PHOENIX — The Desert Botanical Garden’s Majestic Mariposas experience invites visitors to wander a magical pavilion where they can see more than 1,000 butterflies up close in the Cohn Family Butterfly Pavilion.
“We will be having monarchs back this fall, and at any given time, there's about 1,200 to 1,500 butterflies in the exhibit,” said Glaiza Boccelli, a special exhibit supervisor at the Desert Botanical Garden, in an interview with ABC15. “We get shipments...every week..."
You can also watch butterflies emerge from chrysalis, which will add to the number of butterflies each week, as you read educational signs about their life cycle.
Your admission grants access to a family-friendly and engaging experience suitable for any occasion.
“We try to showcase butterflies that are desert-adapted, that can be found in the southwest or have migratory roots through Arizona. In Arizona alone, there are about 350 different species that can be found in our state. And it's important to take care of our butterflies, because they are also pollinators, just like bees,” shared Boccelli.
According to Boccelli, the pavilion will host between 10 and 12 different butterfly species, and, periodically, visitors will have the opportunity to see moths in the exhibit. However, most of the displayed insects will be butterflies, as they are primarily diurnal, or daytime, creatures.
Learn more about the Monarch butterflies right here.
IF YOU GO
- Venue location: Desert Botanical Garden [1201 N. Galvin Pkwy.] in Phoenix
- Event dates: The experience runs from September 27 to November 16, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Enjoy this experience as part of your membership or general admission visit
