After Lake Wampanoag Wildlife Sanctuary, we had two final stops in Massachusetts before heading home. The Butterfly Place reminded me of the Butterfly House on Mackinac Island. Since we liked Lake Wampanoag so much, we visited Nashoba Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, another Mass Audubon site.
Butterfly Place
Because the Butterfly House was our favorite memory of Mackinac Island, I was excited to see another butterfly spot within easy driving distance of our hotel. The Butterfly Place is in Westford, MA. It has a large, paved parking lot.
The Butterfly Place
2022 Price: $14 per person
There is one main round room plus a few additional areas in the building for learning and a gift shop. Because there are some tropical butterflies, they keep the room warm.
So many different species! My favorites include blue moon, clipper, giant owl, great Mormon, gulf fritillary, ismenius longwing, malachite, paper kite/rice paper, pink-spotted cattleheart, postman, themisto amberwing, and zebra longwing.
I also had the joy of having a giant owl butterfly land on my head and relax there for several minutes.
Fairy toys were hidden around the atrium in trees and on structures. I don’t know why but they did bring a smile to my face when I found one.
In addition to the butterflies, there were a handful of small quails and an Australian zebra finch. There were a couple of quails at the Michigan Butterfly House but the group at the Butterfly Place were much more active and dashed around.
Nashoba Brook Wildlife Sanctuary
Nashoba Brook is free to visit. It has a small, gravel parking area that could fit between 6 to 8 vehicles. Pets are not allowed on the trails.
The sanctuary has a Woodland Loop trail which makes its way through the white pine-oak forest. This was a great way to stretch our legs on an easier trail before heading to the airport.
We didn’t get any good photos of wildlife, but we did spy blue jays, nuthatches, and downy woodpeckers.
Heading Back Home
We had the best airport experience on our flight back from Manchester-Boston International Airport. Returning our rental car went so smoothly and security wasn’t too crowded.
We stopped to get food at The Local @ MHT restaurant. We both ordered Mt. Washington burgers and would recommend them – Yummy!
Oh yes, the Butterfly Place! We couldn’t get enough. The room was full of color. As the last day of our trip, Steph Purk planned a relaxing day that worked out perfectly. Once again, never disappoints.