An additional benefit of the Magic Wings exhibition has been in the expansion of the museum s adult volunteer program. It is not difficult to understand why butterfly houses have become so popular in recent years. People are immensely fascinated with their fluttery inhabitants. Perhaps it is the way butterflies enter the world, through metamorphosis. Or maybe it is the fact that they are in this world for such a short time.
Some species live for just a few days, and most live for only a couple of weeks.
Whatever the reason, we are flocking to these live exhibits in ever-increasing numbers, and more butterfly exhibits open every year. The first documented butterfly house, called Worldwide Butterflies, opened in Dorset, England, in 1978. A decade later, America s first two live butterfly exhibits opened, the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center at Callaway Gardens in Georgia, and Butterfly World in Florida. Most are less than 10 years old. Some are stand-alone, while many others are part of a larger garden, nature park, or museum.