The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s summer exhibit Butterflies Alive! will open Saturday, May 29 in the Sprague Butterfly Pavilion. Featuring 1,000 live butterflies, the exhibit runs through Monday, Sept. 6.
The museum’s indoor and outdoor exhibits are open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday; reservations are required for admission at sbnature.org/tickets.
One of the museum’s most popular exhibits, Butterflies Alive! features a variety of butterflies, from local favorites like the Monarch to exotic types like swallowtails, longwings, Gulf Fritillaries, and Malachites. Various butterfly species cycle through the pavilion throughout the summer, so no two visits are the same.
Beautiful flowers and foliage provide butterflies with nectar and roosting space. Guests can discuss butterfly behavior and biology with trained volunteer interpreters.
Last year, the museum’s indoor exhibits were closed during Butterflies Alive!, but this year, with indoor exhibits open concurrently, guests can see pavilion-bound butterflies emerge from their chrysalides in the Santa Barbara Gallery’s emergence chamber.
Those interested in more behind-the-scenes peeks can view the video series that followed last year’s butterflies from pupae to pavilion.
The full series hosted by Butterfly Pavilion senior manager Kim Zsembik is available at sbnature.org/magic-window and features — in addition to close-up views of every stage of the butterfly life cycle — guest appearances by the museum’s entomologist and a Q&A with Zsembik about what it’s like to work with butterflies.
“We are excited to invite members and guests back to our Butterfly Pavilion this summer,” Zsembik said. “After so much positive feedback last year, we’ve kept our socially distant pavilion similar to 2020, allowing families and guests to peacefully explore the pavilion in nine butterfly zones.
“Guest favorites like Malachite and Swallowtail butterflies are not to be missed.”
The museum currently requires online reservations to limit the number of guests on campus at one time. Face masks are required for anyone age three and older, and must cover nose and mouth at all times while on museum property indoors and outdoors.
Those interested in helping the butterflies at the museum this summer are invited to sponsor a butterfly. Opportunities range from $50-$10,000, and sponsorship includes recognition on the exhibit’s Wall of Wings.
To learn more, visit sbnature.org/butterflies-alive.