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Welcome to "Invertebrates and Music Walks," a collaboration between naturalist Dave Sutherland, Boulder Philharmonic, and Butterfly Pavilion. Join us for a stroll through our tropical rainforest, accompanied by contemporary melodies inspired by the world of invertebrates. Led by Dave, immerse yourself in curated compositions as butterflies flutter around us. Conclude your journey in the Butterfly Pavilion's Discovery Gardens, where specially crafted music invites exploration of invertebrates' lives. Let curiosity guide you through this fusion of sound and nature, where every step reveals a new melody, and every encounter unveils the beauty of the unseen.

Please note: The dates and times listed are only related to your purchase and do not indicate a scheduled program. By purchasing this item, you are receiving virtual materials to facilitate and teach the program yourself - this is not a live or scheduled session.

Enhance your lessons with Butterfly Pavilion's Downloadable Lesson Plans! Each invertebrate-focused lesson plan comes with:

Curriculum Packet: Includes content background information, a detailed NGSS Standard-aligned lesson plan, a glossary, and additional resources.

Slideshow Presentation: Provided in PDF format to support your teaching.

Worksheets and Handouts: Any relevant materials for student activities in the lesson plan.

Once purchased, all materials will be attached to your confirmation email.

Learn how to build your own Preserved Mini World in this exciting class. Taught by The Terrorium Shop, a natural history store in Denver that specializes in natural preservation. In this class you will learn how to assemble a beautiful, preserved display showcasing elements of nature. Completely put your own spin on this itty-bitty world and have it for years to treasure.

Colorado is home to around 1000 species of native bees, most of which live solitary lives and play critical roles in pollination and ecosystem health. This class introduces participants to the incredible diversity of Colorado’s native bees, their biology and life histories, and the habitats they depend on. Participants will gain hands-on experience collecting bees using nets, handling specimens responsibly, and learning basic identification techniques using microscopes.

Enjoy a quiet hour of morning light photography in the tropical rainforest before we open our doors to the public. Snap photos of beautiful butterflies and exotic tropical flowers in the morning light.

Flowers are more than fine, but which plants truly serve the needs of pollinators? Meet some plant powerhouses, how to choose the right ones for the right spaces, and how to get your hands on the best material.

What looks good to human and insect eyes? Design your own habitat garden! Explore principles of aesthetic design, tool use, and what a truly pollinator-friendly design should include.

What does it take to have a garden space that is truly pollinator-friendly? Explore techniques and approaches in encouraging your garden to thrive as it’s own mini-ecosystem, and reap the benefits of less money, time, and resources spent on your space. Learn the do’s and don’ts of clean up, the signs and symptoms of different visitors to your garden, and the magic in embracing a little bit of “mess”.

So you want a pollinator garden... but how do you make it a reality? Creating a healthy garden goes beyond pretty plant choices and where to place them. Learn the practical pieces of installation and habitat-friendly practices and approaches – explore planting techniques, soil health, irrigation and groundcover choices and more.

Get empowered and equipped to transform outdoor spaces into pollinator habitat havens with Butterfly Pavilion's Pollinator Gardening Bootcamp workshop series! Workshops include educational lectures, interactive participation, hands-on outdoor activities, and personalized instruction. Join other curious and passionate pollinator supporters and gardening enthusiasts through the planning, design, implementation, and upkeep involved in gardening for pollinators.

Class Topics:
Workshop 1: Pollinator Gardening 101

Workshop 2: Plants for Pollinators

Workshop 3: Pollinator Garden Design

Workshop 4: Pollinator Garden Prep and Planting

Workshop 5: Pollinator Garden Maintenance and Care

At Butterfly Pavilion, we know that things can get hectic with busy butterflies and bodies buzzing around. During quiet afternoons, come experience our exhibits in a unique way that meets the needs of your family. With natural lighting, quiet tones, and limited admission, this event provides an enjoyable, low-key experience just for them. We also have a Quiet Room sponsored by SOAR Autism, which is a space for any guests experiencing sensory overload to go to and relax in a comfortable and low sensory environment. Each Sensory Friendly Afternoon offers guided interpretation in each exhibit, optional activity guides, and access to our playroom.

Did you know some animals can taste with their feet or hear with their hairs? In this camp, kids will test their own five senses against some of the coolest critters in the world and discover how bugs experience life in wild and wacky ways.

Discover the hidden ways bugs sense their world! From smelling with antennae to tasting with their feet, explore the surprising adaptations that help bugs survive and thrive.

If you've gotten your beehive through its first winter in Colorado, congratulations! You're about to have a second-year hive! With a second-year hive comes all new adventures in beekeeping, one of the most important of which is swarming. When a colony swarms, not only does a beekeeper lose their valuable, experienced queen, but other issues, such as a failure to produce a new queen or swarms moving into dangerous locations, can occur. It is in a beekeeper’s best interest to learn how to artificially create a swarm by doing a split to prevent their bees from becoming a community nuisance. It is also beneficial for new beekeepers to learn about swarm behavior and how they can get themselves free bees by becoming a swarm catcher.

In this workshop, we'll learn all about swarms, including signs that a colony is going to swarm, how to prevent your hive from swarming, how to make more hives by making splits, and basic swarm catching techniques. The workshop will start with a classroom lesson then move to Butterfly Pavilion's on-site apiary for a demonstration of how to split a hive.

Please note: The dates and times listed are only related to your purchase and do not indicate a scheduled program. By purchasing this item, you are receiving virtual materials to facilitate and teach the program yourself - this is not a live or scheduled session.

Enhance your lessons with Butterfly Pavilion's Downloadable Lesson Plans! Each invertebrate-focused lesson plan comes with:

Curriculum Packet: Includes content background information, a detailed NGSS Standard-aligned lesson plan, a glossary, and additional resources.

Slideshow Presentation: Provided in PDF format to support your teaching.

Worksheets and Handouts: Any relevant materials for student activities in the lesson plan.

Once purchased, all materials will be attached to your confirmation email.

Tickets only valid for the date selected.

Front Doors lock at 4:15 p.m.

Tickets must be reserved for children under 2.

Please see Visitor Information or FAQ page for more information.

Butterfly Pavilion membership is your all-access pass to discovery! Individual membership includes:

• Unlimited admission and benefits for one adult
• Two one-time use guest passes
• $2 off guest admission

Welcome to the Birthday Parties Booking Page!

Please select the date and time slot you're interested in booking. To review our Parties page online or check out the FAQ's please click here: https://butterflies.org/birthday-party/

Birthday Party Details:

All parties include a 2 hour room rental (with 30 additional minutes before the party time to set up), a party host and general admission to Butterfly Pavilion for up to 30 guests (children under 2 don't count towards the total). You can technically have up to 39 guests, but any additional guests over 30 will be charged the group rate of $16/adult, $12/child, and these need to be purchased in advance.

Payment is due in full at time of booking. The Birthday Party contract and final guest are due two weeks before the party. 

Supplies are an additional $50 and include tablecloths, plates, cups, napkins, and cutlery.

You can request scavenger hunts to be available or for your party host and/or add a story time. Scavenger hunts will not be facilitated by the party host and are for you to do on your own either during or after the party.

Butterfly Package

$405 for members

$450 for non-members 

This package is a Butterfly-themed party with a personal butterfly release where your party gets a front row seat to watch butterflies that emerged that day being released in our Wings of the Tropics exhibit!

Slime Party Package

$418.50 for members

$465 for non-members

Get ready for a slimy, sensational birthday party where fun meets science! Kids will explore the science behind slime in the invertebrate world through a "Does it Slime?" game, and then they will create their very own batch of color gooey slime to take home!

Bug Hunt Package (available May-September)

$418.50 for members

$465 for non-members

Make your kid's birthday an adventure! Embark on a guided tour of the gardens and waterways surrounding Butterfly Pavilion, led by your party host, and equipped with a field guide. See how many fascinating invertebrate species you can discover along the way! You might even be able to catch one!

Spiders and Friends Package

$418.50 for members

$465 for non-members

With your birthday kid as their assistant, your party host will show the group different arachnid body parts and how they function using our live arachnid animal ambassadors, preserved specimens, and interactive magnets. Children can assemble magnetic spiders and scorpions while meeting these fascinating creatures and learning all about them!

If a date does not show availability please reach out to us as we may have other spaces available.

Interested in booking a Birthday Party for more than 30 people? Please email education@butterflies.org

Butterfly Pavilion membership is your all-access pass to discovery! Just for Two membership includes:

• Unlimited admission and benefits for one adult and one guest
• Two one-time use guest passes
• $2 off guest admission

Butterfly Pavilion membership is your all-access pass to discovery! Family membership includes:

• Unlimited admission and benefits for two adults and four children (add a caregiver for $15)
• Three one-time use guest passes
• $2 off guest admission