Kidspace Museum is bringing back its annual Butterfly Season, beginning Thursday. This celebration of butterflies, pollinators, and the natural world offers an opportunity for the community to reconnect with nature and experience the wonder of renewal.
“Spring is a season of rebirth, and that’s something we want to celebrate,” said Lisa Clements, CEO of Kidspace. “We invite families to engage with nature on our outdoor campus, learn about the vital role of conservation, and find joy in the colors and exuberance of springtime.”
A kaleidoscope of butterflies will fill Roberts Pavilion showcasing a new interpretation of artist Christopher Lutter’s handmade Monarch butterflies, crafted from upcycled waste-stream materials. These butterflies are a reminder of the impact of human behavior on wild creatures and they symbolize the power of transformation and hope.
Butterfly Season also brings back the beloved Los Trompos, an interactive art installation designed by Héctor Esrawe and Ignacio Cadena. These brightly colored structures, inspired by vintage Mexican toy tops, invite guests to hop on and spin together, embodying the cultural and geographical connections between California and Mexico—connections that are deeply tied to the Monarch butterfly’s migratory journey.
“Los Trompos reminds us of the shared histories and vibrant cultures that define our region,” said Clements. “Like the monarch butterfly, it’s a beautiful metaphor for cultural and geographic connections between Southern California and Mexico.” Los Trompos was first commissioned by the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.
Guests can immerse themselves in nature through a variety of hands-on art and science activities designed to inspire curiosity and a sense of wonder:
- Bug safaris. Kidspace provides the magnifying glass and some expert tips; you bring your curiosity and keen creature-spotting skills and join the search for eggs, caterpillars, and adult insects around campus.
- Fantasy flutter-by-play. Dress up like a butterfly, climb into a “chrysalis,” and take flight on the flutter path.
- Create a caterpillar. Shape your creature out of clay and then add seeds to sprout a fuzzy fellow of your own to take home.
- Flower showers. Grab a watering can and learn about what plants, butterflies, and other pollinators rely on while helping the flowers grow.
Butterfly Season doesn’t end when you leave the museum—live caterpillar adoptions are back. Raising and releasing native Painted Lady butterflies is a perfect family (or classroom) project, offering a tangible, living connection to the process of growth and transformation.
Caterpillar adoptions are available onsite beginning Thursday at the Kidspace Museum Store or online at store.kidspacemuseum.org. All caterpillars must be picked up in person at the museum. Caterpillars start at just $8, and care instructions are available on the Kidspace website.
In addition to Butterfly Season, visitors can discover new connections between art and science in Wired for Wonder: a multisensory maze. Children and adults are invited to be both scientist and subject, examining how their brain interprets and integrates sensory input with emotion and memory. Wired for Wonder is presented in collaboration with Getty’s PST ART: Art & Science Collide.
Visit kidspacemuseum.org to reserve tickets for Butterfly Season, included with general admission and free for members through May 18.
