Butterfly Biosphere

Brilliant biosphere brimming with beautiful butterflies! The biosphere has beautiful landscaping that makes you feel like you’re in the rainforest. I went later in the evening so many of the butterflies were sitting still which made it great to observe and a bit of a scavenger hunt to find them all. There are some little exhibits of other bugs before you enter as well as framed specimens. There are far more activities for kids including a full playground. Would recommend for a family night or a quick date night.

In January 2026, we visited the Butterfly Biosphere at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah. The Butterfly Biosphere had the Happy Hula Days festival, and there were many colorful Hawaiian and Polynesian displays. It was fun to see the butterflys in the humid indoor greenhouse. It was also fun to walk on the curved walkways while surrounded by tropical plants. We had a great time visiting the Butterfly Biosphere at Thanksgiving Point.

Wonderful place for indoor exploration and learning! Restrooms, playground, interactive stations, real bugs on display. Worth a visit for sure, an easy hour to pass. Make sure your adult-to-kid ratio for supervision is sufficient for preserving and protecting the butterflies! What a gorgeous habitat we're privileged to enter!

This place is amazing. They surely have put a lot of effort to make it as today. There a variety of butterflies including the beautiful famous breeds. It's small but feel like a true natural place. They have programs too for students. Ticket is fair and totally make sense. Will visit again for sure

Very whimsical to be able to walk among butterflies. They are so beautiful and the garden around is also very pretty. Keep in mind this is a family activity and was not short on children running around. Overall the interactions and views of the butterflies was cool but I wish there was a bit more respect from the visitors and reinforcement from staff.I enjoyed my little interactions and walk around. However, I feel that there should be more workers, instructing the kids and adults of the rules and making sure the little creatures are respected.The hurt, older, or sick butterflies are the ones that float the closest to the ground and as soon as they land a hoard of people rush them to try to pick them up. People forcefully grabbing them etc. The ones that fly high and fly away seemed happy enough. In my two hours there i saw many children and adults breaking rules and abusing them, ignorantly or not i have no clue. But no one was there to enforce the rules. It made my heart sad to see.

Our visit to the Butterfly Biosphere in Salt Lake City was an incredible experience! I went with my three daughters, and we all loved the beautiful variety of butterflies fluttering around us. The greenhouse environment was well-maintained, with lush greenery creating a magical atmosphere. The interactive exhibits were great for kids, making it both fun and educational. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, happy to answer questions about different butterfly species. We also enjoyed the play area, which was a nice bonus for little ones to burn off some energy. Overall, this is a must-visit for families or anyone who appreciates nature. Highly recommended!

I love going to the Butterfly Biosphere with my family. Admittedly my husband and I enjoy it more than my kids because my kids don't appreciate insects and bugs as much as I do. They still enjoy it enough. My younger kids enjoy the playground and the play areas. I love taking them to see the butterflies in the biosphere. The butterfly area is lovely with beautiful butterflies that have landed on me a few times and I have been able to hold carefully on my finger. They have had an interesting species of quail running through there in the past, but not all the time. The plants and water features are beautiful as well. They recently added a honeybee exhibit which is really cool! You can watch the bees collect pollen and take care of the queen. I also like the ant exhibit where you can watch leaf cutter ants collect leads and carry them to their nest. There are many other insects and bugs in their own terrariums to see and learn about. There are some great informative plaques everywhere. They have periodic times during the day where they show and tell about different insects and bugs and let you hold some. My kids don't like that part, but I do! The museum employees are friendly and informative.

Super cool to be a part of this. Suggest you load up on fruit the night before and wear bright colors like flowers found in the wild bright. Didn't like how many parents were allowing there kids to try and catch the butterflies with there bare hands. Saw lots of damaged wings and no people in the habitat protecting them from these little monsters. Lol jkjk. Other than rambunctious over eager kids and adults it was one of the coolest things I've ever done with my son.

Pretty cool experience for kids. It's really neat seeing the butterflies whiz all around you and even land on you. Will definitely be back! *Side note parents please don't allow your children to hurt these beautiful beings! We saw children screaming, chasing and harassing the butterflies that were within reach. So unnecessary!

What a beautiful and magical experience! We have the membership to Thanksgiving Point and always have to stop by the Butterfly Biosphere. Once you in, it feels like you're immersed in a magical fairy land lol. The butterflies fly right up to you and there are many more resting on the walls and plants. Before entering, they make you watch a video on how to properly handle the butterflies. Parents, please watch your children. Butterflies are extremely fragile and it has broken my heart many times seeing children pull on or handle the butterflies so poorly that their wings get torn or worse. I know the kiddos are just excited or may not know their own strength, so please just have a conversation with them before entering and maybe even giving them reminders to be gentle. Some days have less butterflies that others. It just depends on how many wake up from their cocoons. Which is another amazing bit you can experience while here! They have a window where you can watch butterflies emerge from there cocoons and they also have times that they release them into the biosphere! I definitely recommend checking this place out for a calming and magical experience. Do keep in mind that some days are busier than others. When busy, it may be more difficult to catch a butterfly. Some people are really sweet and will hand off a butterfly to you if you ask nicely

Where to start. We have the year pass because it pays for itself with only a few visits and I go to see the butterflies at least 10 times a year. I might as well start working there. Its such a beautiful and refreshing experience, especially in the winter when it's cold out. They always have a huge variety of species and get new ones all the time. I never see the exact same thing twice. The garden is large and roomy so everyone can have fun and there's not a time limit for how long you can enjoy them. They also have fun bug displays and habitats outside the garden room for kids to wander around and look at. You can spend just as much time outside the garden room as in it. And if you got kids that are a little too small to stay interested in the butterflies, they have a huge indoor playground/treehouse for them to enjoy.

If reincarnation is real, I used to say that I'd come back as a dog but maybe I'll change that to a butterfly, if I can live at this biosphere at Thanksgiving Point. It's a beautiful space with amazing plants, humid air that hugs everyone who enters and, of course, big beautiful butterflies. Guests are invited to walk through the biosphere and can carefully hold the butterflies, if they are lucky enough to get any of them to cooperate. I tried a few times, but was mostly unsuccessful. However, I was able to sit on a bench and admire the colorful creatures and they flew all around me. It's tranquil and I recommend everyone make it a point to stop by.

We've been to many biospheres. This is the only one you can hold the butterflies. Here's the good bad and the ugly. Good There is too much good to say. The best is some of the big and beautiful butterflies. I just saw happy faces there young and old. It's a great atmosphere, where people get to interact with nature. It's relatively quiet so special needs people can go there. There are a few indoor playgrounds just before you go into the sphere. They have some pretty cool interactive stuff to do and see. Bad There is no bad! It's a great place to go in the winter because you feel like you're outside, but you are not! Ugly Only heard a few screaming kids. I blame that more on the parents, not the kids. My handicapped daughter doesn't like loud noises or screaming. But who does? Most of the screams were on the big playground.

We love this place at Thanksgiving point ! It is so neat to have butterflies land on you . They are so beautiful . There are several varieties . The plants are so pretty & tropical . It's not too humid or hot in here . They have benches to sit on & you can watch the butterflies land on fruit to eat & fly all around . There is a section where you can watch ants bringing leaves to their colonies. It's long clear tubes where you can watch them . This was so cool . There is different insects & spiders in cages . This is a fun place to go when it's so cold & winter weather outside .

Maybe we didn't catch a good day because we only saw two types of butterflies. I called the one a "disposable" butterfly because they were everywhere and plentiful and seemed to greet everyone. Unfortunately, they were the butterfly that I saw the most dead. I know it is important to educate the public and I also understand there will be casualties due to too much handling. Overall I don't think it was worth the price I paid to get in but my small granddaughters enjoyed it. I have mixed feelings.

We had fun at the Butterfly Biosphere with its creatively designed and fun exhibitions and play areas. We loved exploring the fascinating world of insects. The butterfly rainforest area was my favorite and I enjoyed peacefully wandering the paths and watching the many colorful butterflies. My boys loved the play areas and the tall tube slide.

2nd time here and loved it! So many beautiful butterflies all over and hard to get a picture when they land on my persons. Right when I take the smart phone out they are gone! If you can handle the hot humid temperature which is similar to that of South East Asia then you can do fine.

We just got the Annual Family Pass so this was our first time attending. If you go during the winter: to the right of the entrance, they have an area where you can take off your coats. My littles 3.5 years and 2 year old really enjoyed it. They have a ton of bugs and spiders to look at, and a few interactive activities. To go into the Biosphere you need to take off your jackets and no strollers allowed, so heads up! The big slide and play area for the kids is small, but a good space for little ones to run off energy.

I've been here three magical times. I agree with what an employee said--the plants are as amazing as the butterflies. It's like being in a tropical forest. It's better to go when the butterflies are more active such as feeding time but not at the end of the day when they're going to sleep. My grandkids love the displays and play areas outside the biosphere. Great family activity!

We have the Thanksgiving Point Annual membership. This is a really cool place. We come here to let my 3 & 2 year old run around to get there energy out. They do have some cool insects that you can't see anywhere else. The have a Goliath tarantula which is pretty cool. The biosphere is like stepping into another world. I like that it is humid and warm. It has some small water landscaping that is pretty tranquil. Of course, there are butterflies flying around all over. They have some pretty awesome colorful ones that you don't see in the wild. (I have no idea the name of them but they are have some really cool colored ones!) They also have a nice play area with a really tall slide. It is big enough for adults to go down too...not that I have tried.... It's in the back so we can take the kids around to see the different insects before they remember that it is there. Overall, it's an awesome place and we love coming here!

Love going there especially when it's fall and winter. The climate feels like Hawaii. The butterflies are magical!

We love the butterfly Biosphere! So much to do and see here! We can easily spend hours looking at all the bugs! My kids love the butterfly room and holding them. And the treehouse playroom is so much fun for all ages!

Go during super Tuesdays in August when they have discounted tickets, that is honestly the only time we go to any of the Thanksgiving Point Venues. I love the butterfly mural outside, you definitely need to take a picture with it. I really like all the interactive activities for the kids to do. My son is very hands on so he loves going there. I don't remember the ant exhibit being there but I think it's the coolest thing there except of course the butterfly room. I enjoy that you can hold the butterflies and take some cute pictures. The play place part is decent but I wish they had some smaller activities for toddlers who are too big for the little kid area but small for the big slide.

If you don't already have a Thanksgiving Point pass then don't waste your money coming here. The whole concept was cool but from the day this place opened it has felt like a complete flop, they have minimal bugs/insects to view and the actual BioSphere has limited butterfly's in it and the ones you can see are usually on the wall too high to appreciate and it's usually the same 2 butterfly's that you can actually see. The BioSphere portion is also very small so depending on when you go it can be very crowded. I gave a 3-star because I have a pass to Thanksgiving Point so I don't feel guilty going here on occasion with my family but we are usually in and out within 30-mins so that goes to show littler there really is to do here.

Although the inside attractions were not my nieces favorite this time, the biosphere was still a huge hit! One of the workers helped us learn more about the different species and saw butterflies fresh out of their chrysalis take flight for the first time! Definitely a must see.

There's something to be said about Thanksgiving Point and it is that they don't half way do anything. The Biosphere opened recently and, like the other attractions here, is first class all the way. The actual enclosure is well maintained and staffed with employees that are, I'm sure, there to protect the butterflies. They are extremely nice and educational as well. Talking with them is a pleasure and they can help you find the rarities that you are seeking. Currently there were over 90 species of butterflies in the enclosure and we enjoyed them all. The outer area has a LOT of educational resources and displays about all kinds of insects. We spent more time out there than in the Biosphere itself. A few things to keep in mind: It's warm and wet in there. Dress accordingly. You don't need a hat or winter coat. Your Thanksgiving Point membership gets you in here as well and is tax deductible (heaven knows we can use more deductions.) Come on a week day if possible. The place is PACKED on the weekends and holidays and your experience won't be as cool.

Pure magic! I love this place. The butterflies are so free and flutter everywhere. They're so friendly and gentle. You can even hold them! The playground is so fun for kids and the art exhibits surrounding the biosphere are absolutely gorgeous. They have every stage of butterfly, from adult to cocoon! If you come at a certain time and pay an extra $4 you can even set a baby cocoon butterfly free.

I absolutely love this place. The humid climate inside the dome with the tropical flowers remind me of home. Some days I get lucky and a Butterfield land on me, other times I enjoyed them from the employees hands. Such a good experience for adults and kids alike.

We visted the butterfly biosphere with family. It was a great activity to do with the littles. When you enter the biosphere there are different areas for you to explore. Inside the biosphere, its quiet yet has a trophical feel to it. You can see lots of lush plants and beautiful flowers among butterflies as well.

The butterfly biosphere is fun and exciting to get close up to all the butterflies. You could spend a lot of time just sitting and watching them. It is sad that parents just let their kids run all over the place. I have seen multiple kids kill some butterflies. It's so sad! There is an activity center in the area before the biosphere. It is fun for my son is run around and see all the different bugs and things. There also is a playground and slide on one side. It is expensive to enter if you don't have a pass. In August, they do $2 days so look out for that. BUT those day are super busy!

We enjoyed our visit here which was today and Monday of spring break for most Utah schools. It wasn't very crowded. Masks enforced. For me and my 3 kids (age 10,13 and 15) it was mediocre value. It cost us $67 and we enjoyed it for about an hour. Just a little Pricey in my opinion.

This place is a rip off. Honestly there were only like 10 butterflies... and they charge $25 per person. Take a walk around your local park to see butterflies but for free.

So much fun for adults and kids! The butterflies are most active in the morning and still at night. There's bugs so look at, a giant slide for kids, and activities for kids/adults. The biosphere is very humid- so dress for warm weather. There's coat racks to leave jackets at. Wear bright colors to attract the butterflies. One interesting thing I learned last time I was there- the butterflies that die and are still intact, they preserve for things (magnets and such) in the gift shop.

I highly recommend going early and during the week. It can get insanely busy. So much to do and great for all ages!

BEST BUTTERFLY EXHIBIT I HAVE EVER BEEN! I have been to a lot of butterfly exhibits and none of them have delivered on what they have advertised; each one was a disappointment and waist of money, I felt. So when I decided to come to Thankspoints, I kept my hopes down in prep for disappointment. Contrary to my belief, I was pleasantly surprised! The butterflies are not only huge and active, but fluttering EVERYWHERE! They literally fly right by your face and land on your clothes. My daughter have two land on her in one trip. The blue ones acting as if they were playing with each other in the air. It was such a fun experience! And my kids loved it too. :) Take note that it is super humid and warm in the biosphere. Gotta keep those butterflies flapping I guess, so be prepared for it.

The conservatory, indoor garden, is the main attraction. There are around 1,000 vibrant butterflies, about 16 varieties, flying around. The garden is well trended and the walk paths are wides and wandering. If you're patient and still enough a butterfly might even land on you. Tickets in the weekend were for spaced 30-minutes apart so it wasn't oppressively crowded or noisy. My kids and I enjoyed the butterfly habitat and the extra exhibits and activities: - Engage with hands-on learning exhibits - Build a bug - Compare your strength to a beetle - Read about pollinators - Slide down a 2-story, spiral slide - Master a magnifying glass - Touch caterpillars and beetles - Climb on statue lady bugs and caterpillars like Alice in Wonderland Make sure your kids aren't afraid of flying insects.

This place is an amazing step away from Utah and into a Costa Rician Cloud Forest. The numbers are fewer, due to Covid restrictions, making this the ideal time to venture into this forest.

I feel like something called a "Butterfly Biosphere" really requires no review. Because, it's OBVIOUSLY AMAZING; IT'S A BIOSPHERE FILLED WITH BUTTERFLIES. Right? But, I'm going to leave one anyway because it really is so good and there's even more to it than that. There's the actual biosphere, with gorgeous tropical landscaping for the tiny colorful angels to land on, nestle in, do whatever they want with. There are, oh, I don't know...about a million different species of butterflies flitting around you at all times. (This may be an exaggeration, but I trust you get my point.) My favorite are the giant ones with iridescent blue wings that seem to always be tryin' to get frisky so they float through the air together just as playfully as I'm sure you're imagining right now. There's a room where all the butterflies undergo their metamorphosis and you can see the whole process through the glass. There's an interactive photo-op area with insect related sculptures. There are interactive exhibits and craft stations, a place to look through magnifying glasses and read relevant books, hands-on insect shows and an awesome indoor playground area that's the perfect size for little ones to do their thing while you keep an eye out from one of the benches close by. If you live in the area and you love butterflies, a membership to Thanksgiving Point (the larger grounds of which the Butterfly Biosphere is a small part) is worth it just for this place. If you're visiting, it's worth the price of admission and planning a couple hours to enjoy not just the biosphere, but the surrounding grounds.

This place is so cute! My kids can easily blow through all the exhibits. They fight over who gets to catch a butterfly every time! I would totally come here without the kids and just sit in the humid room watching the butterflies! They have tons of bugs which is awesome and a nice play area. The butterfly biosphere is a great place to come when you're short on time but want to get out of the house!

Very fun place. There's a playground and hands on stuff for kids and it's so fun seeing all the different kinds of butterflies.

My kids loved this place !! It's so much cooler than just seeing the butterflies all around you in the biosphere. The playground, games and displays were all just as cool. I have a 1yr old and a 3yr old who both had a blast for over an hour before I had to tear them away.

My family are members at Thanksgiving Point and have been for years. We absolutely love it there. Yesterday, we had a very unfortunate experience at the Butterfly Biosphere. One of the workers, Lily, was so extremely rude to all the visitors as it approached closing time. She announced 15mins and when I didn't move from the seat because I was waiting for my child to come down the slide, she came to ask me if I heard her. Not in a nice, concerned way but super rude. When we left the we stopped in the gift shop. There was at least 5 other groups in there with us. We quickly grabbed what we wanted and waited in the checkout line to make our purchase. The lady was struggling and couldn't figure out the register so Lily came to help. She told us to go the front desk to check out. They were already closed so we were sent back in and went to the end of the line. When it was our turn again, she rolled her eyes and said we are closed! She was so rude everyone walking out was talking about her. I understand that you want to go home or whatever but it was 5mins past close at that point and she started her attitude long before. Hopefully, she gets some customer service training asap.

The best part of this place is not even the butterflies. Don't get me wrong the butterflies are awesome but there is so much more to this place. I have a 16yo, 3yo and a 1yo. It's hard to find a place that appeals to all of them and this is finally it. Before you even get to the biosphere, there are bugs you can look at, you can make butterfly rings on a cri-cut or play in the Costa Rica climber. My 3yo is a rough and tumble boy and this allows him to get all his energy out before we go and see the butterflies. There's a slide and blocks and an area suited for younger kids perfect for my 1yo to play. My little kids spend most--sometimes all--of our trips playing in the Costa Rica climber. My 16yo loves bugs and could spend all day in the biosphere looking. We join her when the little ones are tired out.

This place is absolutely amazing. To be able to walk into a room with hundreds of beautiful butterflies flying around is purely magical. It's a very humid environment with tons of gorgeous trees and flowers for the butterflies to land on. My kids loved being able to hold the butterflies too. We were also able to watch as a butterfly emerged from it's chrysalis. Besides the biosphere, there is a cute indoor playground for kids. There are also other activities for kids to do. We will definitely be back.

We loved it here!! Our only problem (no fault of the facility) was that there was like some moms and their daughters taking pictures in the middle on the greenhouse making almost impossible to fully enjoy the interaction with the butterflies. They took up so much room... anyways it was beautiful and well kept!

This was so cool!! There were all types of activities for all ages. Walking around the butterfly area was sweet!! After a while they were landing on us all the time!! I think my girls liked making their butterfly paper rings the most!! And they have butterfly costumes to wear!!

This place has so much to offer that Yelp should divide up the separate venues for individual reviews. We thoroughly enjoyed the Butterfly Biosphere. There were docents on hand to help us identify butterflies. We were able to use laminated 8x19 pages with most of the butterflies pictured to help with identification. It's very humid in the biosphere, so be prepared. We easily spent an hour in there looking and hunting for the different butterflies. The window that showed all of the butterflies in either cocoons or chrysalis form was really fun to check. It was amazing to see the different sizes of the chrysalis. We were also able to see a few of the butterflies emerging from their chrysalis. There was a Creepy Crawly show where kids could get up close to see bugs and even hold a giant cockroach (with plenty of hand sanitizer available). Afterwards, we spent time at the Tower Ice Cream parlor just adjacent to the building with the biosphere. Good ice cream. Lots of seating inside and just outside in the for you.

Went to the biosphere around 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon. It was pretty crowded. Before you enter the biosphere there are a few areas/exibits with various insects. There is a children's play area available. When you enter the biosphere you need to go through two sets of doors that work a little bit like an air lock where one door won't open while the other set is open. Inside the biosphere it's warm and humid. The butterflies are all over the place and you can occasionally see butterflies flying around but most of the time they are on the plants and especially along the outer walls. The biosphere is pretty amazing with all the butterflies. There is a hatchery wind where you can see a bunch of cacoon hanging on bars. The only thing I would have liked to see is more variety as there were only about a dozen different species.

I love this exhibit. There are so many interesting things with the clear insect boxes, the framed bugs in the entrance to the butterfly hothouse. The variety of plants and butterflies is amazing!

We have been Thanksgiving Point members for years and have been so pleased with this newest addition. Everything has been well thought out and he staff is highly knowledgeable. I love chatting with them and learning what they know. The biosphere itself is an absolute favorite for my 3 boys. They would spend all day in there if they could.

This was so fun!! I didn't know that there was so much to do here! I thought it would be the butterfly biosphere and that's it! But they had a great bug class the kids loved, crafts, and the play area is amazing!! Definitely coming back!

So fun for my kiddos. They have done a great job with the butterfly dome. Keep it up and make sure you visit! Your kiddos will thank you! I would only suggest a little more seating for parents, but oh well.

Wow... what a well planned and thought out place. There is a fee to visit, but this place is well worth the cost of entrance. The building in no way is anything to rave about in size but the minor detail and objects for kids to play and explore on or in was done pretty well. There is a slide, a rock ball to push and measure the strength of the kids, a learning place, games to play, there is a presentation done by employees about bugs and then the there is the butterflies. Another WOW, the butterflies, now the downside here is plan ahead, the biosphere where the butterflies is humid, I was sweating like a dawg in there but that was because I didn't plan ahead. So many butterflies flying around and landing on kids and just all the smiles are awesome, brought my three kids and it was one of the best places they have been to in Utah. Definitely recommend a visit. Also Mens bathroom well kept for a public bathroom and the mural in the hallway done in tile is awesome.

The entry fee was not worth the experience. There were some small cages with spiders etc a play place and then a green room to with butterflies... I was disappointed to say the least.

Took our 3 year old grandson here today and he loved it other than he was disappointed that no butterflies landed on him. We did check on the way out and one of the employees told us they seem to like the color red so we'll try that next time. They have a place to put coats as the biosphere is very warm. The biosphere itself is very pretty with a large variety of beautiful butterflies all around along with many varieties of plants. They also have a really cool area where you can actually see the butterfly develop from the caterpillar to the cocoon and see new butterflies emerge if you're lucky. They also have many interactive exhibits and a nice little play area to explore after you're done visiting the biosphere. I like also that they monitor the amount of people allowed into the biosphere at one time. It makes the experience more pleasant as it's not too crowded. The only downside is it's a bit pricy, $20 each for adults and $15 for kids 3 and up. Buying s yearly membership is a good idea to help with the cost as it's more upfront but you can visit this exhibit along with 4 others as much as you want for a year for one cost.