Huntsville Botanical Garden Butterfly House
March is one of those winter months that can seem longer than 31 days…but in Huntsville, Alabama, it’s easy to get some “spring” in your step with a visit to the Huntsville Botanical Garden. Why March? Well, the garden celebrates Huntsville Blooms from March 15, 2016, to April 30, 2016.
In Huntsville, it’s time for spring blooming trees and shrubs to take center stage in their outdoor displays, along with bulb flowers that have already popped out of the ground in advance of Easter.
The garden, I discovered on my visit, really is a place, as they say “Where there’s always something going on.” And it’s no wonder with 1500 staff and volunteers keeping busy–and 300,000 visitors from around the world annually.
While Huntsville Blooms is the spring display, there’s also a feature each season at the gardens, so no matter when you visit, you’ll find something new to explore. I was lucky enough to land at the gardens in September, for the Scarecrow Trail, which runs this year throughout September and October.
The theme of the Scarecrow Trail changes each year, and I experienced a real-life version of Alice and Wonderland, one of my favorite fantasy stories.
Huntsville Botanical Garden Storybook Garden
Once I left the Scarecrow Trail, I found myself wandering through the Children’s Garden, which consists of the:
- Storybook garden
- Rainbow garden
- Space garden
- Dinosaur garden
- Half acre wood
- Bamboo garden
- International garden
- Maze garden
Huntsville Botanical Garden Space Garden
And after the children’s garden, I was off to the Butterfly House–a 9000 square foot enclosure that has room for more than a few thousand butterflies to feel at home. The Butterfly House is open from May 1st through September 30th, to let visitors get a glimpse of many different species of these beautiful insects.
Huntsville Botanical Garden giant chair to let us all feel like children!
From Luna Moths and Tiger Swallowtails, to Zebra Longwings and Red Admirals, you’ll find these floating specs of color fascinating.
The first Butterfly House opened in May of 1998, thanks to its generous benefactors, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Tessman. Mr. Tessman was a member of the original Wernher von Braun team that helped NASA win the Space Race.
Huntsville Botanical Garden Butterfly House waterfall
There are many more common types of gardens for visitors to enjoy, too, from the Herb Garden and Fern Glade, to the Dogwood Trail and Lewis Birding Trail.
Of course, it’s hard to visualize all the things you can see and do in a garden, just from pictures alone. So, here’s a video to show you the 2015 expansion at the garden.
If you’re ready for a touch of spring, put Huntsville, the Rocket City, and the Huntsville Botanical Gardens, at the top of your weekend getaway list!