Butterfly Season
March 14 - May 19
Included with general admission
Springtime means the return of our annual Butterfly Season, running March 14 through May 19! This colorful celebration of butterflies and pollinators and the role they play in our Southern California ecosystem is more vibrant than ever before.
In addition to the classic Butterfly Season activities, we are celebrating the connection between human behavior and the conservation of wild creatures with a beautiful interactive butterfly mobile made entirely of upcycled waste-stream materials. The art installation, Butterfly Kaleidoscope (formerly Magic in the Air), invites visitors to immerse themselves in a giant kaleidoscope of Monarch butterflies. The kinetic sculpture was created by Kidspace artist-in-residence, Christopher Lutter, working with museum visitors and community volunteers.
Reserve Tickets
Butterfly Season highlights include:
- Los Trompos. Climb inside the giant spinning tops for a bright, colorful, whirling ride or work together to get them spinning for new friends.
- Bug safaris. Kidspace will provide the magnifying glass and some expert tips; you bring your curiosity and keen creature-spotting skills and join in our search for eggs, caterpillars, and adult insects around campus.
- Create a caterpillar. What kind of fuzzy caterpillar would you like to create? Shape your creature out of clay, and then add seeds to sprout a fuzzy fellow of your own to take home
- Flower showers. You can support pollinators such as butterflies by growing plants that attract and feed them. Grab a watering can and learn about what plants butterflies and other pollinators rely on while helping the flowers grow.
- Fantasy flutter-by play. Dress up like a butterfly, sit in a “chrysalis,” and take your picture with a beautiful set of monarch wings.
- Live caterpillar adoptions. They’re back! (Starting March 14) A living science project the whole family (or classroom) will enjoy; raising and releasing native Painted Lady butterflies. The whole process takes about two weeks from tiny caterpillar through metamorphosis to lovely butterfly, ready to release into nature. Caterpillar adoptions are available onsite through the Kidspace store or online at store.kidspacemuseum.org. All caterpillars must be picked up in person at the museum. Caterpillars start at just $8, and care instructions are available online.