The Butterfly Experience at Brookside Gardens

Visitors to the seasonal exhibit will get an intimate, up-close look at hundreds of brilliant live butterflies from North America, Central America, South America, Africa, and Asia as they flutter among colorful flowers throughout Brookside Gardens’ South Conservatory.

Trained staff and volunteers will highlight the fascinating world of lepidoptera, the stages of metamorphosis, the important role butterflies play in healthy ecosystems, and how to ensure these beautiful insects thrive in our own gardens.

Please see below for important visitor information, group information, opportunities to learn more about butterflies, and ways to become involved in this extraordinary experience.

Event Information

Everyone must have a ticket to enter The Butterfly Experience.
Tickets are only available for purchase online and may be purchased on the website or using the on-site QR code.
Tickets are timed entry with a specific day and entrance time for your arrival.
Advanced ticket purchase is recommended as same day tickets are limited.
Please arrive at the conservatory at the time of scheduled entry.
Tickets are non-refundable however can be exchanged for an alternative date or time (see instructions below).

What are the dates for The Butterfly Experience?

The Butterfly Experience runs April 10- September 21, 2025. The hours of operation are as follows:

April 10- June 30, 2025 10 am to 4 pm daily

July 1 – August 31, 2025 10 am to 1 pm weekdays

10 am to 4 pm weekends

September 1-21, 2025 10 am to 4pm daily

How much is admission to The Butterfly Experience?

Everyone must have a ticket. Tickets prices are as follows:

Ages 13+ $15.86 (ticket fee $14 plus $1.86 service charge)

Ages 3-12 $10.57 (ticket fee $9 plus $1.57 service charge)

Under Age 3 Free

How do I purchase tickets?

Tickets are timed entry and must be purchased online. As tickets are limited, advanced purchase is recommended to ensure availability.

So, I purchased my tickets. What do I do when I arrive?

Please plan on arriving prior to your scheduled entry time. Ticketholders will have 20 minutes to explore The Butterfly Experience. Have the QR code readily available for staff to scan at the Butterfly Experience entrance adjacent to the Conservatory.

Are tickets refundable? Are service fees refundable?

All ticket sales are final and nonrefundable. The service fees from Ticketsauce, the online platform, are nonrefundable as well. In the event of extreme weather Brookside Gardens may close The Butterfly Experience for the safety of visitors, volunteers, and staff. In this situation, all tickets would be refunded within 5 days of the closure.

How do I exchange tickets for a different date?

1. Select “View and Manage Order” on your email (subject Tickets: The Butterfly Experience at Brookside Gardens)
2. Scroll to “Manage Order” and select “Exchange Ticket”.
3. Choose “Activity” as “The Butterfly Experience” then select the preferred date and time.
4. Choose “Select” and then “Continue” at the bottom of the window

You’ll return to the “Manage Order” to repeat the above steps for all tickets in your order.

Select “Checkout” and then select “Submit Exchange”.

You will be automatically returned to the “Manage Order” page where you can view your tickets and confirm that you have the correct date. Tickets may only be exchanged one time.

If you have any questions, email Ticketsauce at support@event-help.com

Please keep these things in mind when exchanging tickets for a different date:

You cannot exchange your tickets when viewing them through a third party such as apple pay or PayPal.

You can only exchange your tickets up to 10:00 am the day of your scheduled event.

Once the date of your ticket has occurred, you can no longer exchange your ticket. The Butterfly Experience tickets are nonrefundable.

What are some butterfly species found in Maryland?

Butterflies and moths are known as lepidoptera or lepidopterans. There are over 150 species of butterflies and 2,600 species of moths found in Maryland. Eastern tiger swallowtails, monarchs, silver spotted skippers, variegated fritillaries, painted ladies, common buckeyes, spicebush swallowtails are regularly sighted at Brookside Gardens. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources website has several resources to help identify butterflies found in our state.

https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/plants_wildlife/butterfliesofmaryland.aspx

Why plant a butterfly garden?

Local butterfly populations are declining due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and pollution. Planting a butterfly garden creates new habitat, so they can complete their life cycle and thrive. As a bonus, butterflies are beautiful and fascinating to watch.

How can I support all stages of the butterfly life cycle in my garden?

There are 4 basic stages of the butterfly life cycle including egg, caterpillar or larva, chrysalis or pupa, and adult or imago.

Egg: Host plants attract butterflies by providing them a place to lay their eggs. Each type of butterfly has one or more host plants (for example, monarchs use milkweeds). If your garden has a variety of host plants, you can count on attracting butterflies.

Caterpillar/Larva: The butterfly eggs will hatch into caterpillars. Their goals are to hide from predators and to eat host plants. Host plants include trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, and annuals. These plants can tolerate intense caterpillar feeding and are able to recover from feeding damage.

Chrysalis/Pupa: Once fully grown, caterpillars often leave the host plant and form their chrysalis in a protected place. The chrysalis is the stage in which the caterpillar develops into a butterfly.

Adult/Imago: Adult butterflies usually feed on nectar while searching for a mate, so they need specific flowers that provide nectar as an energy source. Butterfly adults also bask in the sun to warm their bodies to fly since they are ectothermic or cold-blooded. Many nectar and host plants require full sun, but with careful plant selection, butterfly gardens can also be planted in partial shaded areas. Avoid using pesticides as these chemicals can kill caterpillars and adult butterflies. Identify the source of the plant problem before using chemicals. Non-chemical methods are available to address most common plant pests.

What are some common caterpillar host plants in Maryland?

White Oak (Quercus alba) – 18 species of hairstreak butterflies and 15 species of silk moths
Native Willows(Salix species) – comma, viceroy, red-spotted purple, mourning cloak, hairstreaks, sphinx moths
Wild Cherries (Prunus species) – viceroy, red spotted purple, tiger swallowtail, spring azure, and 10 species of silk moths
Hickory (Carya species) – tiger swallowtail, striped and banded hairstreaks, royal walnut moth
Parsley, Fennel, Carrot– black swallowtail

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) and Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) – tiger and spicebush swallowtails
Milkweed(Asclepias sp.) – monarch
Violets (Viola sp.) – great spangled fritillary

What are some beneficial nectar plants naturalized or native to Maryland?

PERENNIALS & SHRUBS

Milkweed(Asclepias syriaca, A. incarnata, A. tuberosa, etc.)
Joe Pye Weed(Eutrochium purpureum)
Purple Coneflower(Echinacea purpurea)
Ironweed(Vernonia sp.)
Goldenrod(Solidago sp.)
Aster(Aster sp.)
Sweet Pepperbush(Clethra alnifolia)
Virginia Sweetspire(Itea virginica)
Blazing Star(Liatris sp.)

Where can I find more information about supporting pollinators in my home garden?

Visit the University of Maryland Extension website for more information on creating a pollinator garden at https://extension.umd.edu/resource/pollinator-gardens/