Spread Your Wings: Local Destinations to Explore Natural Beauty

Exploring nature is a great way to experience awe and wonder, so why not take a fun family trip to a local butterfly house, garden or zoo? Here are some destinations to get you started. All destinations are within an hour's drive of the library.

Butterfly Habitats

• Barson’s Greenhouse, Brenda’s Butterfly Habitat, Westland
  After you visit the beautiful butterfly habitat, check out the greenhouse to find a pollinator-friendly plant for your garden. 
• Butterfly Garden at the Detroit Zoo, Royal Oak
  The Detroit Zoo’s butterfly garden is connected to the aviary, where you will be amazed by the dozens of unique and beautiful birds. Before you visit, be sure to use your Canton Public Library card to access discounted zoo passes. 
• Cranbrook Butterfly Garden, Bloomfield Hills
  This official Monarch Waystation features the favorite plants of monarch butterflies.
• Palmer Park Butterfly Garden, Detroit
  This park is a great example of what can happen if you plant a native garden for our pollinator friends.

Gardens & Nature Centers

• Belle Isle Nature Center, Belle Isle
  See all sorts of local native wildlife including a see-through beehive, birds, amphibians and more. 
• Crosswinds Marsh, New Boston
  This is the place to be if you want to experience more of Michigan's wetland wildlife. 
• Gaffield Children’s Garden, Ann Arbor
  Kids are able to explore, build, climb and more at this "Nature Play" children’s garden. 
• Taylor Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, Taylor
  This year, the garden has a theme of “From the Heart” and will be full of colorful plant displays.

Zoos & Aquariums

• Belle Isle Aquarium, Belle Isle
  Explore fish from around the world—including some you might see in the fish tank at the library! 
• Detroit Zoo, Royal Oak
  Butterflies and fish are beautiful, but if you're looking for the full animal experience, you’ll want to visit the mammals at the Detroit Zoo. Before you visit, be sure to use your Canton Public Library card to access discounted zoo passes. 
• Sea Life Michigan Aquarium, Auburn Hills
  Experience awe and wonder watching the jellyfish in their habitat or when a shark swims by in the underwater tunnel at Sea Life. 
• Toledo Zoo & Aquarium, Toledo, OH
  Want to spend a day learning about animals and plants in one location? Take a trip to the Toledo Zoo!