This is the sixth post of a new travel series to Branson, Missouri. To start at the beginning, go HERE!
The Butterfly Palace & Rainforest Adventure
On our second to last day in Branson, we went to The Butterfly Palace and Rainforest Adventure. It was under renovation when we there, so we were kinda bummed about that, but it looked like they were really expanding so now we have something to look forward to when we return to Branson someday.
The Butterfly Palace has over 1,000 butterflies imported from the rainforest. They fly in a 7,000 square foot aviary filled with tropical plants.
Before you can enter the aviary, you are given some tips and rules about how to interact with the butterflies (don't touch them, let them come to you, be careful where you step, etc.). Then you can pick up one of flowered vials that are filled with nectar to carry around the aviary and attract butterflies to you.
It doesn't take long at all before a beautiful butterfly lands on your flower.
We got there as soon as the place opened and went straight up to the aviary so we initially had the place all to ourselves. It was so peaceful and serene, until about mid-morning when it got busy.
So many beautiful butterflies. I had a hard time deciding on a favorite.
The aviary also had a few birds inside but it was hard to get a photo of them so excuse the blurriness.
Plants and Flying Flowers....I was in my happy place.
Many times you'd get more than one butterfly on your flower!
These butterflies (moths?) were so interesting. They weren't as friendly as the other butterflies. They would fly away anytime you got close and they never came to your hand-held feeder. But what was so amazing about these guys was not only their large size, but when they opened their wings inside was the most vibrant blue color I ever did see! They were super hard to photograph once their wings were open though so I'm afraid I don't have a picture of that.
The aviary had many beautiful orchids that the butterflies seemed to enjoy.
We thought this one hanging out on a wall was so interesting and unique.
The aviary had trays of fresh fruit for the butterflies. Can you see the butterfly sitting on the apple? It looks like a leaf! Amazing!
There were several water features in the aviary that provided a soothing sound as you walked around. See that splotch of blue in the center of the photo next to the waterfall? That is one of the moth-looking butterflies with its wings open.
There was also a laboratory in the aviary where you could see the chrysalis process of how butterflies are created.
The Butterfly Palace has live music daily. This gentleman was playing the most soothing music to enhance our experience. In front of him, you will see a nectar recipe of how to attract butterflies in your own garden. They put the nectar in a glass bowl that has a scrunchie inside. I'd like to try this at home, but I'm sure it'll also attract ants and hornets.
The rest of my photos show full photos of the aviary instead of close ups of the butterflies.
One of the features in the aviary is this bridge where you climb up on to get closer to the butterflies that like to hover up by the ceiling. I noticed the big blue butterfly/moths liked to hang out here.
The drawback of the bridge is that it is only one person wide so if someone is coming down when you want to go up, there might be a problem.
They had several of these pretty butterfly chairs to sit on and rest while the butterflies came to you. I would love to have one of these chairs for my own garden at home.
I asked this little girl if I could take her pictures because she really attracted with her bright clothing. That is a tip for the visitor...where bright colors and you will attract more butterflies to you.
Below is a white version of the butterfly chair.
This was a nice scenic backdrop.
They also had a couple of examples of Amethysts which were shaped like butterfly wings.
The Butterfly Palace also has a 3-D movie called "Flight of the Butterflies" which is a 15 minute short film about the Monarch Migration. That was very enjoyable to watch with 3-D glasses. They also have available a second video called "2-D Behind the Scenes" about their butterfly farm. We didn't see that one.
Here is a very short video of me walking around the Butterfly Palace Aviary.
There are several other attractions in the Butterfly Palace, one we really enjoyed was the Mirror Maze. It depicts the rainforest at night and has over 64 mirrors. This was so much fun to do, but super hard to find your way out. You had to keep your hands in front of you or you would crash into a mirror.
Mirror Maze
Here's a short, fun video of the two of us trying to find our way out of the maze.
Critter Encounters
In the Critter Center there are over 25 different reptiles and amphibians, but first you have to pass by this guy to enter:
We got to watch the feeding session of one of the reptiles.
The Butterfly Palace is open daily from 9-5 and your ticket is good for 3 days! It was also a little more reasonably priced than The Titanic Museum and we found a coupon for a couple of dollars off too. Adult tickets are $29.95, children $19.95.
Copperhead Mountain Coaster
After our excursion at the Butterly Palace we went to try our first Mountain Coaster. I was pretty nervous, as I had never been on a Mountain Coaster before. We went on the Shepherd of the Hills Copperhead Mountain Coaster. It is Branson's newest, fastest, and longest roller coaster. It is 4,800 feet long and offers riveting loops, drops, and curves among the Ozark mountains. I don't have and photos of the coaster and video taping is not allowed, but I can tell you my experience.
If you've never been on a Mountain Coaster before, you need to go twice because the first time you're just figuring things out. You control the speed of the coaster and they instruct you very well before you get on. I listened to the instructions so carefully because I was nervous, and one of them was "don't stop on the track". Well, somehow, I stopped on the track and I practically had a panic attack. I was worried the person behind me would crash into me. I have no idea how it happened, I swear I didn't stop on my own, but I got it going again. Other than that, I enjoyed it but it seemed really short for the money, and honestly I would rather not have control of the coaster, and just sit and enjoy the ride.
It costs $17.95 for the first ride, and $11.95 for repeat rides.
Branson Waterfall
I was so surprised when looking at the Branson Tourism map that there was a "Waterfall Trail", so I said to hubby that we had to go and check it out. And sure enough, Branson does have a waterfall right in town! It wasn't much of a waterfall being late fall after a dry summer, but it was there. I'm sure there is a lot more water in the spring.
If you want a few moments to get out in nature and away from all the people and commercialism in Branson, this is a nice retreat. The trail is only 2/3 of a mile one way and runs through a forest and along a creek bed.
I've looked at photos on-line, and yes, there is a lot more water other times of the years. This creek bed was bone dry when we were there, but can be filled with water other times of the year. There is a sign at the start of the trail that you will have to cross over running water to get to the falls, but we did not on this day. The trail is subject to closure during or after heavy rainfalls.
On our day, it was perfectly safe to hike the trail. It was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon in Branson.
And here is a short video of the falls with my husband exploring up on top of the falls.
I hope you enjoyed Day Five of my Branson Vacation. Next week I will conclude our time in Branson with one of our best days yet spent at Dogwood Canyon!
For more posts on Branson, Missouri, check out these posts:
A Return to Branson, Missouri, Part Two
Have A Great Day! Amy
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