Ok, first…yes, I call them flutterbys, I did as a kid and I still do. Second, I love flutterbys, they make me happy, and third…this is a warning, if you do not like other things found in the insect world, I will let you know when to skip a paragraph and photos, I do not want anyone wigged out. Yes, especially you DLP!
Not much was going on today and PSM had to work, so, after errands, I headed out to the Sophia M Sachs Butterfly House and it was so worth it! I cannot wait for visitors so I can share it with them. I don’t remember if I told you about the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium in New Orleans, which I found out today was permanently closed, but…it’s moving to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas on the river, not sure when it will be finished, but if you’re in the area when it’s open, GO! Yup, go! Ok, back to the Butterfly House here in St Louis! Also…so worth it! Tickets were $8, so reasonable!
It’s in Faust Park, which also has the St Louis Carousel, which I didn’t go in/on, cannot wait though! Who’s coming to visit first?! Parking was free, bonus! It’s a nice big park, there is a playground, lots of people picnicking, hanging out. There were two people with a dog hanging out when I got there and when I left, they were all still there, must be a really nice place to hang, I’ll let you know next time! Just a tidbit…The park was created in 1968 through the generosity of Leicester & Mary Plant Faust who donated the property, which today contains nearly 200 acres in the heart of Chesterfield. It was their intention to forever preserve the original estate of Missouri’s second governor, Frederick Bates.
In I went! I had my ticket scanned, you have to have a reservation and purchase your tickets in advance, easy! I was told what to expect when I went in and away I went. Ok…if you are woogie about crawly things, bugs, this is where you should skip this paragraph and photo, move to the next set.
I asked if this was similar to the Insectarium in New Orleans, the person at the desk didn’t know, but it seems they are all set up similarly. You are introduced to different species of bugs, I only took pictures of the ones I thought were cool and could look at! We started with the Taxicab Beetle, very cool, they have faces on their backsides so predators avoid attacking because they think the beetle can see them! Derby’s Flower Beetles, beautiful green and shiny, and interestingly, the males have a horn and the females don’t. Then there were Caribbean Hermit Crabs, they are H U G E!!! Then came some things most people don’t like, I think they’re cool and MM absolutely loves! Brazilian Salmon Pink Tarantula, Trinidad Chevron Tarantula, Mexican Red Rump Tarantula, Brazilian White Knee Tarantula, Curly Hair Tarantula, so cool and not as creepy as you might think! And lastly, Black Beauty Stick Insects, cool!
Before you go into the butterfly conservatory, you have to watch a short film, it’s less than 3 minutes, about how things work at the butterfly house when they get shipments of chrysalis, it was very cool and I learned a lot. They even call it a butterfly mardi gras! It’s when they release 1,500+ butterflies into the conservatory, it’s fascinating! Are you ready to go into the conservatory? I am!
When you walk in, it’s a little toasty, think tropical, muggy, a little sticky after a while, perfect for the flutterbys. There were trees, trees, and more trees, lots of foliage! and waterfalls, and ponds, and lots of places for the butterflies to land…if they wanted to! There were plates of food, hanging from branches, on stands, and the food consisted of bananas and pineapple slices, sounds good to me! Every so often you would catch a glimpse of a butterfly having a sip or bite of something, do they bite anything?
Everywhere I turned, something was happening! There were even paper lanterns with fun facts about butterflies. They move so fast! It was hard to get pics, but there were a few fabulous moments and I was able to snap a pic. I even got a selfie of one, that was choice!
I just kept snapping pics! The butterflies were so beautiful, so many shades, colors, patterns, speed, areal stunts, soaring, floating, just amazing and if you’re lucky, one might land on your head, hand, foot…I got lucky with a moment on my foot! In addition to the butterflies, there were amazing flora and fauna, orchids, hibiscus, and so much more, it was awash with color! I was in the conservatory for about 35/40 minutes and it was so worth it! I cannot wait to share this with PSM and others!
I walked out of the conservatory and back onto the grounds, it was lovely, butterfly benches, a pond, places for classes, and there was even a Mad Hatter Tea Party going on, it was fun! There were mothers, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, all sorts of combinations, and everyone was dressed up and wearing great big hats!
You know I love flowers and there were some fabulous flowers throughout the grounds.
At the entrance, well, exit at this point, sculptures, art installations, a pond, and lots of greenery.
Overall, it was a wonderful experience and so worth it. If you have the time, I recommend it, I’m ready to go back, maybe with a picnic lunch! Fly, flit, fly away flutterbys!
Peaches Prattlings 