Discovering the Butterfly House: A Tropical Oasis in Grand Junction

If you have never visited Grand Junction's Botanical Gardens, you are missing out on one of Western Colorado's hidden gems. One of the garden's most unique features is the way it transports you from arid high desert to tropical escape in just a few minutes.

From the Children's Castle to the Butterfly House, Grand Junction's Botanical Gardens are a great place to relax, and once you step inside, it feels like a different world.

Finding Grand Junction's Butterfly House: Where Is It?

With the Dos Rios Park (splashpad) to the East, and Las Colonias and the Amp to the West, it's easy to fly right past Grand Junction's Botanical Gardens and Butterfly House without ever knowing it's there. Find it at 655 Struthers Avenue. Summer hours, Monday to Friday, are usually 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit them online at wcbotanic.org.

One of the many things people love about the gardens is that it was once part of a neglected dumping ground/junk yard that decades later has become a thriving oasis along the Colorado River.

Grand Junction's Butterfly House: What's Inside?

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One of my favorite things about the gardens and the Butterfly House is the friendly people who take care of the grounds. The gardens burst with color and movement, featuring exotic orchids, koi ponds, and turtles and tortoises roaming among tropical plants. Overhead, the butterflies. Species like Giant Swallowtail, Zebra Longwing, Atala, Buckeye, and Malachite. You'll feel the humidity, the flutter of wings, and you'll smell the florals. Suddenly, you forgot you live in the high desert.

A Walk Through the Gardens

Several riverfront trails in Grand Junction go right past the gardens, making it an easy place to visit. Recharge for half an hour at lunch or stay for a couple of hours and soak it all in. In addition to the Butterfly House and Children's Castle, the Grand Junction's Botanical Gardens include several specialty outdoor spaces throughout the grounds:

• Cactus & Succulent Garden
• Antique Rose Garden
• Children’s Secret Garden
• Western Heritage Garden
• Japanese Garden
• Herb Garden
• Native Garden
• Grand Valley Miniature (Grand Mesa, National Monument, & Mount Garfield)

The nonprofit STRIVE manages the gardens, and they do a great job. Grand Junction's Botanical Gardens are a great place to relax, take photos (and send them to our app), and learn more about the largest city on Colorado's Western Slope. You'll be glad you did.

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