The weather warms and the sun starts to shine longer as spring and summer come into season. Family and friends look forward to spending time outdoors and the arrival of spring at Franklin Park Conservatory is a beautiful time. Every year Franklin Park hosts the event “Blooms and
Butterflies” that turns the conservatory into a bright colorful space filled with flowers and hundreds of butterflies. This event captures the beauty of nature and gives people a chance to experience the season in a different way out of everyday life. The event starts on February 21st, and goes until July 5th opening their doors every day at 10am and closing them at 5pm.
At the center of the exhibit is the Pacific Island Water Garden where you get to walk through a warm tropical space surrounded by butterflies that can be found all around the world. I personally loved this experience because they don’t keep the butterflies behind cages or glass, they let them fly free through the area. The butterflies would often land on the path or plants where you would walk through and it gave them a chance to also land on you to see their beauty up close. The close interaction with the butterflies truly makes the experience more memorable and special. I personally felt as if the interaction was more entertaining and fun because it didn’t feel like a regular museum experience. Staff members and volunteers were also stationed throughout the exhibit and shared information about the butterflies, their species, life cycles and how they survive in different environments.
After visitors exited the exhibit and went outside, they were met with the conservatory filled with flowers of all kinds blooming. The area is covered in bright and colorful flowers such as: tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and several other seasonal flowers. The colorful display created such a magical and whimsical vibe as visitors walked through the gardens. Walking through the gardens it gives people a chance to take a break from reality and slow down and appreciate the little things in life and nature. The environment is filled with nothing but positivity and a feeling of lightness as you breathe in the scent from the flowers and just focus on being in the present.
“Blooms and butterflies” is not just for show though, the beauty of this event stands up and helps show people and spreads awareness about environmental issues. At one of the stations the staff members were located at, they talked to the visitors in hopes to educate them about the key role butterflies play in pollination. As pollution enters our atmosphere, the climate changes and butterflies habitats change, their population numbers can and have been taking a hit. By showing butterflies in an interactive way, the conservatory helps visitors understand the importance of why we need to protect natural habitats.
Overall this event was an amazing experience and my family and I had a great time being able to enjoy the warm weather. This event showed more than just butterflies, it showed a story of nature and the beauty behind it that can get lost in the details of life. It served as a reminder of growth and change having meaning and no matter who you are, you can appreciate the beauty behind it. I highly recommend going whether it’s with friends or family. And just as a reminder they are open till July 5th from 10am -5pm and general admission is $23.50.
