Hershey Butterfly Atrium and Gardens

‍ A few years ago, it was decided that we would buy one family gift for each of the kids and their families at Christmas.  It started with zoo memberships…Montgomery Zoo for the Holes in Alabama and Hershey Zoo for the Hagmayer’s in Pennsylvania.  After a few years of the small zoo in Hershey, it seemed like a good time to make a change. 

‍ Waylon loves butterflies.  He loves catching them (of course always releasing them gently) and raising them.  After we went to the Hershey Butterfly Atrium last fall, we knew we had a new annual membership for the PA Hagmayers. 

Hershey Gardens and Butterfly Atrium, Hershey, Pennsylvania

‍Upon arrival in Pennsylvania, we requested a day at the Atrium and the Gardens.  We arrived on a Saturday morning and watched as the parking lot rapidly filled.  People of all ages and ethnicities were flocking to the garden for the Guided Garden Tour to take place that morning.

‍ Our first stop was the Butterfly Atrium.  In 2016 the Butterfly Atrium was opened in place of the previous house that had limited hours during the summer thereby inhibiting school trips.  This Butterfly Atrium is included in the price for the Gardens and is open year-round.

‍The Butterfly Atrium is one of only 25 indoor tropical butterfly atriums in the country and is home to exotic nectar producing plants with a cool nod to the chocolate business with the presence of a cacao tree.

Hershey Butterfly Atrium, Hershey, Pennsylvania

‍Due to the incredible amount of leaves a caterpillar eats and the excessive amount of waste they produce, they do not breed butterflies in the atrium but have chrysalises shipped.  There is a breeding room in which they can hatch in a controlled environment before being released into the general atrium.  Their website has a nice little video that shows the process from the receipt of the shipment to the hatching.

Hershey Butterfly Atrium Breeding Room

While visitors are asked not to pick up the butterflies, the butterflies are known to land on guests.  I specifically wore bright colors to attract butterflies and guess what….they landed on Zach and his gray tshirt!!!

Hershey Butterfly Atrium. Blue Morpho Butterfly

‍We spent quite some time in the Butterfly Atrium observing all of the different butterflies.   It is a joy to observe creation and all of the diversity of what God created…the varying colors and sizes of the butterflies.  A Hagmayer family favorite is the blue morpho.  This is one of the largest butterflies in the world.  From the outside it is quite ordinary.  But when it opens its wings the microscopic scales refract light and appear as a brilliant blue.

The outside of the blue morpho

God’s amazing transformation!

‍ We then proceeded to the Gardens.  Milton Hershey was approached about sponsoring a national rosarium in Washington D.C.   Instead he worked with a rose garden expert from Harrisburg and created a rose garden in Hershey that he and other locals could enjoy.  The rose garden opened in 1937 and was just three and a half acres.   By 1942 it was a full blow 23 acre botanical garden. 

Fountain at Hershey Gardens

‍ The garden today features 3000 roses of 115 varieties as well as themed gardens such as the Rock Garden, the Senses Garden, the Children’s Garden and many more.

Hershey Gardens famous roses

‍I did not realize how large the gardens were and how much there was to explore.  We will definitely need another trip and hopefully still in June – the Month of the Rose.  Coincidently, if your name is Rose you get in free for the month of June. 

Hershey Gardens

‍The entry fees are not terrible, under 2 are free, active duty military are free, veterans, seniors and teachers are all eligible for discounts.

‍ ‍Check out TC’s video and adventure at Hershey!