Butterfly House & Aquarium

Butterfly House & Aquarium operates as one of two campuses of Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium, with a distinctly tropical and marine focus. The campus in Sertoma Park combines a conservatory filled with lush tropical plant life and hundreds of free-flying butterflies with a gallery-style public saltwater aquarium. It is South Dakota's only public saltwater aquarium and its only butterfly conservatory ecosystem, giving it a specialized focus rather than a broad terrestrial animal collection.

The butterfly conservatory provides an immersive setting where butterflies move freely around visitors, while the aquarium explores marine environments through exhibits featuring corals, stingrays, jellyfish, horseshoe crabs, and other aquatic species. A touch pool adds another way to encounter marine life, and butterfly feeders can be used within the conservatory. Educational programs and field trips extend the experience into a living classroom. The campus suits travelers interested in smaller-scale encounters with delicate tropical insects and marine animals, particularly those looking for a wildlife attraction centered on sea life and invertebrates rather than large mammals.