There’s something almost ethereal about a butterfly landing on you. You hold still, not wanting to disturb the delicate creature; between its landing and takeoff, your goal being to preserve the precious moment as long as possible.
Most everyone who visits the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls, Ontario, reacts this way — that is if they’re lucky enough to be chosen by one of the 2,000 butterflies fluttering freely in the 11,000-square-foot tropical facility.
Opened 10 years ago by the provincial parks commission, the Butterfly Conservatory is a sophisticated stop in an area where there are plenty of tourist options. The tropical paradise doesn’t disappoint. It’s a 10-minute drive from the Falls (by car or by a bus called the People Mover), and inside is an impressive array of exotic plants, 50 different species of butterflies and several waterfalls. A winding 600-foot path leads you through the rainforest-like environment, past a turtle and koi pond, past feeding trays for butterflies — many, such as the popular big blue Morpho, feed on the juices of rotting fruit — and past the emergence window. It’s here that you can observe butterflies in various stages of development: Several times a day, new butterflies emerge from dangling chrysalises and are released into their new home.
The facility is intended to educate and entertain. You’ll start by watching a short video about the life cycle of a butterfly, and learn about their importance to our ecosystem. Then, your journey into the humid and mesmerizing butterfly world begins.