"Wings of Fancy" Group Tours
Brookside Gardens Children's Program
Group Tour Availability
Bring your youth group (public and private schools, home schools, scouts and summer camps) to this live butterfly exhibit for a special guided tour with a knowledgeable docent. Learn about the butterfly life cycle and observe butterfly behaviors like nectaring, spiraling, and puddling.
Due to the popularity of the butterfly exhibit, groups of 15 or more, ages 6 and up are requested to make an appointment. Please call 301-962-1467. Tours are available weekdays from 10 AM to 1 PM, at half-hour intervals. A maximum of 30 children can be scheduled per ½ hour.
While you are waiting for a tour time, Butterfly Discovery Backpacks are available to borrow.
"Wings of Fancy" tours are scheduled for groups of approximately 30 students at ½ hour intervals at 10:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 12:00 PM and 12:30 PM.
- May, June and September: weekdays
- July and August: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Call for group reservations. 301-962-1467
Exhibit Hours and Ticket Information
Purchase tickets on the day of your tour or when visiting the garden in advance. Admission is: $4.00 for children ages 3-12. $5.00 per adult (age 13 and up, including chaperones.) Ages two and under admitted free. Open daily rain or shine.
Upon Arrival at Brookside Gardens
Buses may unload passengers in front of the conservatory but then proceed to the Visitors Center for parking. Click here for directions. Large groups must divide into groups of 30 children with a designated leader for each. The leaders should check-in and confirm tour times with Brookside Gardens staff and tour guides. Look for staff members adjacent to the conservatory underneath the "Butterfly Garden" sign. Groups with spare time may tour the outside garden areas until their designated tour time. Consider borrowing a self-guided "Butterfly Discoveries" educational backpack available at the ticket taker table.
Important lunch information
NEW! Change of Policy -
Groups ONLY may picnic in designated open grass (no
tables) areas. Familiarize yourself where these areas
are by looking where the arrows are pointing on the "Garden Features" map. Other picnic
areas with tables include the Brookside Nature Center
(walking distance from the Conservatory) on a first
come/first-served basis and the Shorefield area (off
Georgia Ave.). An approximate ten-minute drive or
20-minute walk is required to get from the conservatory
to the Shorefield area. Shorefield provides playgrounds
and shelters, in addition to open picnic areas. Call
301-495-2525 for a picnic shelter reservation and
bus-parking permit. If you are planning to have lunch
on your field trip, you may choose to store your lunches
in the nearby building labeled "School Group
Lunch Shed" (Brookside Gardens parking lot area).
Please try to condense your lunches into plastic trash
bags, coolers, or boxes.
NOTE: Plan to carry out your trash,
as we are a trash-free park.
"Wings of Fancy" Exhibit information and rules
Groups of 30 will be further divided into smaller groups to maximize the tour's educational value. Advise students not to touch, chase or catch the butterflies. No running is permitted in the conservatory. Students must stay on paths, use "inside voices" and be courteous to others. Please dress appropriately for the weather. The Conservatory is not air-conditioned and often can feel very warm. No strollers are permitted in the butterfly exhibit. Butterflies are most active on bright and sunny days. On cloudy days butterflies like to perch, which allows for a closer observation.
Butterfly Discoveries Educational Backpacks
These backpacks (a total of six) are self-guided and are available to borrow at the "Wings of Fancy" ticket-taker table. Each backpack contains a choice of 5 different activities for groups of 15 working individually (or 30 in pairs). These are a popular way to extend your day and experience at Brookside Gardens. You may view the choice of activities by clicking on the link below.To obtain a backpack, request one from the Brookside Gardens staff member that meets your bus. Click to see activities outline.
