Opening June 12!
Exhibit open June-September. Learn about the life cycle of our beautiful caterpillars, chrysalis, and butterflies!
Pollinators at Play
Powered by CenterPoint Energy Foundation
Pollinators at Play is a multi-faceted exhibit that immerses children in the vital world of pollinators through hands-on, nature-based experiences. From the seasonal Butterfly House—where visitors can walk among butterflies in a habitat designed to support their full lifecycle—to the interactive Caterpillar Nursery, where children observe metamorphosis up close, every element is designed to spark wonder and learning. The surrounding Prairie Gardens showcase native plants essential to pollinators’ survival, while related programming invites young explorers to become citizen scientists. This exhibit fosters a deep appreciation for nature and empowers children to engage with the environment in meaningful ways.
Monarch Habitat
Butterfly House
Observe native butterflies—like Monarchs and Painted Ladies—up close in a habitat designed to support their full life cycle. Through hands-on, child-led activities, the exhibit highlights the essential role these pollinators play in our ecosystem.
Chrysalis Corner
Pollinator Programming
CMSM’s Pollinator Program invites children to become citizen scientists by observing Monarch caterpillars on milkweed using magnifying glasses and nature journals, contributing real data to national research efforts. Pollinator experiences are also woven into the Museum’s year-round Outdoor Explorers and Curiosity Camps as well.
Caterpillar Nursery
This interactive space provides visitors with the opportunity to observe the lifecycle of butterflies up close, from tiny eggs to vibrant, winged adults.
Prairie Gardens
The Native Prairie Gardens feature a diverse array of host and nectar plants, providing critical resources for pollinators at every stage of their development. Children and caregivers can explore a lush, thriving ecosystem where they can observe the fascinating interactions between plants and pollinators, gaining a deeper understanding of the intricate balance required to sustain these vital species.
Monarch Tagging
This event not only highlights our dedication to hands-on education and environmental stewardship but also engages the community in a meaningful conservation effort. Collaborating with the University of Kansas at MonarchWatch.org, children evolve into budding entomologists as they help tag, record, and release the monarch butterflies in the fall as this pollinator embarks on its annual long migration journey south to the Oyamel forests of Mexico for the winter months.
Become a Citizen Scientist
by developing skills through the programming we offer.
Children become citizen scientists as they learn through play, ways to conserve and support pollinators in our local community. Through CMSM’s Pollinator Programming children are able to get up close with Monarch caterpillars, as they use a magnify glass and nature journal to observe, tally, and record their findings of the monarchs host plant of milkweed.
MLMP is a conservation program-activity where young guests can become citizen scientists as they help collect data that is used by Monarch Joint Venture and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum to determine patterns, trends, and success rates of larvae to adult butterfly based on the surrounding environment.
This program is designed as a child-led and hands-on experience on how to spot the Monarchs host plant of milkweed, how to check for microscopic eggs, turn each leaf over hoping to find a white, black, and yellow striped monarch caterpillar, spot a bright green pupa(chrysalis), and how many adult monarchs are fluttering by.
The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota is an established and certified Monarch Waystation through the conservation organization MonarchWatch.org. Our Prairie Gardens and Butterfly house are filled with a variety of nectar and host plants for Minnesota native butterflies. Having the Monarchs host plant of Milkweed is essential for a Monarch Waystation. Milkweed is the home for the Monarch, it provides a place for adult butterflies to lay their eggs, as well as, where the tiny caterpillars will devour the leaves as the grow. Your home garden can be a certified Monarch Waystation as well, follow the steps listed https://monarchwatch.org/waystations/
Seeds are available for purchase at the Museum Gift Shop. Harvested nectar plant seeds from CMSM’s beautiful Butterfly House, take home a pack to enjoy a piece of the museum in your home garden! Learn how to plant here. Seeds may include but not limited to; California Giant Zinnias, Cosmos, Coneflower, Marigolds, Wild Bergamot, Blazing Star, Mexican Sunflower, Daisy, New England Aster, Black-Eyed Susan, Giant Sunflower, Dwarf Zinnias
This exhibit is great for...
an immersive experience for the whole family!
Pollinators
Pollinators such as butterflies, bees, wasps, moths, beetles, hummingbirds, bats, and even the wind play a vital part in agricultural production and our environment. Without them, the human race and the earth’s ecosystems would not survive.
Little Gardeners
Families can explore vibrant gardens filled with native plants that provide food and shelter for pollinators. Children learn how specific plants, like milkweed, play a key role in butterfly lifecycles and see firsthand how plants and animals depend on each other to survive.
Nature-Based Learning
Children engage directly with living plants and insects in thoughtfully designed outdoor spaces. They build observation skills, develop curiosity about the natural world, and gain a deeper understanding of how all living things are connected—laying a strong foundation for environmental awareness and stewardship.
Butterfly House Guided Tour Schedule
Week 2
- Sun 1
- Mon 2
- Tue 3
- Wed 4
- Thu 5
- Fri 6
- Sat 7
- Sun 8
- Mon 9
- Tue 10
- Wed 11
- Thu 12
- Fri 13
- Sat 14
- Sun 15
- Mon 16
- Tue 17
- Wed 18
- Thu 19
- Fri 20
- Sat 21
- Sun 22
- Mon 23
- Tue 24
- Wed 25
- Thu 26
- Fri 27
- Sat 28
- Sun 29
- Mon 30
- Tue 1
- Wed 2
- Thu 3
- Fri 4
- Sat 5
-
No Events
-
No Events
-
No Events
-
No Events
-
No Events
Support for the Butterfly House and the pollinator programming has been provided, in part, by grants and donations from Drummers Garden Center & Floral, the Minnesota Humanities Center and the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, and the Union Pacific Railroad Foundation.
