Why we love butterfly farms

Many children find butterflies fascinating and butterfly farms can be a great day out for families. Large sections of the farms are undercover so they are the perfect location for rainy days. As most butterfly species are usually found in more tropical climates, butterfly farms are a great way of seeing them up close and finding out more about their lifecycles, feeding habits and origins.

There are many butterfly farms to choose from in the UK, all offering something slightly different. Here is a selection of butterfly farms open to the public:

Stratford Butterfly Farm, Stratford-upon-Avon, allows visitors to see hundreds of the world’s most spectacular butterflies free-flying in a tropical rainforest environment. Displays in the caterpillar room provide information on their lifecycles, and in the Emerging Cage visitors can see butterflies come out of their chrysalis and prepare their wings for their first flight.

The Magic of Life Butterfly House, Aberystwyth, is home to a large selection of caterpillars and bizarre insects as well as hundreds of colourful butterflies. Over the season 80 different species are displayed with approximately 30 being kept at any one time. Visitors can also view collections of rare and endangered plants and explore nearby Rheidol Valley.

Tropical Wings World of Wildlife, Essex, includes one of the UK’s largest butterfly houses. Butterflies can be seen flying freely in a warm tropical atmosphere. In Caterpillar Corner, visitors can watch the butterflies as they pupate and change into colourful adults. Visitors can also venture into the wildlife park set in acres of attractive grounds and home to many different species of birds, exotic animals, reptiles and invertebrates.

Buckfast Butterflies and Dartmoor Otter Sanctuary, Buckfastleigh, allows visitors to view exotic butterflies and moths in a tropical garden and learn more about their lifecycles and feeding habits through displays and information panels. Their website also contains a downloadable children’s workbook which teachers can use in schools. A visit to Buckfast Butterflies can be combined with a visit to the otter sanctuary located in the same grounds.

Butterfly World, Isle of Wight, is one of the Island’s leading tourist attractions. It is completely undercover and offers the chance to see hundreds of butterflies flying freely in a natural environment and learn more about the species. The venue is also home to Fountain World, the Italian and Japanese gardens and the Medina Garden Centre.

Edinburgh Butterfly and Insect World offers visitors the chance to experience a topical storm first hand, handle tarantulas and snakes as well as seeing hundreds of butterflies in the Tropical Gardens.

Felinwynt Rainforest Centre, West Wales, is home to a vast selection of butterflies which live in a tropical rainforest environment alongside a range of tropical plants and stick insects. Visitors are able to wander through the Tropical House and see the butterflies in a natural environment. The centre is family run with staff on hand to provide further information about the butterflies and plants.

Have you visited a butterfly farm? Are there any you can add to our list?