Festival of Butterflies

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Festival of Butterflies invites nature enthusiasts of all ages to celebrate the Midwest’s most whimsical pollinator at Powell Gardens. Spend a day outdoors exploring tropical and native butterflies alongside stunning botanic displays. This festival is a Kansas City family-favorite! 

In 2023, Festival of Butterflies will explore butterflies through cultures around the world. Visit weekly to learn about butterflies in Mexico and Central America (July 21-22), the South Pacific Islands (July 28-29), and Japan (August 4-5).

Start your journey in the Martha Jane Phillips Starr Conservatory with an up-close encounter with Queen and Monarch butterflies and moths. Before you leave the Visitor Center, venture into the new Moth Cave.

Next, travel to the Garden Galleries to learn about host plants and the butterflies they support. Follow the Butterfly Meadow through some of Missouri’s native pollinating plants. Near the path’s entrance, you’ll find the Native Butterfly Tent full of butterflies native to the Midwest.

Continue exploring off the beaten path. The Lotus Pond (located on the 1-mile Family Discovery Loop) features a mass planting of morning-blooming American Lotus and three decks to enjoy pond-side.

Round out your visit by adding butterfly excursions to your itinerary. Favorites include the Butterfly Lab, Science Exploratorium, a visit to Fortopia, climbing around the Pollinator Playground, coloring at the Creation Station, and more!

Powell Gardens’ signature glass-domed conservatory is home to favorite and unique pollinators each year. This summer, Queen and Monarch butterflies steal the show!

Start your journey in the Martha Jane Phillips Starr Conservatory for an up-close encounter with butterflies and moths from around the world. Look in the emergence chamber for the newest moth or butterfly drying their wings before flight. The conservatory will be filled with flower power for all the butterflies with a new butterfly topiary sitting in the center of the water pool.