Olbrich's Blooming Butterflies

July 16 - August 10, 2008  10 a.m. - 4 p.m. daily

Experience Butterflies in Living Flight in the Bolz Conservatory at 
Olbrich Botanical Gardens 

      Investigate exotic butterflies!
        Experience the thrill of butterflies in flight!
        Explore the gardens with  your butterfly passport and earn a free cone 
              from Michael's Frozen Custard!

    Investigate exotic butterflies!

• First, the butterfly exploration begins in the Lobby of Olbrich Botanical Gardens where people can investigate the mysterious exotic butterflies in Dan Capps’ collection on display and back by popular demand. Capps has traveled around the world to build the most impressive traveling display of exotic insects in North America.

      Experience the thrill of butterflies in flight!

• Next, discover rare tropical treasures hidden in the heart of Madison!  Experience the wonder of strolling through a tropical rain forest on a search for fleeting butterflies.  Live butterflies are emerging from chrysalises daily in the Bolz Conservatory.  The Bolz Conservatory, which will house the live butterflies, is a two-story glass pyramid filled with exotic plants from around the world, a rushing waterfall, fragrant orchids, and free-flying birds, and for one month out of the year, thousands of colorful butterflies.  The dainty painted lady, the exquisite swallowtail, the tropical zebra butterflies, and many others will all float through the lush greenery feeding on the nectar of bright flowers.  Up to two dozen species of butterflies, native to both Wisconsin and tropical areas of the southern United States, can be seen at various times during the exhibit. 

       Explore the gardens with  your butterfly passport and earn a free cone 
              from Michael's Frozen Custard!

• Families can collect stamps in their passport without leaving the gardens – their Butterfly Passport, that is. This fun tour will take families on a search through the outdoor gardens to find butterflies in their natural habitat, and earn a free frozen cone from Michael’s Frozen Custard. Visitors can look for Wisconsin’s native butterflies and take home ideas about how to attract butterflies to their own backyard gardens. Along the way, children can visit stamping stations to collect stamps in their Butterfly Passport while learning fun facts. The passport is the ticket to an exciting adventure during which kids will make fascinating butterfly discoveries.

• Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.  Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 3-12, and free to ages 2 and under.  Members of the Olbrich  Botanical Society are admitted free of charge. 

• Two hatcheries will be featured in the Conservatory for many opportunities to see butterflies emerging into life.

• Butterflies are supplied by butterfly farms throughout the United States, arriving as chrysalises.  The Bolz Conservatory is required to meet strict USDA permit guidelines to assure the safety of the exhibit butterflies and local butterfly populations.  USDA requirements include checks on the health of all emerging butterflies, tight controls on Conservatory exits, and management of all plant material leaving the Conservatory.  The butterflies in the exhibit may actually live longer than butterflies in the wild due to the absence of natural predators. The birds in the Conservatory are seed-eaters and have no interest in butterflies. 

• Visitors and volunteers have a lot of great questions about Olbrich's Blooming Butterflies.  Olbrich's Bolz Conservatory Curator, John Wirth, answers a few of them on Olbrich's Blooming Butterflies Fact Sheet.  

• Tickets to Olbrich's Blooming Butterflies will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, with members of the Olbrich Botanical Society admitted free of charge.  Join today!  Bus tours are welcome and are asked to contact the Gardens in advance at 608-246-4550.  Outdoor picnic seating available, weather permitting.

• Proceeds from Olbrich's Blooming Butterflies will benefit Olbrich Botanical Gardens.  Standard fees, times, and passes are temporarily suspended for this special event.