More Bugs and Butterflies

At the National Museum of Natural History, neither the butterflies nor their pavilion is free. But in its opening weeks, that hasn't been a deterrent; tickets sell out sometimes more than a day in advance. So if you don't want to be disappointed, order tickets online before your visit.

Of course, if you do go on the spur of the moment and can't get into the pavilion, that doesn't mean you can't get a lot out of the visit. "Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution" is the free part of the new exhibition hall, and it's a very kid-friendly exhibit. Lushly painted scenes with minimal but informative text are set at kid's-eye level. For each painting, there's a "Where's Waldo"-like key asking visitors to find various bugs and plants.

The butterfly pavilion snakes its way through the hall, and one panel of the opaque cocoon is left transparent so visitors can sneak a peek of the human-butterfly interaction inside.

The recently refurbished O. Orkin Insect Zoo is adjacent to the butterfly exhibit and is worth a stop for the thrice-daily tarantula feedings. (Tuesday-Friday at 10:30, 11:30 and 1:30; Saturday and Sunday at 11:30, 12:30 and 1:30).

-- Tracy Grant