There are many great things about Columbus, OH. One of our favorite spots as a family is the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, especially in the springtime.
Here, you’ll find beautiful indoor and outdoor gardens, dynamic exhibitions, artwork and more. The Conservatory has an outdoor play area for kids when the weather is nice and an indoor cafe with quick lunch options. To complete your visit, there is a gift shop with the cutest home decor and supplies with plants and garden accessories.
Recently we just went for a visit to see the Blooms and Butterflies which is active end of February to mid-July. This event teaches the community about the life of a butterfly and their habitat. The staff at Franklin Park Conservatory, raise multiple breeds of caterpillars and rehomes them into the Rainforest Biome where they freely fly until they are released outside. The staff is wonderful at keeping the butterflies safe and making sure none fly out too early or go into the conservatory. As you walk around the Rainforest Biome, butterflies will flutter around you and may possibly land on your shoulder. They are most active when it is sunny and warm.
I recommend you start by finding the metamorphosis lab to see the many chrysalises that are waiting to turn into beautiful butterflies. You can see the different species tagged as well as some newly hatched butterflies who are working on drying their wings. It is neat to see the process and a great teaching moment for kids.
If you go to the gift shop before you leave, you may be lucky enough to purchase a caterpillar of your own to watch grow into a butterfly.
The Franklin Park Conservatory offers classes, programs and event for all ages. In the summer you can watch real glass blower create stunning glass art that is available for purchase and in the winter, you can walk around among the twinkling lights for the holidays.
A good tip for moms with little ones: do the outside stuff last so you can walk right to the car when you are ready to go home.
