It’s a must-see March at the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House in Chesterfield. Visit for the fourth annual March Morpho Mania® and witness up to 3,000 Common Blue Morpho butterflies in free flight – ten times the normal number – inside the tropical conservatory. The Butterfly House is open March 1 through 31 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily (closed Mondays) and the event is included with general admission.
The Butterfly House is home to approximately 300 Common Blue Morpho butterflies (Morpho peleides) throughout the rest of the year. Visitors to the indoor conservatory can easily spot the large creatures amid the lush, tropical plantings thanks to the bright flash of iridescent blue – an effect of light refracted off the scales of their fluttering wings. The species is native to Central and South America and can only be seen in the U.S. inside facilities like the Butterfly House.
“We don’t know of anywhere else in the world where you will find this expansive number of blue morphos at one time,” said Joe Norton, director of the Butterfly House. “Seeing 3,000 of these butterflies at one place and time is awe-inspiring. No one should miss out on visiting for March Morpho Mania.”
The Butterfly House obtains its Common Blue Morpho butterflies from El Bosque Nuevo, a butterfly farm in Costa Rica. Children ages 2 to 12 can learn more with family-friendly activities each weekend from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Lopata Learning Lab. The first two weekends of the month, kids will explore the basics of butterfly farming as they follow a small craft caterpillar on its journey from host tree to a butterfly conservatory. The last two weekends of the month, children will examine the world of Central American chocolate and coffee farming, from harvest to pretend café.
Local vendors will be on hand intermittently throughout the month for adults to join the coffee and chocolate discussion. Enjoy samples provided by Kuva Coffee on Saturday, Mar. 19 from 10 to 11 a.m. and Kakao Chocolate Company from 2 to 3 p.m. that afternoon. The Goshen Coffee Company will also offer a tasting on Saturday, Mar. 26 from 10 to 11 a.m.
Blue morphos aren’t the only things to enjoy during the month of March at the Butterfly House. The tropical conservatory is also home to roughly 2,000 other butterflies in free flight, representing more than 60 of the world’s species. Watch new butterflies emerge from their chrysalides in the Miracle of Metamorphosis display. Step into the exhibit hallway to marvel at hundreds of arachnids and invertebrates, from spiders and scorpions to beetles and roaches. Stop by the Madame Butterfly Gift Shop to browse for blue morpho- and butterfly-inspired gifts, educational toys, books and souvenirs for all ages.
Hand-held photography inside the Butterfly House is allowed for personal use only; tripods, monopods and external flash equipment are not permitted.
The Butterfly House is located at 15193 Olive Blvd. at Faust Park in Chesterfield, Mo., accessible from Interstate 64 at exit #19B. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays (closed Mondays); Memorial Day to Labor Day, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The last ticket is sold 30 min. prior to closing each day.
Admission is $6 for adults, $4.50 for seniors (ages 65 and over), and $4 for children (ages 3 to 12). Children ages 2 and under and Missouri Botanical Garden members are free.
For more information, visit www.butterflyhouse.org or call (636) 530-0076.
The Butterfly House is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) and a division of the Missouri Botanical Garden.
The mission of the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House is “to foster a greater understanding of plant and animal relationships in the environment in order to promote the conservation and restoration of natural habitats.”
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