Not quite, but the closest you can get to a tropical experience in Stratford – upon -Avon is to visit the Stratford Butterfly Farm.
Come rain or shine enjoy the unique pleasure of discovering hundreds of the world’s most spectacular and beautiful butterflies flying in an exotic environment of tropical blossom with splashing waterfalls and fish-filled pools.
It has been almost seven years since I first discovered this unique environment, and I was just as excited as I was all those years ago. On this occasion, I was accompanied by my wife, and a friend on holiday from Texas, U.S.A, both of whom were visiting for the first time.
Blue Morph
In 2025 the Butterfly Farm celebrated its 40th anniversary and it increased its lease for a further 50 years, providing a secure future for this popular Stratford – upon – Avon attraction and the UK’s largest and most successful Butterfly Farm. Since 1985 over 5 million visitors, including 2 million school children, have walked amongst the stunning, tropical butterflies in the live displays.
When I walked into the flight area, I was overwhelmed by the number of butterflies fluttering around me. I saw plenty of incredibly colourful butterflies, some the size of my hand. The landscaped tropical greenhouse complete with gushing waterfalls, a lake full of enormous fish and a huge range of tropical plants, has over 1,500 free flying butterflies feeding, resting and breeding. Be prepared because this is a tropical environment, so it is very humid, hot and sticky!
The Stratford Butterfly Farm is the largest tropical butterfly display in the UK with over 250 different species of tropical butterfly from 20 different countries. Many of the butterflies are bred within the Butterfly Farm and the rest are imported from the tropics.
In the Discovery Zone I got to see the stages of the butterfly’s life cycle, including the egg, the caterpillar, the chrysalis and the adult butterfly stages as well as some of the world’s largest, spikiest, hairiest and most camouflaged caterpillars. I found out about the plants that are grown at the butterfly farm to feed the butterflies and saw some of the world’s largest and most camouflaged caterpillars with cocoons, giant silk moths and shining pupae hanging on the plants. I was also very fortunate to catch a butterfly hatching from its chrysalis.
There are also a huge selection of tropical plants to feed the butterflies and perhaps surprisingly, several small birds flying around amongst the butterflies, but fortunately they are non-insectivorous preferring to eat the seeds and fruits but not the butterflies! I didn`t see the two colourful Indian Ring-Necked Parakeets or the African Mousebirds with their distinctive spikey hairstyles and long feathers, but I did spot the two small ground dwelling birds called Chinese Painted Quail in the Mini-beast Metropolis! It is not just butterflies either, Madagascan hissing Cockroaches, giant African Millipedes, African Land Snails, a wide variety of Stick Insects & the Koi Carp were enormous!
Since my first visit, the outdoor and tropical gardens have been replanted, and the Minibeast Metropolis has been given a stunning new look which includes a 1,000-litre tropical Aquarium. The walkways within the Flight Area have also been edged with Cotswold stone hand-crafted wooden pergolas have replaced the original metal archways, the exterior gardens have been improved and a new sound system provides a much more immersive visitor experience.
Minibeast Metropolis is home to a fantastic range of spiders, including the Goliath bird eater, one of the world’s largest spiders, all behind the safety of glass. It also has two Amazing Leafcutter Ant Colonies. I loved the ants, there were millions of them all being very industrious, carrying tiny pieces of leaf and twig, slowly making their way backwards and forwards along a tightly twisted rope above my head. I was a little wary that some of the ants may fall from the rope.
Sumatran Pit Viper
I really enjoyed my return visit to the butterfly farm and would highly recommend a visit next time you are in the Stratford Upon Avon area. I loved sitting quietly in the flight zone watching the thousands of butterflies flying around me and landing on me indeed! With the sound of the rushing water from the small waterfall on the large pond and the greenery of the foliage and plants all around it was very relaxing.
Rusty Tipped Page Butterfly
For an enjoyable and educational morning or afternoon the Butterfly farm is a wonderful place to spend a few hours. The farm is a short walk from the town centre, just over the river Avon foot bridge, opposite the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, next to a car park.
The Travel Locker 