The Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory
We had the privilege of visiting the conservatory while we stayed with family on Big Pine Key. Key West is a short drive and and we went specifically to visit the butterflies that the locals raved about. The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory boasts up to 60 different species of butterflies. I’m a novice at species identification, so I will leave that to the experts, but I was highly impressed by the variety and population found there.
We went on a very muggy day, a typical summer day in the keys, and the environment in the conservatory was a slight improvement. They keep the temperature and humidity just right for the plants and animals to flourish. They have a handout that you can purchase that has a list of the popular butterflies found in the exhibit. We paid the extra $2 and I found it very helpful identifying butterflies (also for fanning myself). We followed the path and I was glad that it was wide enough to take pictures and not worry about others being able to get by. The butterflies flutter and dance all along the path and I had a couple land on me. There are plenty of signs warning individuals not to disturb them, so I patiently waited for them to fly off before moving along.
Two flamingos call the conservatory home, Rhett and Scarlett (perfect names, huh?)! They hung out in a little pond area and I enjoyed watching them. Not sure how happy they are in this enclosure, or having people walk through their backyard, but they seemed content enough.
We saw a few birds flying around the conservatory and there were a couple cute ground dwelling birds that chased each other along the path.
Some people have complained about the price, but I was glad to pay the price for a great cause and even better tour. Stop by if you find yourself in Key West!! Can’t wait? Here’s a link to their webcam.
The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory is located at 1316 Duval Street, Key West, Florida, USA
Address: 1316 Duval St, Key West, FL 33040
Hours: Closing soon · 9AM–5PM
Phone: (305) 296-2988
Of course there was a gift shop that included a variety of items ranging from frivolous to educational. While vacationing these are the perfect places to pick up a souvenir. Here are a few gift ideas:
