Butterfly Center

	Butterfly Center Insect Zoo Butterflies Adopt-A-Butterfly Hall of Entomology IMAX Now Showing Coming Soon About IMAX® Mixers IMAX 3D Film Distribution Planetarium Now Showing Coming Soon About the Planetarium George Observatory Directions & Admissions Astronomy Classes Birthdays at the George Scouting at the George Challenger at the George Challenger Center History of Challenger Your Mission Rookie Pricing Accepting Your Mission Teacher Launch Pad Teacher Ready Room Corporate Teambuilding

Corporate Sales Information Request Form

The Cockrell Butterfly Center

Click here for more butterflies!

The Cockrell Butterfly Center at the Houston Museum of Natural Science is a stunning, living exhibit that showcases hundreds of live butterflies in a naturalistic rainforest setting. The central conservatory is a dramatic three-story glass cone filled with tropical plants and exotic butterflies. During a typical visit, one can expect to see 50 to 60 different species of the world’s largest and most colorful butterfly species, flying through the balmy air, hovering over flowers or sipping fruit juice – and occasionally, landing on visitors!

The butterflies are raised on special butterfly farms in tropical Asia and North, Central, and South America, and shipped to the Center in their chrysalis form. Be sure to check out the Chrysalis Corner while you’re here; you might be lucky enough to see a butterfly emerge and expand its wings before being released into the Center.

Cockrell Butterfly Center Spring Plant Sale
Saturday, April 12, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
7th Floor of Museum Parking Garage
Download the Spring Plant Sale Flyer

Bugs on Wheels

Teachers, learn about our Bugs on Wheels program.

Peering through the top of
the Cockrell Butterfly Center

Also included in the Butterfly Center experience is an Insect Zoo, where you’ll meet some of the butterflies’ more creepy-crawly relatives, and the Entomology Hall, where hundreds of spectacular specimens of preserved butterflies, moths, beetles, and other insects are displayed.

The plants in the Cockrell Butterfly Center are of great interest to those with horticultural leanings. You may wish to pick up a guide to the plants to help you learn more about the plants when you visit.

Sometimes they might land on you!

Since it opened in 1994, one of the main goals of the Cockrell Butterfly Center has been to promote butterfly watching, butterfly gardening, and other aspects of butterfly conservation. Many of the flowering plants that provide nectar for the butterflies can be grown in Houston gardens, thus providing a welcoming area for these delightful and amazing creatures. Click on the above links to learn more.

Cockrell Butterfly Center Rules

     No food, drinks or gum are allowed in the Butterfly Center
      No strollers
      Visitors should not touch the plants, butterflies or other animals
      School groups must provide a minimum of one adult for every ten children
      Handicapped access is available via the elevator to all three levels.