Coffs Harbour Butterfly House
Coffs Harbour Butterfly House
Coffs Harbour Butterfly House
4
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
About
The award winning Butterfly Glass House is an enclosed hot subtropical environment where visitors have the opportunity all year round, to get close to nature, be surrounded by 700 live Australian butterflies and learn about their life-cycle. Our knowledgeable keepers are always available to share the experience. Additionally visitors can explore our Alice in wonderland mazes, dinosaur breeding laboratory, stroll through our dinosaur forest complete with 30 dinosaurs that roar and move, and meet our baby dinosaurs up close. Weather permitting we have a life sized dinosaur show, and for the little ones we have a sing and dance with Pinky the baby triceratops. Recently a few fairies have moved into the Glass house, perfect for bringing magic into the world. Our cafe is famous for our handmade scones and other hand made treats. We also have a beautiful well-stocked gift shop with something for everyone. If it's a magical experience you are after, we may be the tourist attraction for you.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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- Di0nniejBrisbane, Australia82 contributionsButterfly 🦋 houseThis is a great place to visit if you have children. At a cost of $25 per adult it is far to expensive, they have a small area for the butterflies and only a few varieties not all which was a disappointment and then there was the 🦕 show well that was also just got the children. So I would not recommend this just for couples.Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that your visit did not meet your expectations. We strive to offer a unique experience with our 12 native Australian butterfly species and various attractions designed to delight families with young children. We understand that our park may cater more to younger guests, and we appreciate your input on the pricing and variety. We’re continually working to enhance our offerings and will take your comments into consideration.Written 26 July 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 16 October 2023
- alisonjeanlaneForster, Australia57 contributionsThe Butterfly House is definitely worth a visit !My husband and myself went to visit the butterfly house today. We were very impressed with the whole experience. There were many types of beautiful butterflies in the very well maintained enclosure. One beautiful blue one was transferred to us to have on our arm ! Many little ornaments and little sayings were scattered throughout the area … making it even more colourful for grownups and fun for kids. We loved that we could go in and out … have a lovely scone with jam and cream … then return for another look at the butterflies. The cafe was beautifully decorated with colourful plants and Alice in Wonderland decor. Even though we didn’t have our grandchildren with us, we thought we’d check out the dinosaur exhibition. Our grandkids would love it … with moving and roaring dinosaurs, a rainforest setting complete with steam and a crashed plane and jeep and a dinosaur show ! Congratulations on a thoroughly entertaining attraction that has something for everyone !Dear magical wanderers, Your enchanting visit to the Coffs Harbour Butterfly House has brought a smile to our Wonderland hearts! We're delighted that you immersed yourselves in the kaleidoscope of butterflies in our well-tended enclosure, and the joyous surprise of a beautiful blue companion on your arm must have been as delightful as a tea party in the heart of Wonderland. Ah, the whimsy of little ornaments and playful sayings scattered about, creating a tapestry of wonder for both grownups and the young at heart. The ebb and flow of entering and exiting, savoring scones with jam and cream, only to return for another rendezvous with the fluttering wonders – it's a dance reminiscent of the Mad Hatter's tea parties. We're thrilled you stepped into our cafe, adorned with vibrant plants and adorned in the spirit of Alice in Wonderland. As you explored the dinosaur exhibition, we hope you felt the magic of roaring dinosaurs amidst a rainforest, complete with the allure of steam and the remnants of a crashed plane and jeep. The dinosaur show, a spectacle in Wonderland fashion, surely added a touch of whimsical excitement. Your words warm our Wonderland hearts, and we extend our gratitude for your kind congratulations. We aim to create a thoroughly entertaining attraction where every visitor, whether young or old, finds a slice of magic in our wonder-filled world. Until the next adventure down the rabbit hole,Written 24 January 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited January 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 16 January 2024
- Dan6 contributionsMade our Holiday funWe had an amazing experience. My 2 y/o LOVED the dinosaur show, she cannot stop talking about it. The maze, butterfly house and Dinosaur area is a great way to spent your holiday. cannot recommend this enough for families.Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that your little one loved the dinosaur show and that our attractions made your holiday memorable. It’s heartwarming to know that the maze, butterfly house, and dinosaur area provided such a fun experience for your family. We appreciate your recommendation and look forward to welcoming you back for more magical moments!Written 26 July 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited March 2024Travelled with familyWritten 12 March 2024
- Jawa723 contributionsWas not worth the time or money for 2 adults and 14 year oldDefinitely for the younger families. Not many butterflies and the ones there were all similar. The butterfly house was quite small. The show was cringy with a person dressed up as a dinosaur - young kids would have enjoyed it.Dear Jawa72, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that your visit didn’t meet your expectations. Our butterfly house is designed with a magical experience in mind, and we understand that it may appeal more to younger families and children. We continually strive to enhance our exhibits and shows, and your comments are valuable for our ongoing improvements. While the butterfly house might be compact, we aim to create an immersive and enchanting environment. We’re sorry to hear that the dinosaur show did not resonate with you, as it is designed to delight our younger guests. We hope you might consider visiting us again, as we are always working to bring new and exciting elements to our park. Best regards, Owner, Coffs Harbour Butterfly HouseWritten 26 July 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited May 2024Travelled with familyWritten 21 May 2024
- Lorraine LTarwin Lower, Australia3,581 contributionsA good family outingVisit the Coffs Harbour Butterfly House where there is the butterfly enclosure, a cafe, a maze, a dinosaur walk and a dinosaur show arena. Our main interest was the butterfly enclosure which is a large, extremely warm, area where the butterflies were everywhere and more than happy to land on you when they needed a rest. The gardens in here were very pretty with lots of flowers, all set up for the butterflies to use their proboscis to suck the nectar from. According to the brochure there are 24 species of butterflies here, I recognised a few but not sure how many. Walking from here to the ‘Dinosaur Walk’ where we wandered through the forest viewing the many moving dinosaurs and out to the arena where they have the dinosaur shows. There were a lot of families here and the children all seemed to be having a good time.Visited August 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 10 August 2024
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4.0
646 reviews
Excellent
279
Very good
210
Average
91
Poor
37
Terrible
29
Brett L
12 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
Went to this attraction 10 years ago and was quite happy. Was looking forward to stopping in again. My god. Parking????. Nothing has changed with the exception of adding some dinosaurs to capture the younger market. Dead set it is all over in about half an hour and it cost $50 a family. Only saw about 4 species of butterfly's in about 45 minutes in the actually house and trust me we were looking. Dated, missed opportunities, spend your money elsewhere
Written 9 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Really? This is a review...
Written 29 January 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Vicki
1 contribution
Mar 2020
I took my 5 grandchildren there yesterday 15/03 While I appreciate that the weather wasn't good I felt that paying $72 dollars for us to enter was very steep. There were no butterflies flying about. The dinosaur show was not on ( again due to the weather) The maze was closed We spent approximately less than 1/2 there I believe if they are to survive then when thing are not going ahead or Butterflies are dormant then this should be explained other wise I would not have paid the exuberant price of admission
Written 15 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessica A
Sydney, Australia31 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
Firstly the place was packed. Everyone crammed into a small area and out the door trying to get ticket. Lady at the counter was nice and friendly. She gave us a map of the place and off we went. Little did I know, that no one needs a map, because the place is tiny. We went through the place in around 10 minutes and then went on our way to find more butterfly's. But that was literally it. One sheds worth of butterflies. I saw more butterfly's driving up the highway to find the place. I am not even joking. Hardly any butterflies and not many different species of them either. Everyone was crammed into a small hot shed and that's what you get for $18 per adult. It was incredibly overpriced and you are lucky to even find 30 minutes worth of stuff to do there. The Dinosaurs were bizarre and had nothing to do with Butterflies. My small kids were terrified of them to be honest. Didn't bother with the maze, because it's boring and I was over it at that point. Parking sucks, the gift shop is full of tacky stuff you could find at the reject shop. I feel ripped off to be honest. Won't be returning anytime... Ever.
Written 24 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Colin H
Northleach, UK18 contributions
Jan 2021 • Family
Save your money and go elsewhere.
We were looking for something to do on a wet day - apparently so we’re hundreds of others.
The car park was full, and we queued for 5mins to get in, but that was almost as long as we spent in there.
Were it not for the Covid restrictions of number of people per room, we probably would have been in and out in less than 10mins.
It’s a pretty small glass house filled with a few interesting butterflies (but mainly millions of little yellow ones), a really tacky gift shop full of tat, a cafe which didn’t appeal, and then a weird dinosaur exhibit outside.
For a $55 family ticket we would have expected a lot more. Utterly underwhelming.
We were looking for something to do on a wet day - apparently so we’re hundreds of others.
The car park was full, and we queued for 5mins to get in, but that was almost as long as we spent in there.
Were it not for the Covid restrictions of number of people per room, we probably would have been in and out in less than 10mins.
It’s a pretty small glass house filled with a few interesting butterflies (but mainly millions of little yellow ones), a really tacky gift shop full of tat, a cafe which didn’t appeal, and then a weird dinosaur exhibit outside.
For a $55 family ticket we would have expected a lot more. Utterly underwhelming.
Written 20 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your feedback.
Written 9 October 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Shardy6
East Maitland, Australia24 contributions
Nov 2020 • Family
Almost $50 entry fee for two adults and one child to go into a hot shed that had hardly any butterflies. Seriously took 10 minutes at the most to walk through. The whole place is run down, needs painting and upgrading. Staff are rude and the “gift” shop is larger then the attraction. Would NOT recommend. Marginally bettter was a temporary dinosaur attraction but even that was teeny tiny and took a further 5 minutes.
Written 11 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lovely how you support small business after a 3 month covid shutdown, everyone is doing it hard. We really don't need people like you to make it harder, so if this review resonates with you please don't visit. We only want to attract happy magical visitors, grumpy visitors are really not welcome here, there are many other places that unhappy, grumpy visitors can go.
The gift shop is its own business, and supports 9 local artists with many handmade gifts, if you don't like gift shops don't shop, but why complain about how big it is. In fact did you notice its actually 2 gift shops, one is for children with toys and one is for adults.
One thing my staff are not and that is rude. We pride ourselves on 5 star service, and November after covid shut down we were so grateful to be open and so appreciative of each visitor, so I belive you just complain to complain. Try be happy, and enjoy a bit of magic in your world, or best yet, allow yourself to go down the rabbit hole once in a while.
Written 27 October 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
livkelsjen
Wollongong, Australia24 contributions
Sept 2020 • Couples
Staff were lovely, but at $18 an adult it was just not worth the money. My partner and I did think the butterflies were lovely however there arent a lot of them and you are in an out the enclosure in under half an hour (self guided, so up to you how long you stay, however it is not very big). As it was just us and no children it really did not feel worth it. In saying that not sure I'd want to come as a family due to the cost.
We did not see the dinosaurs, so unable to comment on that.
The maze was free, so what you are really only pay for the butterflies (and dinosaurs)
Overall if you are not coming with children it feels overpriced and not really worth it.
We did not see the dinosaurs, so unable to comment on that.
The maze was free, so what you are really only pay for the butterflies (and dinosaurs)
Overall if you are not coming with children it feels overpriced and not really worth it.
Written 26 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you,
The mazes are certainly not free, please don't say this, it is part of your entry fee and is a paid attraction. You may not enter the mazes if you have not paid admission.
We are a family run business with 3 very young kids, so yes our focus is on families with young kids, we are definitely influenced by our children.
We have taken in board your connect about the butterfly house, and we have added 12 talks in the glasshouse about every species of butterfly we keep.
We also have a cafe with handmade food and sweets and a gift shop, that also supports local handmade artists (x10) here.
The attractions you pay for are:
1. Butterflies x 700 in a rainforest setting within a glasshouse
2. Real fairies and fairy gardens
3. Dinosaur forest
4. Live entertainment ( 3 shows daily)
5. Outdoor wonderland Maze
6. Indoor through the looking glass maze
7. Dinosaur hatchery and lab
8. Magic Window
9. Real baby dinosaurs x 4
10. Real baby unicorn
Written 27 October 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jack
Lake Macquarie, Australia23 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
If you’re going then make sure it’s overcast
So the sales lady informs us of a full day event, I’m not sure we were at the same place as 10mins and you’re done.
We walked into the butterfly house which is ridiculously hot and not much bigger than your average shed.
I told my 4yr old to keep an eye out for cocoons then one of the staff rudely scoffed and said you’d be hard pressed as it’s blah blah and referred to some technical term my response was obviously the hungry caterpillar lied....
Anyway we struggled to find them unless they were on the roof or on the nectar trays don’t expect them to be fluttering around and landing on your finger it just doesn’t happen.
The dinosaurs are on a track of about 10m that’s probably the best part.
So the sales lady informs us of a full day event, I’m not sure we were at the same place as 10mins and you’re done.
We walked into the butterfly house which is ridiculously hot and not much bigger than your average shed.
I told my 4yr old to keep an eye out for cocoons then one of the staff rudely scoffed and said you’d be hard pressed as it’s blah blah and referred to some technical term my response was obviously the hungry caterpillar lied....
Anyway we struggled to find them unless they were on the roof or on the nectar trays don’t expect them to be fluttering around and landing on your finger it just doesn’t happen.
The dinosaurs are on a track of about 10m that’s probably the best part.
Written 22 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to write a Review Jack and Sally.
I encourage you when visiting local businesses in Coffs Harbour to talk to the owner or manager about your concerns. We are a small town and your negative feedback on several of our businesses is uncalled for. We have signs up encouraging you to talk to us if your visit did not meet your expectations so that we can try and rectify the situation. You gave us no such opportunity.
I hope you and your party of 10 have a safe journey home.
Written 23 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Electricfish
Central Coast, Australia26 contributions
Oct 2020 • Family
Was expensive for what it is. Took like 10 mins to walk around the butterfly house. Had a small room with some extra bugs in it. Park was so old. The wooden monkey bars are dangerous as they were loose and wobbly! The dinosaur show was probably the best thing but only went for like 10 mins. Won’t be going again
Written 6 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you.
Actually we purchased the butterfly house a year ago. We put in the dinosaurs and then covid hit, so you actually like what we are doing with the park, so by not visiting again you won't speciation all the magic we are putting in.
Please be mindful covid hit business hard, we were forced to shut for over 3 months, and are hit with huge restrictions. During this time we lost all our butterflies, most of our 30 staff, and we have had to start over. These are challenging times, and businesses are just trying to survive. Comments like yours are not helpful. A bit like holding a drowning cat under the water, we are just trying to come up for air and have a second chance at this business.
P.s we have got rid of the wooden playground and have 3 new playgrounds.
Written 27 October 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Anthea D
Sydney, Australia6 contributions
Sept 2020 • Couples
My husband and I visited, and although we had senior's discounts, we still felt that $16 each was over priced. The butterfly house is quite small, and most of the butterflies were flying up high and not easily viewed. The staff were friendly and informative, but it was just too limited. It was also quite crowded, even though we are in Covid 19 restrictions and it was not school holidays.
The bug display was as good as non existent.
The additional dinosaur exhibition would have been wonderful for our 3 and 5 year old grandchildren... but a bit lame for anyone older!
The bug display was as good as non existent.
The additional dinosaur exhibition would have been wonderful for our 3 and 5 year old grandchildren... but a bit lame for anyone older!
Written 23 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CaitlynsGrampa
Wellington, New Zealand53 contributions
Sept 2022
We found this expensive as we only wanted to view the butterflies...which were beautiful and very active. A small butterfly house with a large gift shop, a cafe and children's outdoor areas ( which we did not visit ). I felt it was too much to pay for a 20 minute visit- i suggest differing prices for butterfly visits only.
Written 16 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review. This would be like going to a zoo and paying only to see the lions, it's not practical. We are a theme park attraction with several attractions, of which butterflies are only 1 part.
However, if you had only come to visit our butterfly attraction, we have a butterfly passport that identified every butterfly in our glasshouse, so you could stamp the ones you found. We have keeper talks on every single species we keep, which took a lot of effort and time to produce, and would take more than 20 minutes to watch.
We have a butterfly keeper who is one of the top keepers in Australia, having worked at the Melbourne zoo butterfly house for 12 years. He would have shown you how every butterfly is individually tagged and numbered when they emerge so we can track each butterfly.
There so much to learn about our butterflies, and if you go in and out of our glasshouse a few times you will have a different experience as multiple factors affect the butterflies and their flying, that's just what happens with love animals.
Again I'm sorry our park and all our attractions did not meet your expectations.
Written 9 October 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
When is the best time of the year to visit the Butterfly House?
Written 14 September 2018
Hi guys. I've asked one of the staff and her work was to "hatch" and manage the new butterflies. Because the temperature and humidity are controlled I believe they will have butterflies all year round. We were there in July and the butterflies were amazing!!!
Written 15 September 2018
TRansportation from Coffs Harbour-Public? Available? Cost? Route to Beach Park Plaza?
Written 20 October 2016
look up the butterfly house and I belive it will give you the transport options or you can email them sorry can't help any more
Written 22 October 2016
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