Enjoy yourself amid more than 1,000 winged creatures in the butterfly aviary and be even more confounded in a forest of mirrors.
Crowning a hill overlooking the western part of Branson, the Butterfly Palace and Rainforest Adventure is an entertaining and informative complex for the whole family to visit. Its exhibits provide teachings about the natural world, with a special emphasis on butterflies and the rainforest. The impressive hilltop building has views of the Missouri hills stretching out into the distance.
Enter the complex and watch a short film in the Rainforest Theater about tropical eco-systems. The theater plays films such as the 3D Flight of the Butterflies and the Hidden World of the Butterfly Palace. Armed with this new and fascinating information, step inside the aviary and appreciate its tropical setting.
Pick up child-sized binoculars and a magnifying glass for your little ones and stroll between the colorful butterflies. Notice some of the rarest and most exotic specimens of butterfly and bird in the aviary. Bring your camera to snap photos of these arresting jewels.
Move on to the Living Rainforest Science Center to get a close look at the poison dart frogs, salamanders and geckos. Recoil at the display of giant cockroaches. Wave to Harry the blue-tongued skink, a small and much-loved lizard. Explore the Emerald Forest Mirror Maze and bump your way through the green canopy. Take on the obstacle course of the Banyan Tree Adventure, meandering between a web of ropes that resembles the hanging roots of the trees. Look for souvenirs in the Base Camp Gift Shop.
The site opens daily from morning until afternoon. Purchase tickets online for a three-day entrance wristband, with reduced prices for seniors and children.
The Butterfly Palace and Rainforest Adventure is in the western outskirts of Branson, Missouri. It is at the southern end of the White River Balds Natural Area, beside the Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area. Look around the area and stop at other nearby highlights such as the Dinosaur Museum, the Promised Land Zoo and the Hollywood Wax Museum.
