Traveling to Houston, Texas? Looking for a fun family friendly activity while on vacation or for summer break? Visit the stunning Cockrell Butterfly Center!
Y’all! Can you believe summer is right around the corner?!?! I mean I know the first official day of summer isn’t technically until June 20th, but for many (myself included) summer starts Memorial Day weekend or as soon as school lets out, which is usually the last week of May or the first part of June.
So, summer IS quickly approaching and in addition to lots of yummy summer recipes featuring fresh seasonal fruits and veggies, and of course frozen treats and grilling recipes galore; summer also means road trips and vacations.
Since I love summer so much, I have so many awesome things I want to share with you over the next few months. Obviously, there are going to be lots of summer recipes, but I also want to share some summer entertaining tips, summery crafts and since it is the biggest time for travel, share with you some travel related posts too.
While Kitchen Concoctions is mainly a food blog, I have always wanted to incorporate other things I love and am passionate about. This includes reading, crafts and most definitely travel. I have always loved to travel and have certainly not done as much travel in my life as I have hoped, but this is something I am working to make more of a priority.
In addition to looking for more ways to travel on a budget, I am looking to better explore my own backyard, which means day (or weekend) trips around Texas (weekend because Texas is a big state). Since we travel frequently to Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and Waco, I’ve become somewhat an expert in things to do and places to eat in these cities.
Houston is one place that I don’t think most people think of as a travel destination, but there are so many things to do and see in and around Houston. There are art and music festivals, world renowned restaurants, professional sports teams, performing arts, museums, and tons of other attractions like the Space Center Houston and the Houston Zoo.
One Houston museum that I love is The Houston Museum of Natural Science. It’s actually four different things in one. There is Burke Baker Planetarium, the IMAX theater and then of course the museum exhibit hall which as a wide range of science and history exhibits (from the Paleontology hall to the Ancient Egypt exhibits and rotating special exhibits).
But quite possibly my favorite part of The Houston Museum of Natural Science is the Cockrell Butterfly Center. I have been in awe of the Cockrell Butterfly Center since I first visited when I was a pre-teen and I still find it fascinating and beautiful today.
While the Cockrell Butterfly Center is in The Houston Museum of Natural Science it has its own entry and tickets. You can buy admission to everything in the museum (including the butterfly center) at a discount or you can just buy tickets to the butterfly center.
The Cockrell Butterfly Center is a stunning three-story glass structure and walk-through butterfly habitat and rain forest conservatory. At the center of the butterfly habitat is a waterfall and the habitat is filled with all kinds of tropical plants and flowers and of course hundreds of gorgeous live butterflies from around the world.
Before entering the rain forest conservatory, guests walk through the Brown Hall of Entomology, which has interactive exhibits and games, living insects, mounted specimens and even an exhibit where you can watch the butterflies break free of their chrysalis and begin to expand their wings and fly.
To keep crowds down and to help visitors enjoy their visit, the museum does only allow a set number of people in at a time (when you purchase your tickets you select your entry time). There are stairs and pathways that take you down and around all three stories and since it a tropical environment, it is humid and steamy within the exhibit. And while you can stay and explore as long as you want, I would say on average plan about 2 hours for your visit.
The Cockrell Butterfly Center is a beautiful and fascinating travel destination that is not only loved my Houstonians, but visitors as well. It is great fun for kids of all ages! For more information about Cockrell Butterfly Center and to plan your trip, see below:
Address:
Cockrell Butterfly Center (Located in The Houston Museum of Natural Science)
5555 Hermann Park Dr.
Houston, Texas 77030
Phone: (713) 639-4629
Hours: Monday – Sunday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (last entry at 4:00 p.m.)
Parking: There is limited street parking near the museum and a paid parking garage adjacent to the museum.
Ticket Prices:
Adult Ticket: $9
Child Ticket: $8
Seniors (62+): $8
College Students with ID: $8
Military (with ID): $6
Groups (10+): $6
School Groups: $3.50
Members: $4
Budget friendly tip: The Houston Museum of Natural Science is part of the City Pass savings book which gets you admission to five Houston area attractions, however, this includes admission to just the general museum.
You can also follow Cockrell Butterfly Center/ The Houston Museum of Natural Science online here:
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This post is part of my special travel series: Kitchen Adventures… when life takes me outside the kitchen! For more travel ideas, click here or visit my Travel Pinterest board!
