Is The Key West Butterfly Conservatory Worth Visiting? Honest Review

My friend and I visited the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory on a trip to Key West recently. Neither of us knew what to expect or if it would even be worth it, but we were pleasantly surprised!

The butterflies were plentiful, the flamingos were fun, and the whole experience was more magical than expected!

So is The Key West Butterfly Conservatory worth visiting? I’d say yes and consider it one of the surprising highlights during our Key West weekend. However, I will give you a quick overview of what to expect and share our experience, so you can decide if it’s truly worthwhile for you.

Quick Answer Summary

• ✅ Worth it? Yes and it genuinely exceeded expectations
• 🦋 Experience: Hundreds of free-flying butterflies, a couple of flamingos, and tropical birds in a lush glass conservatory
• ⏱️ Time needed: 45 to 60 minutes
• 💰 Cost: Just under $20 for an adult ticket
• ⚠️ Heads up: It’s very humid inside, stay hydrated, and watch where you step

What is The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory

The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory is a live butterfly habitat located on Duval Street in the heart of Key West. Inside the climate-controlled glass conservatory, hundreds of butterflies from around the world fly freely among tropical plants, flowers, and waterfalls.

You’ll also find flamingos and small birds sharing the space, making it more of a nature experience than a typical attraction. It’s compact, walkable from most of Key West’s main spots, and takes about 30 to 60 minutes to experience fully.

The Case for Going

Originally, I was hoping to leave just feeling neutral about the almost $20 ticket to this Key West butterfly conservatory. However, I actually left more in awe of the whole experience.

Maybe it helped that my expectations were low, but the butterflies are so plentiful they will hit you in the head and you will need to be careful where you walk!

The whole environment is beautiful! The plants, the flamingos, the chirping birds, the turtle, and of course, the hundreds and hundreds of butterflies are gorgeous!

The path winds up and down through the conservatory, so you can go at your own pace. There are benches at several areas, allowing you to linger longer or you can simply pass other observers if you want to move on.

While I can hurry a little too much at times, I like that other people’s slow pace influenced me to slow down and enjoy it more.

The conservatory had all ages present and enjoying the nature each in their own ways. It’s definitely a family-friendly Key West activity.

This stop won’t take long, even if you decide to take it slow, so it can fit well into any Key West day easily.

• Genuinely surprising and exceeded expectations
• Unique and photogenic
• Great for all ages
• Easy to fit into a Key West day

The Case Against Going

I’ve grown up in Florida, so I’m familiar with the humidity. However, inside the conservatory was EVEN MORE humid. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was.

My friend and I were sweating a lot by the time we left. Thankfully the gift shop had AC, so we lingered in there longer than we would normally.

And yes, you will enter and exit through the gift shop. While the AC was a wonderful reprieve from the heat and humidity, I really needed water and I don’t think they sold any!

The first room you enter after buying your ticket and hearing the required directive of “don’t step on butterflies” is a museum style room. This is great if you like reading displays, but my friend and I skipped it.

A video or something would be cool, or even doing it in reverse with this room last. I would have been more interested in this information after experiencing the butterflies. Though I’m sure someone would disagree with me.

• Humid inside, but you should be dressed for it just by being in Key West
• Gift shop entry and exit feels very Disney
• You will sweat
• First room is skippable if you’re not into science displays

Who Should Go and Who Should Skip It 

If you’re into nature, have about $20 and an hour or so to spare, should definitely go! I like nature, though I’m not a nerd about it, and this exceeded my expectations.

Skip it if the thought of excessive humidity and sweating is a turn off or you are outraged by the price (that’s never a good start to any experience).

Lastly, my friend was freaking out at first with the butterflies flying by her head and even landing on her. She got over her fear, but if you don’t think you will, this will not be the experience for you!

Verdict: Is The Key West Butterfly Conservatory Worth Visiting?

If you’re even mildly interested in butterflies, you should definitely go. The experience exceeded my expectations and felt far more magical than I expected.

It’s a touch overpriced, but so is everything in Key West. And yes, you will sweat with all the humidity, but you should be dressed for it while walking around anyway!

Overall, the cons do not outweigh the experience. The sounds of the birds, the beautiful plants, the vibrant flamingos and the lovely butterflies all around make this worth it in my opinion!

My Experience at The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory

We made it to The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory as our second stop on our one day in Key West. I almost walked by it because it blended right into the buildings on Duval Street. The outside entrance has that Key West vibe.

Purchasing Tickets

As soon as you opened the door, you’re greeted by a souvenir shop. You will start and end here! I mean, has everyone learned from Disney at this point.

We made our way straight to the counter to purchase our tickets. My friend and I weren’t fully sure what to expect and if this would be worth it, but I’m so glad we decided to give it a try! We paid and the girl gave us a quick mention of the rules. One being, watch where you step so you don’t actually crush a butterfly!

First Room

I didn’t know how legitimate that rule would be! Once we had our tickets, we were directed to the door on the left. The first room is full of displays and I think more science information. I say I think, because we spent almost no time in here! 

I’m a mild observer of information panels, but I think my friend is a non-observer. However, if you want to nerd out a little, you can spend some time in here and feel free to let me know what you learn!

Then we entered a small middle area, where two gentlemen were waiting. The doors behind us had to shut before they opened the doors to the observatory. These gentlemen are there to ensure no butterflies escape!

Butterfly Observatory

I’m not sure what my friend and I expected, but we were immediately blown away! There were butterflies everywhere and some were mammoth! In all seriousness, some were the size of small birds and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a butterfly of that size!

They are flying everywhere and landing just about anywhere. My friend had one land on her head and being someone who doesn’t like birds, she started freaking out. Honestly, we laughed so much in the first five minutes of being in this conservatory, mainly because my friend was stressed an illogical amount.

She eventually calmed down and started enjoying the experience. There were little feeders with fruit that butterflies of all sizes would stop and enjoy. Hundreds flying around overhead and yes, it’s crucial to walk slowly and carefully!

Flamingos and Other Birds

As we rounded the first corner, we saw two flamingos in the small, man-made pond. I heard someone say it was mating season, which would fit with the display of one of the flamingos. It was offering a bit of a dance and song, which was cute since I only saw these TWO flamingos in the observatory. 

There were also other smaller birds in the observatory. I didn’t see or pay as close of attention to them, but I did hear their cute chirping. 

The path winds around the observatory and there are seats spread throughout if you do want to sit down. Of course, be sure to sit slowly and look first!

All in all, this butterfly observatory far exceeded our expectations! It was more humid inside than it was outside, so we were sweating a lot! However, I think it’s absolutely worth a spot on your weekend in Key West itinerary!

Leaving the Observatory

Leaving is similar to entering. Two people are at the doors, and will watch for any butterflies. They will close the doors, and then open doors into, you guessed it, the gift shop! 

My friend and I didn’t want to buy anything, but we did want to enjoy the air conditioning! So we walked around for a bit looking interested to cool off!

I didn’t see any water to buy, but that’s a missed opportunity because I needed water! All in all, it was a great activity and I’m glad we did it!

Final Thoughts on The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory

So is The Key West Butterfly Conservatory worth visiting? Yes, I think it absolutely is for most of us. Of course, if this isn’t your thing, Key West has plenty of other things to do, so you won’t be bored.

I have been to a similar nature conservatory, but it pales in comparison and was far more underwhelming than this one in Key West.

Besides the humidity, it’s a very relaxing experience even with a lot of people inside. Being surrounded by nature, the sights and sounds, and allowing yourself to be in awe of God’s creation was a wonderful change from the quirky streets of Key West.

If you do decide to visit The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory, I hope you enjoy the experience!