Museum and Sea Center closing at 3:00 PM on Dec. 24 and closed Dec 25. Otherwise open daily, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
June 1, 2023

Sprague Butterfly Pavilion Opens at SB Museum of Natural History

Butterflies Alive! summer exhibit open May 27–Sept 4, 2023
Museum open Wed–Mon (closed Tues), 10:00 AM–5:00 PM, Last entry into pavilion at 4:00 PM.
Reservations recommended at sbnature.org/tickets

SANTA BARBARA, CA—The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History opened its extremely popular annual summer exhibit Butterflies Alive! on Saturday, May 27.

Featuring a dazzling variety of more than two dozen tropical butterfly species from Costa Rica, this immersive experience welcomes guests to walk through a beautiful garden while nearly 1,000 live butterflies flutter freely around them.

Director of Guest Experience Kim Zsembik shares, “I’m excited to offer only butterflies from Costa Rica this year, featuring more species than ever before. Each visit you’ll see something new and watching the Blue Morpho take flight never fails to impress! I hope this exhibit brings everyone together and inspires curiosity about all pollinators in our world.”

The exhibit is included in admission and open Wednesday to Monday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Last entry into the pavilion is at 4:00 PM. Reservations are recommended at sbnature.org.

If you would like to support the butterfly care and habitat maintenance of this exquisite exhibit, you can do so and receive recognition on the Museum’s Wall of Wings. To make a donation, please visit sbnature.org/donate or contact Development Assistant Ali Nygaard at 805-682-4711 ext.110 or anygaard@sbnature2.org.

To plan your Butterflies Alive! experience, visit sbnature.org.

Download Press Release (PDF)