Come and Visit the Butterflies!
If you plan to attend the Butterfly Show, please carefully read the details below.
Timed Tickets
Admission Fees
Location, Directions, and Parking
COVID-19
Accessibility
What to Bring
What to Expect
Guest Services
Tours
White Morpho
Timed Tickets
Tickets are sold out for 2025!
A ticket is required through EventBrite. The event is sold out however you can join the waitlist through EventBrite. If you were unable to secure a ticket, we hope you will be able to join us next year!
Individuals of all ages require a ticket for entry. Tickets ensure we do not exceed capacity in the greenhouse. Individuals without tickets will be denied entry.
Upon arrival in the Nesbitt Building Lobby, volunteers will scan your ticket or check for your name on our list. If you miss your timed ticket, you may miss your opportunity to see the butterflies. We cannot guarantee entry to the greenhouse outside of your timed ticket.
Can’t make it?
Please cancel your reservation in EventBrite. Tickets are limited and there are many other community members who will be grateful to attend in your absence.
Why don’t we accept walk-ups?
The show is meant to be both an educational and fun visit. In the past we found our visitors were spending 3-4 hours in line, and rarely spent longer than 15 minutes inside the greenhouse.
In 2023, we found this new model allowed for a more enjoyable show experience overall. Additionally, as the greenhouse is a high-risk area (see below), this model allows us to limit the overall number of people each individual may come in contact with.
Admission
Contributions are welcomed and encouraged. To keep the show running from year to year, we suggest visitors to the butterfly show who are financially able consider contributing $5/person.
For the past 25 years, visiting the butterflies has only been possible thanks to donations from people like you and we are grateful for the community’s commitment to continuing the show year after year.
Did you know? We import ~1000 pupae which emerge as butterflies during the show! With import fees and shipping, each butterfly costs us approximately $9!
Gifts can be made:
- In-person at the show with cash or cheque. There will be a donation box just outside the butterfly greenhouse.
- Online, using Carleton University’s secure FutureFunder platform. A tax receipt will be issued.
Location, Directions, and Parking
The Butterfly Greenhouse is located in the Nesbitt Biology Building lobby. The entrance is located on the south side of the building.
Nesbitt Biology Building
1125 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6
Public transit: Carleton is accessible through public transit via OC Transpo.
Multi-use pathways: The NCC map shows Capital Pathways. Try out the bridge connecting Carleton with Vincent Massey Park or access Carleton via Colonel By.
Parking: (Rates are subject to change)
City street parking may be available at Brewer Park or in the neighboring community. You can walk safely on trails from Brewer Park to Nesbitt building without having to cross Bronson. See the walking map here.
On-campus parking is available for a fee.
Lot 3 is located behind the CTTC Building, nearby Nesbitt Building. See the parking map here which shows other available visitor parking lots on campus.
Entrances to Carleton University campus can be backed up during the school year. Please allow for extra time to account for the potential traffic on and around campus.
COVID-19
The Greenhouses at Carleton have very low air ventilation and high humidity. This means that when you breathe, your droplets hang in the air rather than immediate dispersing. This makes the greenhouses a high-risk area for COVID-19. We’ve taken precautions this year to limit the amount of people in the greenhouse at one time, and to limit the amount of time any one individual stays in the greenhouse for.
However, the best prevention to the spread of COVID-19, aside from vaccinations, is wearing a mask. Be aware that the lack of air flow simulates a lack of physical distancing in the greenhouse.
As a courtesy to other visitors and our volunteers, stay home if you are sick or are displaying symptoms of COVID-19.
We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation in Ottawa. We may need to close our doors to the public October if Public Health Officials advise us to do so.
Check the Butterfly Show Homepage for updates before arriving at the Butterfly Show.
Accessibility
If you have accessibility requirements, please reach out to us upon arrival. We have many volunteers on-site who may be able to assist you.
The greenhouses are accessible for standard sized wheelchairs, but many of the corners in the greenhouses are too tight for mechanized wheelchairs. We do not have wheelchairs available on site.
- The maximum width for entry into the greenhouse display is 81 cm.
- Within the greenhouse, the width between the benches that hold our tropical plants is 86 cm.
Information about accessible parking can be found through Parking Services.
What to Bring (and what not to)
- Orange or pineapple slices in sealed containers. Do not leave fruit slices behind in the greenhouse.
- Dress in layers. Daytime greenhouse temperatures are 30ºC with significant humidity. Note there is no coat check.
- A camera (tag your photos on social media with #CarletonButterfly2024)
- Not permitted: Tripods.
- Not permitted: Large bags and strollers. These items must be left in the lobby at your own risk.
- Scent-free Zone: do not wear perfume, cologne, aftershave or other fragrances.
- A mask
What to Expect
The timed tickets are scheduled every 20 minutes and allow each group roughly 15-20 minutes to enjoy the butterflies. The first time block begins at 9 a.m. and the last entry to the greenhouse will take place at 3:40 p.m. Our volunteers will grant you access into the greenhouse when the previous group has vacated.
The Butterfly Show is enjoyed by many members of the public each year. We have many families and children visiting the show. This means the lobby and the greenhouse can be quite busy and loud at times.
Butterflies fly freely in the greenhouses and will occasionally land on you. Butterflies are fragile, so please don’t touch them or pick them up by their wings.
To encourage landings, there are a few tricks you can try:
- Wear brightly coloured clothing (yellows, oranges, and pinks)
- Bring some juicy orange or pineapple slices
- Find a spot in a greenhouse near some bright flowers, hold your fruit up, and stay still.
Some butterflies are easily startled and will take off if disturbed, while others will happily stay still for photographing.
If one lands on you, they are easily dislodged by blowing gently on their wings.
What else can I do while I am at Carleton’s campus?
- Plant greenhouse in the Nesbitt Lobby
- Map of Carleton
- The riverfront beside Nesbitt has open park space, perfect for picnic, nature walk, or games.
- Carleton University Art Gallery
- Walking map to Brewer Park
- Try out the new bridge connecting Carleton with Vincent Massey Park
- Visit the Fletcher Wildlife Garden nearby, by crossing the Rideau Canal Hartwell’s Locks.
Guest Services
Lost and Found
At the end of every day, any items left behind will be sent to the campus lost and found.
Storage
There is no coat check or secure storage area for coats, bags or strollers. We encourage you to avoid bringing large backpacks or strollers. Bags and strollers are not permitted in the greenhouses and must be left in the lobby, at your own risk.
Washrooms and Amenities
There is a washroom in Nesbitt building. Signage will be posted during the event.
A water fountain and water bottle fill-up station is located in the Nesbitt building lobby.
Dining Services
There are many places to eat on campus, including Tim Hortons, Starbucks, and Bridgehead. Visit Dining Services to see the options, locations, and hours of service.
Photography
We encourage you to take photos while you are here.
Note that the greenhouse temperatures are often around 30ºC with significant humidity. Some camera equipment takes time to adjust from being outside in October weather.
Flash photography is allowed, but tripods and lighting stands are prohibited.
Tours
Tours for community groups are not being offered in 2025.
Schools should contact Let’s Talk Science directly for information about organizing a visit.