Tropical Butterfly House

The Tropical Butterfly House at Pacific Science Center is one of those rare Seattle attractions where every single kid — from nervous 2-year-olds to jaded 12-year-olds — has a genuine reaction the moment they walk through the doors.

You push through a double-door airlock (to keep butterflies from escaping) and step into a warm, humid greenhouse filled with hundreds of free-flying tropical butterflies. The temperature inside is held at around 80°F year-round, which means it's a genuine tropical escape even in January. Butterflies dart between flowering plants overhead and settle on the ground, on flowers, and — most excitingly — on people.

For toddlers, the experience is borderline overwhelming in the best way. My 3-year-old stood absolutely still for five full minutes (unprecedented) while a Blue Morpho sat on her sleeve. For older kids, there are identification boards posted throughout so they can match what they're seeing to species names, which adds a scavenger hunt quality to the visit.

Practical notes: the Butterfly House is included in Pacific Science Center general admission, so there's no separate ticket. It's closed Monday and Tuesday — a detail that's easy to miss and frustrating if you drive to Seattle Center and find it locked. Weekend afternoons see 10-20 minute queues; weekday mornings are much calmer.

Wear bright colors — reds, oranges, and yellows attract butterflies and dramatically increase your chances of having one land on you. Move slowly. The hatching case near the entrance shows pupae at various stages of development, and if you're lucky, you'll catch one emerging.

Paired with the rest of Pacific Science Center (the laser dome, the IMAX, the outdoor water feature), a full day here is among the best family outings in Seattle.