Ground was broken for the Butterfly House in June 1997, and the Butterfly House opened its doors to the public on September 18, 1998. In 2000 the outdoor area known as the Butterfly Garden was dedicated.
In July, 2001, the Butterfly House became a division of the Missouri Botanical Garden.
In 2002, the "Emerson Lakeside Terrace" was opened. This plaza area is the site for many special events, both public and private. The Butterfly House also started participating with the Butterfly Conservation Initiative (BFCI) of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
In 2003, the Butterfly House was accredited by the AZA, becoming the only dedicated insect facility in this organization.
In 2007, the historic Faust Family greenhouse structure was renovated, and started supplying much of the food needs for the animals. The facility was also recognized by El Bosque Nuevo as having purchased enough pupae from this sustainable butterfly farm for it to purchase an additional 16 acres (6.5ha) of land.
Exhibits and facilities
Butterflies feeding
The main hallway contains several smaller exhibits, including Small Wonders, which focuses on habitats and lifestyles of invertebrates and arachnids, Butterflies of the World, which focuses on butterfly diversity, a children's video called Butterflies, and Aquatic Invertebrates.[2]
The Emerson Family Theater shows "The Butterfly Effect", a 17-minute introduction to butterfly behaviors and anatomy, twice each hour, and the Lopata Learning Lab provides formal classroom space for the educational activities of the Butterfly House.[2]
Interior of the butterfly zoo
The Conservatory Garden is an 8,000 square feet (740m2) glasses-in indoor habitat for butterflies. It consists of 5 vaults, the tallest of which is 36 feet (11m) high at its apex to minimize visual (and flight) obstruction. This carefully controlled tropical environment houses as many as 80 butterfly species and 150 tropical plant species. In the "Miracle of Metamorphosis", hundreds of chrysalides from around the world are on display for visitors to watch the process of metamorphosis.[2]
Outdoors overlooking a reflecting pond is the Emerson Lakeside Terrace, a multi-use area available for rent that can host weddings, receptions, corporate dinners, and other large gatherings. Next to this is the Butterfly Garden, a demonstration garden where plants were carefully selected to serve as hosts for caterpillars and nectar sources for butterflies, as well as habitat for other animals in the adjacent Faust Park. This garden includes an outdoor classroom pavilion.[2]
The Saint Louis Zoo, officially known as the Saint Louis Zoological Park, is a zoo in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri. It is recognized as a leading zoo in animal management, research, conservation, and education. The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Admission is free based on a public subsidy from a cultural tax district, the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District (ZMD); fees are charged for some special attractions. A special feature is the 2 ft narrow-gauge Emerson Zooline Railroad with passenger trains pulled by Chance Rides C.P. Huntington locomotives that encircle the zoo, stopping at the more popular attractions.
The Montreal Biodome is a facility located at Olympic Park in the Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, that allows visitors to walk through replicas of four ecosystems found in the Americas. The building was originally constructed for the 1976 Olympic Games as a velodrome with 2,600 seats. It hosted both track cycling and judo events. Renovations on the building began in 1989 and in 1992 the indoor nature exhibit was opened.
Woodland Park Zoo is a wildlife conservation organization and zoological garden located in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. The zoo is the recipient of over 65 awards across multiple categories. The zoo has around 900 animals from 250 species and the zoo has over 1 million visitors a year.
The Detroit Zoo is a zoo located in the cities of Huntington Woods and Royal Oak in the U.S. state of Michigan. Spanning 125 acres (50.6 ha), it houses more than 2,000 animals and more than 200 different species. The zoo was the first U.S. zoo to feature bar-less habitats, and is regarded to be an international leader in animal welfare, conservation and sustainability by the Detroit Zoological Society.
The Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden is a zoo that opened in 1928 in Evansville, Indiana, United States. It is located in Mesker Park on Evansville's northwest side and is run by the City of Evansville.
The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is a zoo and botanical garden located in Oklahoma City's Adventure District in northeast Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is located in Bridgeland, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, just east of the city's downtown and adjacent to the Inglewood and East Village neighborhoods. It is accessible via Calgary's C-Train light rail system, by car via Memorial Drive, and by bicycle and footpath via the Bow River pathway. A large portion of the zoo is located on St. George's Island in the Bow River.
The Franklin Park Zoo is a 72 acres (290,000 m2) zoo located in Boston, Massachusetts and is currently operated by Zoo New England, which also operates the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, Massachusetts. The zoo is located in the northeast portion of Franklin Park, Boston's largest park and the last component of the city's famed Emerald Necklace.
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park, formerly the Living Desert Zoological and Botanical State Park, is a zoo and botanical garden displaying plants and animals of the Chihuahuan Desert in their native habitats. It is located off U.S. Route 285 at the north edge of Carlsbad, New Mexico, at an elevation of 3,200 feet (980 m) atop the Ocotillo Hills overlooking the city and the Pecos River. It is open every day except Christmas.
The Topeka Zoo is a medium-sized zoo in Topeka, Kansas in the United States. It is located within Gage Park, just off I-70 in the north central portion of the city. Despite its size, it houses over 300 animals in a number of exhibits, including one of the first indoor tropical rain forests in the United States. It is one of the most popular attractions in Topeka, with over 250,000 visitors a year.
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, formerly the Living Desert Museum, is a non-profit zoo and desert botanical garden located in Palm Desert, Riverside County, California, United States. The Living Desert is home to over 500 animals representing over 150 species and welcomes over 500,000 visitors annually. Situated in the Sonoran Desert of the Coachella Valley and Santa Rosa Mountains foothills near Palm Springs, California, The Living Desert is set on 1,200 acres, with 80 developed as zoo and gardens.
The Bayer Insectarium is an insectarium located within the Saint Louis Zoo in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Having opened in 2000 and designed by David Mason & Associates with a cost of $4 million, this 9,000 square feet (840 m2) facility houses educational exhibits and an active breeding and research facility. It also includes a window to the exhibits area and two-way communications so visitors may watch entomologists work and ask them questions. The facility even includes a geodesic flight dome cage, which is home to numerous rainforest flowers and butterfly species.
The Fresno Chaffee Zoo is a zoo in Roeding Park in Fresno, California covering 39 acres and housing over 190 species. Its attractions include Stingray Bay, Dino Dig, Valley Farm, Sea Lion Cove, African Adventure, and Ross Laird's Winged Wonders Bird Show. The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
The Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park is a 13-acre (5.3 ha) zoological park located in Warner Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The zoo was established in 1937 by the City of Chattanooga with the construction of two 4 by 6 feet cages for rhesus monkeys. The zoo has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 1998.
The Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park is an AZA zoo in Syracuse, New York. It is owned and operated by Onondaga County Parks with support from the Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. The zoo is home to more than 900 animals representing 216 species on 43 acres (17 ha). Some of the more popular animals include Asian elephants, Humboldt penguins, Amur tigers, a Komodo dragon and the only Giant Pacific octopus exhibit in Central New York. The zoo opened a new Animal Health Center in 2022 that is the largest zoological medical center in New York state outside of the Bronx Zoo.
The Texas State Aquarium is a nonprofit aquarium located in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States. It aims to promote environmental conservation and rehabilitation of the wildlife of the Gulf of Mexico. It has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 1995. It is the largest aquarium in Texas and one of the largest aquaria in the United States.
The Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens is a 116-acre (47 ha) zoo and botanical garden located north of Orlando, Florida in Sanford. As a not-for-profit organization, it is a leader in conservation, providing experiences that inspire actions on behalf of wildlife. The Zoo has been an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 1986.
The Butterfly Pavilion is located in Westminster, Colorado. It opened on July 15, 1995, and was the first stand-alone non-profit insect zoo in the United States. The 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) facility is situated on 11 acres (4.5 ha) of land, and contains five main exhibit areas to teach visitors about butterflies and other invertebrates. The main exhibit is an indoor rain forest filled with 1,200 free-flying tropical butterflies.
The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo (BAMZ) is a facility located in Flatts Village, Bermuda, about 700 mi (1,100 km) east of the United States and at the geographic center of Bermuda. It was established in 1926 by the Bermuda government to enhance a growing tourism industry and "to inspire appreciation and care of island environments." The facility focuses on showing oceanic island species and in conservation, education, and research related to these species, and contains an aquarium, a natural history museum, and a zoo.
Clyde Peeling's Reptiland, which opened in 1964, is a zoo located in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, and specializes in reptiles and amphibians. The zoo houses mambas, cobras, vipers, pythons, and other snakes, as well as alligators, tortoises, lizards, and frogs. Reptiland has been an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 1986.
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