Have you ever tried to find one butterfly in a thousand? Come to think of it, have you ever actually seen 1,000 butterflies all in one place? At the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing in Ames, Iowa, you can not only see a thousand butterflies, but you can spend the day walking amongst them, looking for the one you like the best.
The Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing of Reiman Gardens in Ames, Iowa invites you to come share a 2,500 square foot space with up to 1,000 butterflies of 36 different species. The Butterfly Wing provides a rare view of these magical insects from six different continents.
Before visiting, make sure to download the Remain Butterfly App to see daily butterfly counts, tips, identification, a current butterfly gallery, and even pictures and locations of the wonderful plants that live here.
Matching the diversity of the butterflies themselves, the plants are designed to provide sustenance for these delicate insects primarily by their pollen production.
One especially fascinating plant to investigate is the Brazilian Grapetree, which has blossoms and fruit attached helter skelter directly to its branches.
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With exotic species present there are special rules to preserve the butterflies as well as to prevent ecological damage by accidental release. Upon arriving at the butterfly shaped, architecturally magnificent building, a docent will greet you, explain the rules, and answer any questions you may have.
Some mobile phones and GPS maps will bring you to the Reiman Gardens mailing address on University Boulevard rather than to the intersection of University Boulevard and South 16 Street in Ames. No visitor parking is available near the butterfly wing on Iowa State home football game days.
No food, drinks, tripods, large bags, strollers, outside flowers or plant material are allowed in the wing. Please do not touch the butterflies, and be careful not to step on them if they land on the path ahead of you. The flowers in the butterfly wing are not for picking.
To learn more, visit the Reiman Gardens website. You can also download the butterfly app we mentioned earlier here. Admission to the butterfly wing is included with entrance to Reiman Gardens, which is free for select groups, but otherwise $6 per person for ages 2-12, $11 per person for general admission, and $10 per person for seniors. Here’s a sneak peek of what to expect from the gardens as a whole. Have you ever visited the butterfly wing at Reiman Gardens? Which butterfly was your favorite?
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