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Explore Butterfly World

Ten rooms
of wonder.

Aviaries, birds, a museum, a lab and gardens — everything below is included with admission. Allow two to three hours; many guests stay all day.

A blue morpho butterfly with open wings
Plate 02 · Blue morpho, Morpho peleides
A waterfall with white morpho butterflies in the aviary
Tall tropical planting under the aviary dome

01Room

Butterfly aviaries

The heart of Butterfly World: three massive open-air aviaries planted as rainforest, where tens of thousands of “rainforest flyers” fill the air. Butterfly World keeps 20,000 butterflies on display, with up to fifty species flying at any one time and more than 150 over a year.

  • Average butterfly life in the aviary: about 14 days (about 7 in the wild)
  • Best activity on warm, sunny days above 60°F
  • Aviaries close temporarily during lightning
  • Butterfly area closes 4:30 PM
Three rainbow lorikeets on a branch
Lorikeets bathing at a fountain

02Room

Lorikeet Encounter

An interactive aviary where you can feed the lorikeets with a cup of nectar.

  • Opens 10:30 AM (Sunday 11:00 AM)
  • Last feeding 4:15 PM
  • Nectar $2 per cup — cash only
  • Closes 4:30 PM
A planted walkway inside the tropical bird aviary

03Room

Macaw Landing & tropical bird aviaries

Over the decades the park has added two tropical bird aviaries and Macaw Landing, with a rainbow of species cared for by Butterfly World’s aviculture staff.

  • On cold days (below 60°F) the birds are very active
  • Included with admission
A bridge over the lake lined with bougainvillea
Visitors crossing the bridge over the lake

04Room

Tinalandia Bridge

Test your bravery on the swinging Tinalandia Bridge.

  • Included with admission
Framed butterfly collections in a darkened gallery
A large frame of butterflies of the world

05Room

Butterfly Museum

Framed collections of butterflies and moths from around the world, displayed gallery-style.

  • Included with admission
A giant hairy desert scorpion

06Room

Live Bug Zoo

Get up close with fascinating critters.

  • Included with admission
Visitors at the windows of the Thomas C. Emmel Butterfly Research Center
Visitors reading signs beside the pupae emerging cases

07Room

Research laboratory

Follow the butterfly life cycle in real time: from butterflies laying eggs to the daily changes of larvae and pupae in the research laboratory. Butterfly World still uses rearing techniques developed by founder Ronald Boender’s MetaScience team in the 1980s.

  • Thomas C. Emmel Butterfly Research Center
  • Native pupae on sale in the BW Shop almost every day
The rose garden in front of the museum and Lorikeet Encounter buildings
A flower-lined path beside the lake

08Room

Botanical gardens

Vibrant botanical gardens connect the aviaries, from the rose garden to flower-lined paths beside the lake — planted with the nectar and host plants butterflies need.

  • Shaded seating throughout
The Butterfly World Garden Center entrance
Rows of flowering plants in the Garden Center

09Room

BW Shop & Garden Center

Butterfly, bird and nature-themed décor, jewelry, clothing and books for all ages — many one-of-a-kind and made for the BW Shop. The Garden Center has what Butterfly World describes as the largest selection of butterfly-gardening plants in the region.

  • Open to the public 7 days a week
  • No photography inside the BW Shop
  • Plants are for pickup only — not shipped
  • Shop online
A garden gazebo with tables and umbrellas

10Room

Cafés & picnic areas

Two outdoor cafés offer snacks, beverages, ice cream and lunch items. Picnic areas are available just outside in Tradewinds Park.

Self-guided map. Find your way with the official guide map — view the map or download the PDF. A $2 Digital Guide Book is available in the shop.
Butterfly World self-guided map showing the aviaries, gardens and buildings
Guide map (2023 edition) · Butterfly World