FREE Fun: Visit Butterflies In The Garden at MSU April 15-30 {Weekends Only}

One of our favorite things to do is spend some time on the campus of Michigan State University. There is tons to do for free!

A favorite springtime pitstop for us is checking out the Butterflies in the Garden exhibit at the 4-H Children’s Gardens. The butterflies will be visiting this year on weekends only, from April 15-30, 2023 and checking them out is completely FREE.

This visit is perfect for learning about the life cycle of butterflies. They truly are the most magnificent creatures!

The butterfly area is small, but for a FREE day, it’s definitely worth the drive. We always see lots of different species and they are gorgeous. My kids love trying to get them to land on them.

Note: You cannot bring a stroller inside the area, so bring a baby carrier or a designated baby holder if you have an infant. Stroller parking is right outside the enclosure.

How To Get There

If you’re not familiar with campus, there are a lot of buildings with very small signs.

First, plug 1066 Bogue St. into your GPS, which will land you at the Plant & Soil Sciences Building {with a very small rectangular green sign out front}. On the weekends, parking is free.

From there, enter the back of the building, under the green awning. We didn’t see any signage except a little sign in the window, so beware. Upon entering, you will see a blue line on the ground. You can follow that to the restroom {genius idea since it’s a maze of halls!}, or follow the green vine to go to the butterfly house, which is located inside one of the many greenhouses.

After your visit, you can walk over to the Children’s Gardens, which are directly behind the building. Obviously nothing is in bloom yet, but it’s a neat spot to run around!

They have some really neat programs that are free or low-cost, too! On April 29, the gardens will host a Butterfly Day event. It’s free to attend, but registration is encouraged. Register here: https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/butterfly-day

Learn more about the 4-H Children’s Garden by following them on Facebook or visiting their website.

HOURS

• Saturday & Sunday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

After visiting the butterflies and gardens, check out the Dairy Store for some ice cream, the Broad Art Museum {FREE} for some art inspiration or go visit dinosaur bones and more at the MSU Museum {FREE}. There’s lots to do!

What are your favorite things to do at MSU?