Opening Soon! Missoula Butterfly House & Insectarium
We are so excited that the Missoula Butterfly House & Insectarium will soon be open to the public! The 406 Families team got a sneak peak of Missoula’s newest museum and it did not disappoint! For the past few years, the Missoula Butterfly House & Insectarium has been busy constructing their vision of providing a state of the art facility for its resident insects and the Missoula community.
Located at the Missoula County Fairgrounds, the Gerald W. Marks Exploration Center and Rocky Mountain Garden houses a collaboration of two phenomenal nonprofits: The Missoula Butterfly House & Insectarium and Healthy Acres Healthy Communities Foundation. With a goal to bring nature conservation and education to our community, these two nonprofits have been busy fundraising for this vision for the past few years.
“This was a dream that started 20 years ago,” said Lisa Verlanic Fowler, a board member. “My fingers would fall off if I wrote about all the obstacles in the way during this process, but the community never gave up. My heart still soars in awe of what was accomplished.”
The facility boasts a year-round butterfly house that is home to free-flying butterflies from around the world, an exploration room dedicated to insect exhibits, a lab, office spaces, and conference/classroom space to provide presentations.
So much to see!
The exploration room was filled with insect exhibits, including an opportunity to hold or touch several insects—if you dare! Lily, Charity’s four-year-old daughter enjoyed learning about and touching the Leaf Insect (Phyllium philippinicum) and Charity really enjoyed learning about and touching the horned passalus.
The butterfly house was stellar, as expected! The tropical climate filled with luscious colorful plants was a perfect habitat for the butterflies. The room is filled with a variety of plants that are as equally fascinating and beautiful as the butterflies that inhabit the area. As you follow the walk-way throughout the butterfly house, there are several areas to see butterflies up close at thoughtfully placed feeding dishes filled with fruit. As you approach the exit, there is a window box filled with butterflies in several stages of their metamorphosis. One of the insectarium staff explained that several of the butterflies had just hatched from their chrysalis and were in the process of stretching and drying their wings prior to taking flight.
Two large microscopes with video screens were a fan favorite for kids and adults, and Tiffany’s kiddos spent the most time staring at various insects, scorpions, and butterflies under the microscope. And we are all so excited for the ant exhibit coming this spring!
There is also a small play area for young explorers with a felt board, books, and toys which was a fun treat for our kids.
Opening Soon!
The Missoula Butterfly House & Insectarium will open on Wednesday, December 6th and it’s definitely a must see! Many thanks to the Marangelos, the late Byron Weber, the board of directors, the staff, and the community for making this dream a reality. A great way to support this wonderful nonprofit is by becoming a member. There are several membership opportunities and with the holidays right around the corner, they make a great gift!
Learn More
Visit the Missoula Butterly House & Insectarium’s website for more information about the the Gerald W. Marks Exploration Center and Rocky Mountain Garden and about their program.
