The Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory is a great family attraction. Kids of all ages are sure to be fascinated by the metemorphosis of caterpillars into winged beauties. -- Photo courtesy of the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory.

With temperatures inevitably dipping into the frigid zone over the next few months, it's nice to know there's warmth and sunshine families can find near Niagara Falls, Ont. -- all winter.

The Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory is a sanctuary, not only for more than 2,000 butterflies, but for adventuresome families seeking a tropical respite that doesn't require expensive airline tickets or a two-day van ride south on I-75.

CLOSE TO FALLS

The Conservatory is tucked into the grounds of the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens, a 10-minute ride along the pretty Niagara Parkway from those famous falls. Its location is so low key, you might not know it's there. But wind your way through the lush paths of the Botanical Gardens, past ponds and waterfalls and verdant vegetation, and you'll discover the Conservatory in all its glass-enclosed glory.

It's absolute heaven -- a bright tropical paradise that will instantly astound your kids. Who needs TV's jungle favourites The Crocodile Hunter or Go Diego Go when you've got a tropical forest close by in Niagara?

Butterflies are everywhere. They're flying freely in the air, landing on lush, exotic plants, resting on visitors' shoulders. There are yellow ones, red ones, blue ones -- even camouflaged butterflies you can't see unless you look really, really closely. More than 50 different species flutter through this 1,022-square-metre all-glass, climate controlled facility. A path snakes though the vegetation, climbing slowly up an incline toward a six-metre waterfall. Everywhere you look there's something exotic to see. Kids love skipping along the path, stopping to look at the flowers, watching these pretty insects feed, and holding out their arms to welcome the butterflies.

Their average life span is two to three weeks, but their metamorphosis from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis -- and finally to butterfly -- takes much longer. Most of the facility's butterflies are reared to chrysalis stage on butterfly farms in Central America and Indo-Asia, then shipped to the Conservatory's breeding facility (closed to the public).

Visitors can follow a butterfly's 14-day metamorphosis at the Conservatory's Emergence Window.

The Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory, located at 2565 Niagara River Parkway, is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., every day except Christmas. Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for children aged six to 12, and free for kids five and under. I highly recommend the audio tour. Average tours take anywhere from 20 minutes to three hours, depending on how much time your family lingers.

PACK A PICNIC

There's a Butterfly Cafe on site that serves light lunches and snacks. If the weather's good, there are plenty of park benches to rest and enjoy a pre-packed family picnic. The 100-acre grounds of the Botanical Gardens also include a rock garden, bog garden, shade garden, an aviary, woodlands, and a 2,300-specimen rose garden. The Conservatory is also along the 56-km Niagara recreational trail that features more than 100 historic interpretive plaques.

The conservatory is an easy day trip from the Greater Toronto Area -- follow the Queen Elizabeth Way about two hours to Niagara Falls. But it's also worth an overnight stay. There are dozens of high rise hotels close by. My family chose the quieter Ramada Suites Niagara Falls on Lundy's Lane with its family-friendly indoor/outdoor pool and kitchenettes. For families it has the added benefit of being close to fast food and across from the Canada One Factory Outlet Mall.

For more information visit niagaraparks.com. For more information on Ramada Suites Niagara Falls, call 905-356-6119 or visit ramada.com.