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday
- Garden Chef Series cooking demonstrations: Jasper Mirabile, Chef/Owner of Jasper's Restaurant, 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3. Charles d'Ablaing, Executive Chef at Chaz on the Plaza, Sunday, Aug. 10
- Two evening events during the Festival of Butterflies offer an upclose look at the butterflies with nature experts and the opportunity to enjoy Powell Gardens by twilight: Family Night: An Evening with the Butterflies, 7-9 p.m. Saturday, August 2 (all ages). An Evening Escape: Monarchs & Mojitos, 7-10 p.m. Saturday, August 9 (ages 21 and older).