Victoria Butterfly Gardens offers a unique opportunity for people of all ages to experience the beauty and curiosity of a tropical jungle up close.

Children under 5 are free with accompanying adult.

As you wander through, we want you to meet our family. With surprises at every turn, you’ll encounter poison dart frogs, tortoises, a large iguana, a flamingo, free flying tropical birds and more. We house a large variety of tropical fish swimming in our serene pond and stream circulated by a stunning waterfall. Thousands of tropical butterflies (up to 70 species) fly through our large facilities the size of almost 3 basketball courts. Stroll through and marvel at our lush gardens including tropical flowers, carnivorous plants and fruits of the world.

• We are located about 25 minutes from downtown Victoria and 5 minutes from the famous Butchart Gardens.

• We are open every day except Christmas Day, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (last entry, explore until 5).

• Our facilities are about the size of 3 basketball courts, fully enclosed and with a year-round temperature of 25C/80F and 80% humidity, which allows us to have the luxuriant plant life/flowers such as you’d find in a tropical area.  We even grow papayas, bananas, ginger and pineapples.

• All our birds and animals are adopted, rescued or donated. We have 12 sets of parrots, a flamingo, iguanas and a dwarf caiman plus many more.

• Our butterflies come from Costa Rica, Columbia and the Philippines with up to 70 varieties and between 3-4,000 at any given time. 

• The Gardens are wheelchair friendly, coach and car parking are complimentary and adjacent, and a normal visit is about one hour.

PARK PLAN

1. EMERGING WINDOW

Imported butterfly chrysalides are hung until they emerge and are released into our garden. We import between 600–1,400 chrysalides each week from over 70 species originating all around the world.

2. VANILLA ORCHID

This large vine is where Vanilla comes from. Vanilla is an orchid and is the second most expensive spice in the world due to; needing to be hand pollinated and taking a very long time to mature each pod.

3. RED FOOTED TORTOISES

These medium-sized tortoises are from South America and generally average 30cm long as adults but can reach over 40cm long.

4. SHADOW

Shadow is a blue-and-gold macaw who loves to say “Hi” and “Hello” to get you to come over and talk to him.

5. FLAMINGO POND

This pond is home to our Caribbean flamingo, dozens of large koi and numerous species of other tropical fish.

6. JEWELS OF THE RAINFOREST

In this display you can view an array of poison dart frogs from Central and South America.

7. LIFECYCLE DISPLAY

See caterpillars up close as they hatch from an egg, grow, and pupate.

8. AMAZON OASIS

Gaze into this tropical pond and enjoy an array of South American fish and tropical plants.

9. FLY RIVER TURTLE

Visit Reginald the fly river turtle and the colourful school of Amazon rainbowfish he shares his home with.

10. JAVIER THE CAIMAN

Meet Javier, the small yet formidable Cuvier's dwarf caiman, enchanting all with his charismatic presence and captivating nature.

11. BAMBOO

This giant timber bamboo is type of grass but can reach over 120 feet tall in the wild!

12. EPIPHYTES

An epiphyte is a plant that grows on another plant or tree for support but does not take any nutrients from their host. In the tropics, many creatures depend on them for food, protection and reproduction.

13. BUTTERFLY ALLEY

Watch as butterflies feed on various nectar plants and go about their day.

14. TURTLE LOG

This log is used by dozens of turtle to bask and warm up on sunny days.

15. GREEN-WING MACAWS

Meet Macawley and Azrael! These two young macaws love to “Meow” and play around on their perch.

16. COMMUNITY CORNER

Make a wish for the community. Please drop a coin in our wishing well. All proceeds are donated to various local charities.

17. PINK CHENILLE PLANT

This exotic plant is native to Malaysia and is a favourite in our gardens. The only butterfly that feeds on this plant is the White Tree Nymph.

18. TREE-HOUSE

Look for birds perched on the jungle canopy platforms, and try to spot the box turtles in the foliage below.

19. CARNIVOROUS PLANTS

Insects beware of these pitcher plants! These amazing plants attract, capture, and digest insects and small animals to get the nutrients they need to grow.