Honky Tonk Foodie
Dallas is brimming with interesting places and events, one of which is an oasis right in the city called Texas Discovery Gardens! Home to one the largest butterfly houses in the state, this site is a wonderful place for kids, nature lovers, and those who enjoy strolling among the flowers. In fact, the garden is the first public garden in Texas to be certified by the Texas Organic Research Center as 100% organic. The gardens here are maintained using sustainable methods which conserve water, as well as help protect the environment.
Everything grown at the Texas Discovery Gardens is either native or adapted. Within the seven-and-a-half-acre garden is the two-story, glass Rosine Smith Sammons Butterfly House and Insectarium, an indoor tropical home for hundreds of free-flying butterflies from all over the world. The calming movements of floating butterflies are the ultimate relaxing experience!
Photo: @maginnis via Twenty20
After hanging out with pretty flying bugs, check out the Natural Learning Center which includes a Snake of Texas exhibit. Even if snakes are not your favorite animal, learning the differences between the venomous and non-venomous ones is important, plus how snakes greatly help our ecosystem. Additional highlights of the Texas Discovery Gardens are the Shakespeare Garden, the scenic Grand Allee du Meadows, and a wildlife pond. Picnics outside are welcome anytime.
Check out this beautiful center daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round at 3601 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in the historic Fair Park. Events include festivals, free admission days, and the EarthKeepers student education program. Admission is free for children aged two and younger. Ages 3-11 are $5, ages 12-59 are $10, and ages 60 and over are $8. Wednesdays are “pay-as-you-wish,” or donation-based entry fees. Don’t live nearby? A digital garden is maintained for visitors: check it out here.
