The Butterfly Pavilion is a great resource for schools, camps, and other groups. Whether exploring insects, life cycles, rainforests, or nature itself, we are the location to immerse yourself in wonder! 

Join us at the Butterfly Pavilion for your next field trip. Click below for field trip options!

• Class Visit
  
• Self-Guided Visit 
  
• Field Trip Resources (Including Field Trip Planning Guide!)
  

Tax Exempt information

Class Visit

Offered September- May
Register Online Now!

• Begin your field trip with a 40-45 minute hands-on class experience followed by a self-guided tour of our exhibits. All classes involve live invertebrate animal interactions.
• Classes are based on Colorado State Model Content Standards and incorporate life science with other disciplines such as literacy, geography and math.

Rates

• $3.75 per student
• 1 free adult admission per every 5 paid students
  (1 chaperone is required for every 10 students)
• Additional adults $8.50 each. 
  

Suggested Timing

• 40-45 minutes Class Time
• 1-1.5 hours Exhibit exploration (must be after class)
• 15-30 minutes outdoor nature trail and Discovery Garden
• 15-30 minutes lunch at outdoor picnic tables
• 2.5-3 hours TOTAL

Class Options

• Buggy Basics (Prek-12th grade recommended)
  Explore the fascinating world of arthropods – a phylum that contains 80% of the species in the animal kingdom! Uncover the defining characteristics of insects, arachnids, centipedes, millipedes and crustaceans. Discover their similarities and differences as you interact with and observe a variety of live minibeasts in the classroom!
  *CO Standards/Benchmarks Met: Science 1, 3, Literacy 4, Geography 1, 3, Literacy 4, Math 3 

• Life Cycles (K-12th grade recommended)
  What is a life cycle? Insects of all kinds undergo incredible changes as they mature through a process called metamorphosis. Explore complete metamorphosis through observations of the mealworm life cycle and compare these life stages to butterflies and grasshoppers. Do all insects change in the same way?
  *CO Standards/Benchmarks Met: Science 1, 3, Literacy 4

• Insect Inquiry (1st-12th grade recommended)
  Experience live insects up close and personal! Uncover the unique characteristics of insects while observing one of our classroom touch animals. In this inquiry-based class, students lead the discussion by posing questions, making observations and communicating possible conclusions about their insect. *CO Standards/Benchmarks Met: Science 1, 3, 5, Literacy 4, Math 3, 5

• Habitat Happenings (2nd-5th grade recommended)
  What makes a good home? Explore the living and non-living components of a habitat while focusing on invertebrate life, including insects. Who lives there? The importance of these creatures is far-reaching. Invertebrates assist in the decomposition of plant and animal material and fill a vital role in the food web of nearly every ecosystem. Discover what would happen in a habitat without invertebrates like insects and arachnids!
  *CO Standards/Benchmarks Met: Sci 1, 3, Lit 4, Geography 2, 3, 6

Self-Guided Visit

Offered year round
Register Online Now!

Explore our indoor exhibits (Crawl-A-See-Em’, Water’s Edge, Wings of the Tropics and Exhibit Hall), the outdoor nature trail and butterfly gardens.  Have lunch at our outdoor picnic tables!

Rates

• $3.50 per student
• 1 free adult admission per every 5 paid students
  (1 chaperone is required for every 10 students)
• Additional adults $8.50 each.

Suggested timing

• 1-1.5 hours Exhibit exploration
• 15-30 minutes outdoor nature trail and Discovery Garden
• 15-30 minutes lunch at outdoor picnic tables
• 2.5-3 hours TOTAL

Field Trip Resources

Field Trip planning guide

Prepare for your visit to the Butterfly Pavilion.  Read through this checklist to prepare for your trip. Click here for the field trip planning guide (in PDF format).  Guide includes Bus Parking, and our Tax Exempt information.

Final Field Trip Checklist and Information

Download our final information and bring it with you to make your check-in and visit smooth and worry free! Click here for the Final Field Trip Information (in PDF format).

Scholarships

The Butterfly Pavilion provides scholarships to Colorado schools and organizations to help alleviate admission and transportation costs for onsite visits as well as costs for outreach programs. Click here for information.

 
Classroom Loan Boxes

A perfect complement to your classroom insect and butterfly unit. Loan boxes contain a variety of books, videos, invertebrate and animal mounts, fun teaching aids and developed curriculum to help you teach insect basics. $15 for 2-week checkout. Contact 720-974-1862 or sfolzenlogen@butterflies.org.

 

Tax-Exempt Information

The Butterfly Pavilion charges a 3% admission tax on all admission prices. We are required to collect and pay this tax to the City of Westminster. We do not charge state or local sales tax on admissions.

• If you have a tax exempt certificate from the City of Westminster, your organization’s name will be on the City’s list which is available here
• If you are not on the City of Westminster's list, you may apply for tax exemption from admissions tax through the City of Westminster. For more information and the application, click here
• If you have a City of Westminster tax exempt certificate and are requesting that your group not be charged the admissions tax, the following will apply:
  • Your visit must be paid for directly by the tax exempt organization. Personal checks, cash and personal credit cards will not be accepted
  • You must complete the City of Westminster’s Affidavit of Tax Exempt Purchase EACH time you visit. This form is available here
  • If you are exempted from the City of Westminster tax, student admission for a class visit will be $3.65 (instead of $3.75), student admission for a self-guided visit will be $3.40 (instead of $3.50), and admission for extra adult chaperones will be $8.25 (instead of $8.50)