SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Ever felt the delicate wings of a butterfly flutter past your face? Scottsdale’s newest world-class attraction, Butterfly Wonderland, part of the Talking Stick Destination in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, invites you to experience just that. Opening on May 25, this one-of-a-kind museum boasts the largest butterfly pavilion in the United States. Start your journey in a theater with 3-D feature film the “Flight of the Butterflies,” providing insight into the fascinating life of butterflies.
From there, step into the Butterfly Emergence Gallery, where you’ll observe the most dynamic stage of a butterfly metamorphosis, emergence from the chrysalis. Next, you’ll be welcomed into a lush rainforest atrium where thousands of butterflies from around the world will fly freely, landing on fragrant flowering plants – from sweet almond verbena to plumeria. From the atrium, you will continue on to several interactive exhibits showcasing other natural wonders, from honey bees and ants to sea life. Butterfly Wonderland is the first phase of “Odysea in the Desert, a 35-acre, multi-million-dollar entertainment complex that will include the largest aquarium in the Southwest region (scheduled to open in 2015); an IMAX theatre; a Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum; and a “Taste of the World” culinary showcase with 14 to 16 distinctive international restaurants. (www.butterflywonderland.com)
