Butterflies are captivating to begin with, but the Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter makes learning about them a lot more fun through its interactive exhibit, “Amazing Butterflies,” on display now through May 4.
The approximately 2,500-square-foot maze, created by Minotaur Mazes, travels throughout the world, engaging visitors to experience the life cycle of butterflies.
Guests can crawl or walk though the caterpillar tunnel, climb on a spider web, sniff nectar, climb into pupa pods and ultimately gain their wings as they soar down the butterfly zip slide. The maze also features games, puzzles and fun photo ops, including a caterpillar crawl, in which groups work as a team to scoot to the finish line by placing their feet on plates attached to a carpet. Educational graphics in both English and Spanish add to the learning experience.
“You start at the beginning of the maze as the egg of the caterpillar, and then you have to make decisions on which way to go in order to be successful in life as the caterpillar, so you move through the lifecycle of the caterpillar,” said Hunter Klingensmith, Swaner EcoCenter’s director of exhibits. “It’s a great exhibit for all ages. The target audience is 2 or 3 to probably sixth grade or so, but it’s fun because it has information for adults and things to climb and play on for kiddos.”
Visitors discover details, such as why carpenter ants in Panama actually defend metalmark caterpillars from predators, how butterflies search for food by both sight and smell, and how they choose a specific plant on which to lay eggs. As kids progress through the maze, they can collect stamps on their souvenir garden card.
“(It) will transform your learning of butterflies in a fun and engaging way,” said Brianna Cencak, the EcoCenter’s visitor experience coordinator. “Visitors will leave inspired to discover more about the fascinating lives of caterpillars and butterflies in our local ecosystem.”
Staff at Swaner have heard kids exclaim how fun the maze looks and say, “’I don’t want to leave — when can we come back?’” Klingensmith said.
Adults have commented that it’s their favorite exhibit, due to its interactive and education qualities. One adult gave a testimonial stating: “I know it’s probably designed for kids, but I learned so many things I didn’t know about butterflies before this — so much more fun than just text on the walls,” while another said it was a huge hit with their kids and is exactly what Park City needs more of, noting all of the places to play within the exhibit.
“We know that exhibits that are really interactive are popular with our guests,” Klingensmith said. “We like to bring something in the wintertime, because we know there are not a ton of indoor, kiddo activities available here in Park City, so this can be a really fun way to bring them in and have time to explore and play. Our goal with these traveling exhibits is to provide new learning opportunities that help to nurture our community and grow their understanding of our connections with nature and the natural world around us.”
Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter will pair the exhibition with additional programming to help adults and kids learn more about, and engage with, butterflies found in Utah. For example, adults will have a chance to go to the National History Museum and take a behind-the-scenes tour of its butterfly collections. For kids, Swaner will host butterfly-themed story times at the Kimball Junction Branch, Summit County and Park City libraries.
To make the exhibit more accessible, Swaner offers free days on Feb. 20, March 14 and April 13, as well as a free ticket request on the website if cost is a barrier. It also offers birthday parties within the exhibit.
Tickets are $7 for ages 3-64, $6 for 65 and older or with a valid military identification, and free for ages 0-2.