Science and Nature at Houston's Cockrell Butterfly Center

Houston is well known for its world famous museum district, home to the award winning Houston Children's Museum, Houston Zoo, and the Museum of Natural Science, but what visitors and residents alike may not know about is one "branch" of the Museum of Natural Science that is home to the Cockrell Butterfly Center.

The Cockrell Butterfly Center is at the far end of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, near the IMAX cinemas. Separate tickets are necessary to enter and admission to just the center is $8.00 for adults and $7.00 for children and college students. Group and field trip rates are available. At this special exhibit you can look forward to seeing insects like the: Giant Prickly Stick, Rice Paper Butterfly, Green Triangle Kite Butterfly, Thoas Swallowtail, Owl Butterfly, Atlas Beetle, Blue Morpho, Giant Long-Legged Katydid, Bromeliads, Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, Orchids, Cacao, Chocolate Tree and the Praying Mantis, just to name a few.

Brown Hall of Entomology

The first stop on your science adventure is the Brown Hall of Entomology, home to observation of live insects in action. Inside the hall you can watch giant hissing cockroaches, creepy crawly tarantulas, a giant wasp nest, and learn how insects protect themselves through camouflage.

Interactive exhibits show you how insects can help solve crimes, predict the weather and play "insect" games.

The chrysalis corner offers three rows of butterflies in different stages of development and if you are patient, you can watch several of them emerge during your visit. If you are there at just the right time, you may even see those that have grown enough released into the rainforest.

In the lower level of Brown Hall you can listen to interviews with entomologists and look inside an entomologist's lab, and look at several insects mounted as specimens. These interviews also help you to learn about dealing with mosquitoes (a must in Houston), backyard gardening and beekeeping.

Rainforest Conservatory

The rainforest conservatory is a three story glass structure rainforest, complete with exotic plants, animals and a 50 foot waterfall. Be sure to pick up the Butterfly guide before making your way into the conservatory as you will have all kinds of learning fun trying to identify and match the butterfly pictures with the over 1500 butterflies living in the conservatory.

The two most interesting aspects of the conservatory is how close that you can get to these beautiful and delicate creatures while learning about their environment and how important these insects are to the world around us. You may even have a butterfly land on you, especially if you are wearing brightly colored clothing.

The other really interesting aspect of the conservatory is as you walk through the stone cobbled walk way you may encounter a butterfly exhibit with a museum guide to help you identify the butterflies that are available and you can even hold these and inspect them from antennae to wing tip. These of course are butterflies that are no longer "flying," you are warned not to touch the live butterflies as the chemicals and germs on your fingers can tear their delicate wings and cause them to die.

You can also watch the bees in action in a honeycomb and encounter a few exotic animals along the way, including those in the waterfall and pond.

Insect Vending Machine and Playroom

In the very lowest level be sure to visit the "insect vending machine" and learn about how some cultures use insects as a source of protein, who knows you may even want to try one?

Tiny tots and children can work off some of their energy in the very lowest level of the building with puzzles, insect rubbings, books to read, and a giant beehive to explore.

Be sure to plan enough time to see all that is available at the Cockrell Butterfly Museum, wear comfortable walking shoes as the outdoor trail can be slippery and dress comfortably as the rainforest atmosphere is thick, heavy, warm and humid.

Whether you live in the Houston area or are visiting for business or pleasure, the Cockrell Museum is a fun and friendly way to get up close and personal with science and nature through experiments and observation at this family friendly adventure. Not only a wonderful learning and educational experience, videographers, photographers and school groups visit daily because of the varied opportunities available. It is one of our family's favorite places to visit over and over again, several times a year because there is always something different to see and do.

Planning a visit to Houston? Why not stay at the historic Hotel Icon?

Sources:

Personal experience

Houston Museum of Natural Science

TripAdvisor.com

Yelp.com