A black and white striped Zebra Longwing butterfly nectars on bright pink verbena flowers at the Museum of Natural History exhibit. (Courtesy photo)
A Zebra Longwing butterfly nectars on bright pink verbena flowers at the Museum of Natural History exhibit. (Courtesy photo)

The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s (SBMNH) annual summer exhibit Butterflies Alive! will be open Saturday, May 25 through Monday, Sept, 2.

Featuring more than two dozen tropical butterfly species from Costa Rica, the immersive experience invites visitors to walk through a pollinator garden while roughly 1,000 live butterflies flutter freely around them.

Visitors can wander through a mix of native and non-native plants and uncover butterflies hidden around every corner. Interpreters are stationed throughout the exhibit to offer insect facts.

No visit is the same with varieties of butterfly species emerging each week, SBMNH said.
 
“Guests can delight in two experiences by viewing our butterfly emergence chamber and live butterfly garden,” said Kim Zsembik, director of guest experience. “We rear more than 5,000 butterfly chrysalids each summer, and will host more than 24 species of butterfly.

“Nowhere in nature do you see these sparkling and dazzling chrysalids all together,” she said. “We hope this inspires curiosity and interest in learning more about the life cycles of insects.”

The exhibit is included with SBMNH admission and open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Monday. Last entry into the pavilion is at 4:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended at sbnature.org/tickets.

To support the butterfly care and habitat maintenance of the exhibit, and receive recognition on the Museum’s Wall of Wings, donate at sbnature.org/donate or contact Robert Shutt, development assistant, 805-682-4711 ext.110 or RShutt@sbnature2.org.