HomeFeaturesMoms › Big Bugs Invade Phoenix!
 
 
 

Rachel Roland is a mom on a mission - exploring the Valley with her two little companions in search of the best restaurants, attractions, and products for you and your children. See what she has in store for your family today!

dbg2

Watch out! The Desert Botanical Garden  has been invaded by a swarm of huge, giant, BIG BUGS!  We visited the DBG recently to check out this fun exhibit by sculptor David Rogers, who uses reclaimed materials to create his bugs - which range from the praying mantis, to the lady beetle, to giant ants swarming the mountain above the Desert Botanical Garden.

It's been some time since we visited the DBG, and it seemed a lot different visiting with children. Obviously, since it's all about the desert vegetation, there are lots of different kinds of cactus - and some of them grow very close to the paths. It's important to keep an eye on the little ones and especially encourage them to walk carefully on the paths. My two love to be outside, and love to run, but I was concerned they'd slip and fall into a cactus. (Thankfully, that didn't happen.) But it's a great place to teach and encourage boundaries with the kids!

dbg4

When we first arrived, there was a Desert Botanical Garden volunteer there with a king snake. which is native to Arizona. His name was "Prince" (my kids loved this since we have a dog named Prince at home), and he was incredibly friendly. The volunteer made sure to point out that king snakes in the wild are not always so friendly, and that if we saw one in our adventures to leave it be.

dbg3

After meeting Prince, we set off to find more big bugs throughout the DBG. We found a lady beetle, a dragonfly, a damselfly, giant ants, as well as a spider. Jeremiah loved searching for the bugs, although they were quite difficult to miss!

dbg1

You might be wondering when we visited, since Jeremiah's wearing shorts. We went to the Desert Botanical Gardens on January 2nd - yes, January 2nd! This weather is why we live in Arizona - it was a beautiful day, with a bit of a breeze. I love that the DBG is located very close to Phoenix but when you're wandering through the paths, it feels secluded and far away. There are many educational opportunities for the kids - we learned about Native Arizona cultures and their homes, as well as native Arizona desert plants and animals.

They also have a small cafe - it's an order and pick up type place, not a sit down restaurant. There's also a gift shop, which is lovely, but not something I'd recommend for the young ones - there are many delicate items there for little hands to grab and possibly destroy.

Want to visit the Big Bugs? You'd better hurry, as they're only in town until January 22nd, and they move onto their next invasion! Find them at at the Desert Botanical Gardens, 1201 N. Galvin Parkway in Phoenix.

Admission is free for Members, or $18 for adults, $15 for those 60 years or older, $10 for Students (age 13-18), $8 for Children (3-12) and Free for under 3 years.

rachel head_shot

I'm Rachel - a mom, wife, and 'green' blogger at Small Steps On Our Journey.  If you have any suggestions for future articles or any questions on this one, please contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or tweet me @rachelroland!