Brandi Core makes a new friend at Butterfly Place in Westford, MA. Photo by Andy Smith.
As renowned poet and Lawrence native Robert Frost once wrote, “It is a blue-butterfly day here in spring.”
It is also a blue-butterfly day here in winter, summer, and fall. And for that matter, it is an orange-butterfly day and a spotted-butterfly day. Because in this case, “here” is Butterfly Place in Westford, the man-made home for hundreds of butterflies of all kinds.
George Leslie opened the 3,100-square-foot glass atrium in September of 1990, after reading about a similar attraction built in England. At the time, there were only three butterfly habitats in America, Leslie says, and Butterfly Place became the fourth. The idea quickly caught on. And in Massachusetts alone, Leslie estimates there are now at least thirty such habitats.
A draw for children and adults alike, Leslie said the atrium is an ideal setting to teach about nature. “It’s educational while fun at the same time. Kids can learn a lot and it’s not a burden,” explains Leslie, who’s raised butterflies his entire life.
Walking through the atrium, visitors can see up to sixty species of butterflies, sometimes at close view. While touching the butterflies is strictly forbidden, there is no rule against them touching you. As they flutter by in their unpredictable paths, one will occasionally take a break on a shoulder or arm, giving visitors an intimate view of their intricate markings and amazing colors.
Due to the cost of heat, Butterfly Place closes between Columbus Day and Valentine’s Day. The butterflies need temperatures of at least 80 degrees to fly, so the atrium is kept toasty. But even in ideal conditions, Leslie explains that most of the butterflies live fast and die young. Life spans rarely exceed two weeks.
However, there are other animals that take up longer residencies in the atrium, including a small school of koi fish, which can live as long as a century. A few years ago, Leslie adopted about sixteen buttonquail, which a local high school student had raised from the eggs for a biology project. Some of those buttonquail have passed on, but others have hatched.
Leslie remarks that for some children, the butterflies are actually an afterthought. “It’s funny, a lot of kids are more interested in our caterpillars than the butterflies.”
View of atrium at Butterfly Place. Courtesy Butterfly Place.
Butterfly Place opened this season with a bang, hosting a Valentine’s Day wedding in the midst of a snowstorm. They usually host about six weddings a year, as well as several birthday parties. The second week of the season was winter break for the schools, which drew swarms of children.
Among them were Brandi and Ethan Core, who were brought to the atrium by their grandmother, Martha Core of Dracut. Asked if she was having fun, six-year-old Brandi would only smile, reluctant to speak and scare away her new friend, who had lodged itself right on the middle of her forehead.
Butterfly Place, at 120 Tyngsboro Road in Westford.
2011 Hours of Operation:
February 14th – March 31st: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
April 1st – August 31st: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
September 1st – October 31st: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.
Admission is $12 for adults, $7 for children between the ages of two and 12, and free for children under two. www.butterflyplace-ma.com.
Travel Advisory – Butterfly Place – Spring 2007
Brandi Core makes a new friend at Butterfly Place in Westford, MA. Photo by Andy Smith.
As renowned poet and Lawrence native Robert Frost once wrote, “It is a blue-butterfly day here in spring.”
It is also a blue-butterfly day here in winter, summer, and fall. And for that matter, it is an orange-butterfly day and a spotted-butterfly day. Because in this case, “here” is Butterfly Place in Westford, the man-made home for hundreds of butterflies of all kinds.
George Leslie opened the 3,100-square-foot glass atrium in September of 1990, after reading about a similar attraction built in England. At the time, there were only three butterfly habitats in America, Leslie says, and Butterfly Place became the fourth. The idea quickly caught on. And in Massachusetts alone, Leslie estimates there are now at least thirty such habitats.
A draw for children and adults alike, Leslie said the atrium is an ideal setting to teach about nature. “It’s educational while fun at the same time. Kids can learn a lot and it’s not a burden,” explains Leslie, who’s raised butterflies his entire life.
Walking through the atrium, visitors can see up to sixty species of butterflies, sometimes at close view. While touching the butterflies is strictly forbidden, there is no rule against them touching you. As they flutter by in their unpredictable paths, one will occasionally take a break on a shoulder or arm, giving visitors an intimate view of their intricate markings and amazing colors.
Due to the cost of heat, Butterfly Place closes between Columbus Day and Valentine’s Day. The butterflies need temperatures of at least 80 degrees to fly, so the atrium is kept toasty. But even in ideal conditions, Leslie explains that most of the butterflies live fast and die young. Life spans rarely exceed two weeks.
However, there are other animals that take up longer residencies in the atrium, including a small school of koi fish, which can live as long as a century. A few years ago, Leslie adopted about sixteen buttonquail, which a local high school student had raised from the eggs for a biology project. Some of those buttonquail have passed on, but others have hatched.
Leslie remarks that for some children, the butterflies are actually an afterthought. “It’s funny, a lot of kids are more interested in our caterpillars than the butterflies.”
View of atrium at Butterfly Place. Courtesy Butterfly Place.
Butterfly Place opened this season with a bang, hosting a Valentine’s Day wedding in the midst of a snowstorm. They usually host about six weddings a year, as well as several birthday parties. The second week of the season was winter break for the schools, which drew swarms of children.
Among them were Brandi and Ethan Core, who were brought to the atrium by their grandmother, Martha Core of Dracut. Asked if she was having fun, six-year-old Brandi would only smile, reluctant to speak and scare away her new friend, who had lodged itself right on the middle of her forehead.
Butterfly Place, at 120 Tyngsboro Road in Westford.
2011 Hours of Operation:
February 14th – March 31st: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
April 1st – August 31st: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
September 1st – October 31st: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.
Admission is $12 for adults, $7 for children between the ages of two and 12, and free for children under two. www.butterflyplace-ma.com.