Crawl, Climb and Fly with Amazing Butterflies at the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land’s Newest Exhibit

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Transform into caterpillars and experience a life-size, interactive maze packed with amazing facts and the fun navigation of blind alleys in Amazing Butterflies, a special exhibition at the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) at Sugar Land running through May 15th.

Visitors experience the challenges of being a caterpillar as it morphs into a beautiful butterfly through a hands-on maze of larger-than-life leaves, grass and trees. Along the way, discover the ways caterpillars move, what they eat and how other creatures help them achieve their transformation.

“Butterflies are considered by many to be the most beautiful and interesting of insects,” said Adrienne Barker, director and chief development officer of HMNS at Sugar Land. “One of the most amazing things about this insect is how they transform from caterpillars to butterflies. It is a remarkable occurrence in nature.”

The adventure begins as museum goers look through eggs to see caterpillar friends climbing on leaves and beginning to feed. Learn to crawl like a caterpillar by slipping into a set of caterpillar legs and using teamwork and locomotion to sprint for the finish line. See why carpenter ants in Panama defend metalmark caterpillars from parasitic wasps and other predators, and feed a caterpillar its lunch through team games and contests.

Once the transformation from pupa to butterfly is complete, practice flapping giant butterfly wings while avoiding spider webs that lurk around every turn. The “Nectar Food Path Puzzle” and “Squeeze and Sniff” stations explain how butterflies find food by sight and smell. Also study how butterflies select a specific plant on which to lay their eggs. Finally, mark your progress as a butterfly by stamping a souvenir garden card at eight stations before zooming out of the maze as a butterfly on “The Monarch Monorail” mini zip line.

Amazing Butterflies is produced by Minotaur Mazes, Seattle, based on an exhibition created for the Natural History Museum in London, United Kingdom with their scientific input and interpretation. This exhibition is locally sponsored by the Fort Bend Junior Service League and the City of Sugar Land Tourism.

Tickets for Amazing Butterflies are now on sale and may be purchased online. For more information, visit www.hmns.org or call 281-313-2227.