If you’re planning a family day at OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale, Arizona, there is a lot to experience—especially when you’re visiting with kids. But as an autism mom, I’m also thinking about things like crowds, noise, sensory experiences, transitions, and how my child might respond once we actually get there.
Our family visited both attractions at Arizona Boardwalk with our two boys. Our oldest son is autistic and a sensory seeker, so I was especially interested in how sensory-friendly the experience would be for him. And like most outings with kids, some things went exactly how I expected while others surprised me.
Butterfly Wonderland gave him a chance to slow down and take in everything around him, while OdySea Aquarium had hands-on experiences that immediately grabbed his attention. From the butterflies flying around us to the touch pools, water table, and giant Lite-Brite, there were plenty of moments that worked really well for our family.
In this guide, I’m sharing our experience at OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland, including what our sensory-seeking child enjoyed, what families may want to prepare for, and a few things I wish I had known before our visit.
Every autistic child has different sensory needs, so our experience may look completely different from yours. My goal isn’t to tell you exactly how your child will respond, but to give you a better idea of what you may encounter so you can decide what might work for your family.
Where Are Odysea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland?
OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland are both located at Arizona Boardwalk in Scottsdale, Arizona, which makes it easy to visit both attractions during the same family outing.
Arizona Boardwalk is home to several family attractions, restaurants, and entertainment options, so you could easily make a full day out of your visit. For our family, though, OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland gave us plenty to explore, especially with two kids who experience outings very differently.
If you’re planning to visit both in one day, I recommend giving yourself enough time that you don’t have to rush from one attraction to the next. That was especially important for us because transitions and sensory needs can sometimes determine how quickly, or slowly, we move through an activity.
What is the best time to go to Butterfly Wonderland?
For our family, going to Butterfly Wonderland earlier in the day worked well because it gave us plenty of time to explore without feeling rushed. When you have a child with sensory needs, I’ve learned that leaving extra time can make a big difference.
Instead of trying to squeeze several activities into a tight schedule, give your family time to move through Butterfly Wonderland at a pace that works for them. You may need time for breaks, transitions, or simply letting your child spend a little longer at something that catches their attention.
If you’re planning to visit OdySea Aquarium on the same day, I would especially avoid packing your schedule too tightly. There is a lot to see between the two attractions, and for us, following our boys’ lead made the experience much more enjoyable.
What Should Sensory Families Know Before Visiting?
One thing I appreciated before our visit was having information that helped us prepare our son for what he was going to experience. With an autistic child, knowing what an environment may look, sound, and feel like can make preparing for a new experience much easier.
We talked to our son beforehand about where we were going and what he might see. He already knew what butterflies were and was excited about them, but seeing a butterfly in a book or picture is very different from walking into a conservatory where butterflies can actually fly right past your face!
That preparation mattered because our son is a sensory seeker, but that doesn’t mean every sensory experience feels good to him. Something he loves one day can be overwhelming in a different environment. We’ve learned to prepare as much as we can, bring the supports he may need, and then follow his lead once we get there.
If your child uses things like headphones, visual schedules, social stories, comfort items, or planned sensory breaks, this is a good outing to think through those supports before you arrive.
How Long Does It Take to Go Through Butterfly Wonderland?
How long you spend at Butterfly Wonderland will depend on your family and how much time you want to spend exploring. For us, this was definitely an experience where letting our kids move at their own pace worked best.
Before entering the butterfly conservatory, we watched the 3D movie Flight of the Butterflies, which is about monarch butterflies and their migration. At the time, we had never taken our boys to a movie theater before, so I wasn’t completely sure how our oldest would respond to the experience. He actually did really well.
After the movie, we headed toward the conservatory. Before entering, a team member explained that the butterflies may land on or touch you, but visitors shouldn’t touch the butterflies. My son understood that part really well because we had already spent a lot of time talking about personal boundaries.
Once we walked inside, one of the first things I noticed was the humidity. The conservatory feels like a mini rainforest, and there are butterflies flying freely all around you. That’s something I would definitely prepare a sensory-sensitive child for beforehand because a butterfly may unexpectedly fly close to their face or body.
This was especially interesting for us because my son doesn’t usually like things getting too close to his face. But instead of becoming overwhelmed, he slowed down and started taking everything in. His attention to detail kicked in, and he was watching, listening, and noticing butterflies all around him.
And then he found the koi pond.
Out of everything happening around us, that was one of the things he kept gravitating back toward. It was such a good reminder that we can plan an outing around what we think our kids will love, and then they will find their own favorite part of the experience.
How Long Does It Take to Walk Through OdySea Aquarium?
How long you spend at OdySea Aquarium really depends on your family and which exhibits your kids are most interested in. If you’re visiting OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland on the same day, I would give yourself plenty of time instead of trying to rush through both.
And I’m going to be completely honest with you, because that’s what I do! Our boys were interested in completely different things at the aquarium.
My youngest was all about the animals. He was “oohing and ahhing” over the otters, sea lions, sharks, and stingrays. Meanwhile, our oldest was much more interested in the hands-on sensory experiences.
He loved exploring the touch pools and getting his hands wet at the water table in Kids’ Cove. At the time, he was also using a Lite-Brite during occupational therapy, so when he spotted the giant Lite-Brite at the aquarium, he was immediately interested.
That’s one of the things I appreciated most about our visit. There wasn’t only one way for my kids to enjoy the aquarium. One could be fascinated by the animals while the other could engage through touch, movement, and interactive activities.
Our Experience With Sensory Needs at OdySea Aquarium
Our oldest is a sensory seeker, but I’ve learned that being sensory-seeking doesn’t mean every sensory experience is comfortable for him. We don’t always know beforehand what might be exciting and what might become overwhelming.
That’s why outings like this involve a lot of preparation, and a lot of going with the flow. We pay attention to his cues, avoid areas when we can tell he needs a break, and let him spend more time with the experiences that help him feel engaged and comfortable.
For our family, OdySea Aquarium offered several different ways for our boys to explore, which made it easier to follow their individual interests instead of expecting them to experience the aquarium in exactly the same way.
Are OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland Indoors?
Yes! OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland are both indoor attractions, which makes them great options for families looking for something to do during Arizona’s hotter months or on a day when outdoor activities aren’t ideal.
Butterfly Wonderland’s conservatory is indoors, but keep in mind that it is warm and humid inside to create the tropical environment the butterflies need. That temperature change is something I would prepare for if your child is sensitive to heat, humidity, or sudden changes in their environment.
OdySea Aquarium is also indoors, and for our family, having so many different exhibits and interactive experiences in one place made it easier to adjust our day based on what our boys were interested in and how they were doing sensory-wise.
Would We Visit OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland Again?
Absolutely. Our day at OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland gave both of our boys opportunities to explore in ways that worked for them, even though they were interested in completely different things.
One of the biggest things I’ve learned as an autism mom is that I can’t always predict what my child will love or what might overwhelm him. I can prepare, bring the supports he may need, and pay attention to his cues, but sometimes I also have to let him show me how he wants to experience a place.
For my sensory seeker, that meant noticing the butterflies around him, returning to the koi pond again and again, getting his hands into the interactive exhibits at the aquarium, and finding a giant Lite-Brite that reminded him of occupational therapy.
Those moments are why we keep trying new experiences as a family. We aren’t looking for every outing to be perfect. We want our boys to have opportunities to explore the world in ways that work for them.
And yes, we would definitely go back.
[…] OdySea Aquarium is a popular family-friendly attraction located in Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s the largest aquarium in the Southwest United States and offers a captivating underwater journey that showcases a diverse range of marine life from around the world. OdySea Aquarium isn’t your run-of-the-mill place, though. It’s like an awesome mix of fun and education all rolled into one. Imagine theme-park-style fun meeting super cool aquatic life presentations that’ll have you hooked. […]