Louisville, KY., – The Louisville Zoo starts summer with a burst of color as the new Butterflies n’ Blooms exhibit. This temporary exhibit is free with Zoo admission or membership. Butterflies n’ Blooms is presented by Ford Motor Company and is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weather permitting through September 24.
Zoo guests will be able to walk amongst hundreds of native butterflies sipping nectar from colorful flowers in the new 1,000 sq. ft. outdoor flight house located in the Africa Zone across from the bongo exhibit. Butterfly and plant identification signs will help guest interpret what they are seeing. Inside the exhibit, guests can also learn about and witness the lifecycle of the butterfly from caterpillar to chrysalid to butterfly.
Zoo guests will see a variety of butterfly species over the course of the summer starting with over 400 monarchs and painted ladies. Other species will appear throughout the summer reaching a population of over 700 butterflies featuring species such as American lady, mourning cloak, comma, question mark, pipevine swallowtail, zebra swallowtail, spicebush swallowtail and giant swallowtail, among others. The full butterfly species list with photos can be found on the Zoo’s butterfly website at louisvillezoo.org/butterflies along with frequently asked questions, dos and don’ts for butterfly encounters, tips on helping butterflies at home, the use of beneficial bugs, pollinators, fun butterfly merchandise at the gift shop and more.
The Zoo is proud to announce it is now officially a certified Monarch Waystation. Monarch Waystations provide critical resources necessary for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their long migration.
The butterfly exhibit is produced in collaboration with Idlewild Butterfly Farm.
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The Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and state zoo of Kentucky, is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation education. The Zoo is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
