The Butterfly Place is open Valentines Day to Columbus Day (Feb – Oct). A compact yet rich-in-experience building, this is an adventure outing that will take about one to a few hours, depending on how long you linger around the butterflies.
Visiting The Butterfly Place
The Butterfly Place is made up of two areas; Inside the atrium where you can walk among the butterflies and then a museum-style area where you can learn more about these important insects. The atrium side is hot & humid the way butterflies like it and (depending how you feel about hot & humid) the rest of the space is much more comfortable. If you struggle with New England cold, I highly recommend visiting in winter or spring, it’ll be a treat!
Stroller friendly but also doable
The Butterfly Place is stroller friendly and I saw wheelchairs successfully navigating the atrium paths. However, the spaces are not gigantic like a zoo or park so it is also totally walk-able for a younger kiddo who would otherwise need a ride. The paths can be narrow at points, especially if there are a lot of other people visiting so you’ll do best opting for the smallest stroller you can.
Unless you need the stroller, you don’t really need it! Navigating the atrium paths is all about taking it slow and observing the butterflies. There are benches throughout to sit still (ha!) and let the butterflies go about their business around you.
Dress strategically
Layers are your friend here! The atrium is very warm and – as someone who gets grumpy when they’re uncomfortable – you want to be able to accommodate for the quick change in atmosphere.
More than butterflies
While the butterflies and moths are certainly the main event, there are other critters to see as well! There is a koi pond filled with fish as well as birds that live in the atrium. We visited in the spring and there were multiple birds sitting on nests full of eggs. You might even find a walking stick insect!
Learn something new at The Butterfly Place
After visiting the butterflies you step out into the second section. This area is filled with educational displays and lots of different species in various stages of the butterfly/moth life cycle. You can see their chrysalis up close and some hanging out having just emerged as a new butterfly!
Sensory Break!
While our crew was visiting we really took our time in this area and well….pretty much no one else did! We were with a kiddo who was getting overwhelmed in the butterfly area and we used this as our quiet relaxing break. We all calmly learned something while those who needed it were able to decompress and then we went back into the butterfly space.
The Butterfly Place Photo-Op
Make sure you look for this wall to stop and get a picture of your special butterflies!
Picnic Area
There is a nice picnic area off to the side of the building and on the way to the bathrooms. Bring a lunch and make a day of it! The space overlooks forest and a lovely pond that you can see through the trees depending on the season.
Quick Facts: The Butterfly Place
| Paved parking lot, plenty of spaces |
| Bathrooms are accessed from outside |
| Stroller Friendly |
| Picnic tables |
| The Butterfly Place website |
| Address: 120 Tyngsboro Rd, Westford, MA |
To add some fun to your day, add a visit to the nearby (10 minutes) playground and beach at Ronan Mcelligott Park.
