Fall preview, daily through Labor Day!

Butterflies have landed for a limited preview at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium! “I Spy a Butterfly,” an all-new, seasonal, walk-through experience, will open for the full season in early spring 2025, but Zoo guests are able to experience an exclusive sneak peek daily, now through September 2, 2024.

A specially constructed greenhouse for free-flying butterflies surrounds guests with the majestic beauty of winged wonders and temporarily welcomes another branch of the animal kingdom – insects – to the Zoo’s lineup of fantastic fauna. The habitat is home to a rainbow of different butterfly species including monarch, painted lady, American lady, gulf fritillary, eastern black swallowtail, cabbage white, and red admiral.

The interactive area not only allows guests to share space with these delicate beauties, it also educates about the importance of the role the butterfly plays in the ecosystem. Topics in “I Spy a Butterfly” include the insects’ amazing physical adaptations, four-stage life cycles, and unique relationships with their host plants. Carefully selected butterfly-preferred plants and feeding stations are placed throughout the habitat that will allow guests to get very close to these remarkable species.