There are a few signs that spring is slowly arriving in West Michigan. The sun lingers a little longer, the snow starts to melt and the butterflies come back to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
One of my favorite spring traditions is officially returning for a full two months, and honestly, it never gets old. Fred & Dorothy Fichter Butterflies Are Blooming exhibit is back, and this year it runs March 1st through April 30th.
If you’ve never experienced this, it transforms the Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory into what feels like another world.
For two months, the largest temporary tropical butterfly exhibition in the United States takes flight right here in Grand Rapids with more than 7,000 butterflies and moths representing 60 species from Africa, Asia, and Central and South America will be flying freely inside the five story glass conservatory.
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Laura Hardy / Canva
And you’re just looking at them, and they’re all around you.
(And as a bonus-there is something amazing about standing in that warm greenhouse while snow might still be sitting in your driveway at home.)
Beyond simply wandering through, you can stop at feeding stations filled with tropical fruit and nectar rich plants, or watch metamorphosis in real time at the Observation Station where more than 1,200 chrysalides arrive weekly.
Laura Hardy / TSM
Laura Hardy / TSM
The floral displays alone are worth slowing down for, with layered bulbs, hyacinths, tulips, orchids, and vibrant tropical foliage creating a true spring escape.
New this year, the Gardens is adding Spring Nights: Butterflies and Bourbon on April 21st and 28th, offering an adults only evening with live music and specialty cocktails in the conservatory. There are also new Butterfly Tea Parties tied to ballet performances, designed as a family friendly, elegant experience.
After a long Michigan winter, walking through a greenhouse filled with thousands of butterflies feels like hope with wings. Make sure you grab your tickets and get details on their website.
Drone Photos of Meijer Gardens
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