Crawl, Climb and Fly With 'Amazing Butterflies' Exhibit at Swaner EcoCenter

PARK CITY, Utah — A new museum exhibit inviting visitors to transform into caterpillars and journey through a butterfly’s fascinating lifecycle.

Amazing Butterflies will be on exhibit at the Swaner EcoCenter in Park City from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 18 through May 4.

Through this hands-on maze of larger-than-life leaves, grass and trees, visitors experience the challenges of being a caterpillar as it morphs into a beautiful butterfly. Along the way, they’ll discover the ways caterpillars move, what they eat, and how other creatures help them achieve their transformation.

“This interactive exhibit will transform your learning of butterflies in a fun and engaging way. Visitors will leave inspired to discover more about the fascinating lives of caterpillars and butterflies in our local ecosystem,” said Swaner’s Visitor Experience Coordinator Brianna Cencak.

The adventure in this maze begins as visitors look through eggs to see caterpillar friends climbing on leaves and beginning to feed. Families can learn to crawl like a caterpillar by slipping into a set of caterpillar legs and using teamwork and locomotion to sprint for the finish line. Visitors will feed a caterpillar its lunch through team games and contests. They’ll discover why carpenter ants in Panama defend metalmark caterpillars from predators.

Once the transformation from pupa to butterfly is complete, kids can practice flapping giant butterfly wings while avoiding spider webs that lurk around every turn. The “Nectar Food Path Puzzle” and “Squeeze and Sniff” stations explain how butterflies find food by sight and smell. Children and adults can find a butterfly mate by creating a wacky dance and then learn how butterflies select a specific plant on which to lay their eggs.

Visitors can mark their progress as a butterfly by stamping a souvenir garden card at eight stations before zooming out of the maze as a butterfly on “The Monarch Monorail.”

“I love an opportunity for learning through play and this exhibit is all about it,” said Swaner Director of Exhibits Hunter Klingensmith. “Not only does the maze make for a fun challenge, but there are interactive elements at every turn to help guests experience the life cycle and challenges of being a butterfly. We have been looking at these exhibits from Minotaur Mazes for a few years and I’m so excited to bring one to Park City.”

Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter will pair this exhibition with additional programming to provide the community with ways to learn and engage with butterflies found right here in Utah. From butterfly-themed story times to a “Butterflies of Utah” display to a behind-the-scenes tour of the butterfly collections at NHMU, there will be something for everyone.

Regular entry for Amazing Butterflies is $7 for ages 3-64, $6 for those 65 and older or with a valid military ID, and free for ages 0-2. Members of Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter receive free admission to the exhibit.

Or anyone can visit for free on Jan. 18, Feb. 20, March 14, and April 13 thanks to generous sponsors. View more information on exhibit details and events.

“Amazing Butterflies” is created by Minotaur Mazes, a worldwide leader in interactive educational maze exhibits.