SCOTTSDALE, Arizona – Thousands of butterflies will soon flutter inside the largest butterfly pavilion in North America at Butterfly Wonderland. The interactive attraction is scheduled to open in Spring 2013.
Guests will see a film on the life of a butterfly before heading to the Chrysalis Laboratory, where they can observe the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly up close. Inside the 10,000-square-foot re-created tropical rainforest environment, 100 species of butterflies from countries such as Costa Rica and the Philippines will fly past visitors.
The Butterfly Wonderland is the first of a four-phase $170 million complex called Odysea in the Desert. Located inside the Salt Pima Maricopa-Indian Community, the 522,000-square-foot entertainment district will feature attractions, restaurants and retail development. Phase two of the project, the Odysea Aquarium will open in 2015. The 12-acre aquarium will include shark tanks, a king penguin exhibit, an underwater theater and a display of the Great Barrier Reef.
A Ripley’s Believe It or Not and the Arizona Experience will open during phases three and four, respectively. The Arizona Experience will combine film with interactive exhibits to paint a picture of Arizona’s history from the Spanish Conquistadors to the beginning of the Wild West.
For more information on Butterfly Wonderland, visit www.butterflywonderland.com. For more information on Odysea in the Desert, visit www.odyseainthedesert.com.