Butterflies are a magical creature. As they flit through the air, they remind us of the fleeting precious nature of our lives. We are swept up in their beauty with each sighting. Oftentimes, the unchained butterfly flits away before their curiosity is sated.
The Magic Wings conservatory, located in Deerfield MA, is a wondrous place to slow down and relish thousands of butterflies fluttering about. Here you can meander through a tropical conservatory and greenhouse, lush with exotic flora bursting with beautiful flowers. You’ll walk alongside more than 50 butterfly species with a variety of wing shapes, sizes, wing veins, and color patterns. It’s a unique opportunity to see a wide variety of adaptations in one place as these butterfly species come from around the world.
We enjoy coming each year as a part of our spiraling butterfly unit study, building new layers of understanding each year. It’s a great context for exploring adaptations, ecosystems, and life cycles. Homeschooling family or not, this place is a treasure.
Know Before You Go
Layout
Atrium / Coat Room / Bathrooms
Upon entering the conservatory you find the main atrium, a large room with cafe style tables. Outside food and drink is not allowed in the main building and the food court is closed until further notice. There’s a coat room in the back to place your seasonal gear. Strollers must be parked here as they are not allowed in the gift shop and the conservatory for fire code reasons.
Bathrooms are located to the right off the atrium down a long hallway that passes through the cafe. They are outdated, but kept clean. They are spacious enough to get inside with little ones in tow without a problem. Stool supports are provided to help little ones wash their hands, which I know is greatly appreciated by parents and young humans everywhere.
Cafe
The cafe has been closed each time we’ve visited and is closed until further notice. 100% of the time we pack a picnic lunch. It’s affordable. Plus, I can control the quality of the ingredients ensuring the kids have a well-rounded nutritious lunch and feel at their best on a day out. In the warmer months you can eat at a picnic table on the grounds. They have peaceful public gardens around the property. During our winter visit, we ate in the car. Nothing bad happened.
Gift Shop / Entry
Tickets are purchased in the gift shop. I don’t like this, personally. While it’s not grounds for me to halt our trips here, it does fill me with anxiety with two little ones. You’ll find half of the shop is adorned with all manner of fragile glass items on glass shelving. My worst nightmare as I imagine my children the proverbial bulls in a china cabinet. Pro Tip: If you live within an hour radius, check your local library for Magic Wing tickets. Libraries often carry vouchers for free entry or entry for a reduced fee.
I make the most of an uncomfortable situation and let the kids do a quick stroll to satisfy their curiosity. They have a great selection of items to support natural science curiosities, notably books, ID cards, larva, nets, feeding stations, nature journals, etc. We’ve purchased a butterfly ID card with each visit to take with us into the conservatory. These now live in our adventure packs and we bring these with each return visit.
Aquariums / Terrariums
After purchasing tickets, you head into a room containing aquariums and terrariums with various reptiles and amphibians. Our children love to peruse these and to search for exotic species in each tank. From a parenting perspective, I’ve found this section a helpful stepping stone as it slows us all down and prepares our calm after the tomfoolery that is the gift shop. The variety of adaptations from colorful camouflage and biomimicry is quite impressive.
Conservatory
The conservatory itself is a lush greenhouse teeming with life. As such, it’s kept at a balmy 80 degrees and is slightly muggy. No matter the season you choose to visit, I recommend wearing a light breathable layer of clothing that regulates temperature. We opt for an active layer. If you’ve read our posts before, you know Primary is our go-to for affordable kids’ clothing. Their active wear line is great. Tip: wear bright clothing if you’d like more interaction from butterflies. Butterflies prefer to land on spaces that resemble a delicious flower.
more than butterflies
You’ll discover so much more than butterflies flitting about. Tucked in one corner of the conservatory, lizard and frog terrariums line a wall. My kids especially liked the giant stick bugs and cave cockroaches! These are generally placed low so young children and toddlers will have easy viewing access.
The cutest little quail can be seen bopping through the understory in the conservatory. These are especially sweet to the youngest children. You also may catch a fleeting glimpse of a hummingbird, which are easier to find if you hang around the feeding zones.
My personal favorite is the delightful Koi pond. A bench is accessible near the pond. The sound of the water, the beauty of the tropical flowers and lovely butterflies that swarm here make this such a peaceful spot to sit and rest. If you stay long enough you’re likely to see a turtle or two swim by as well.
Exiting
As you leave the conservatory, you’ll enter a buffer room where there will be a quick inspection to ensure butterflies aren’t hitching a ride out. You’ll head back, the way you came, through the gift shop. A good marketing tactic, I must admit. Usually I’m annoyed by this, but not at Magic Wings.
When we visit in the spring, we like to purchase a butterfly kit. We observed metamorphosis for our butterfly unit study, viewing the wondrous transformation before we released them into the wild. Each time we’re in the garden and see a painted lady, we stop and wonder if it was the butterfly we’d raised… It’s a very special experience and I highly recommend it.
Highly Recommended
The anxiety that the gift shop gives me aside, I feel Magic Wings is a lovely experience with tremendous value for the price. While the butterflies are the main attraction, there is a wide variety of exotic and rare flora and fauna that will delight at every turn. It’s an ethereal experience for the entire family.
Butterflies remind us that life is wild and life is precious. Cherish the moments that matter.
thiswildandpreciouslife.com 
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