Mar 01 2008
Butterflies and Habitats at Smithsonian
Today, Michael and I headed into Washington, DC to see Chicago 10 the movie (reviews forthcoming) and visit the Museum of Natural History to see the butterflies and plants exhibit. We paid 6 dollars for the pleasure of viewing the exhibit, another 2 for the pleasure of ordering them online and another 1.25 in surcharges. Thank you, tickets.com.
We waiting in a crowded line (someone cut one, nasty!) and finally we were allowed entrance into a very small igloo-like building that houses the butterflies. They have special entry and exit rooms to keep the butterflies inside their very warm and humid sanctuary.
They give you a very perfunctory introduction (Don’t freak out if a butterfly lands on you, don’t lean against our load-bearing walls) and hand out a guide that tells you which butterflies you’re seeing. The kids I saw in the exhibit liked tomake this into a sort of contest.
Don’t be fooled into thinking this is an educational experience. It’s not. There may be educational signs, but no one pays attention to them. The guides don’t discuss whatever the importance of this exhibit is. I still don’t know how it’s important.
Inside the “igloo”, it’s hot and humid. There are mist streams frequently turned on to maintain the humidity. The butterflies flit around, often landing on people’s heads. One landed on my finger while I was taking pictures. The people menaced by the butterflies shriek and fling their arms around, despite the warnings of the guide. For my part, I was excited. They were just exploring me and disappointed I wasn’t food. I find myself disappointed I’m not food pretty frequently too.
They have a special case for the cocoons of butterflies – they “emerge” them within the exhibit. Right next to that case is a creepy window where people outside the igloo look jealously in. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t sign up to be an exhibit.
I think this exhibit is neat (minus the crowds, the poor execution of crowd control, the lack of educational value), but I’ve also seen it before – at the National Zoo, for free. Check out the invertebrate house for a very similar exhibit and also some awesome sea cucumbers and a giant pacific octopus. My personal favorite place at the National Zoo.