Discover the Delicate Beauty of Butterflies at the Fata Morgana Greenhouse!
Visit Prague’s Troja area to discover the vibrant butterflies in Fata Morgana. If you’re fortunate, you might witness the enchanting moment when butterflies emerge from their chrysalises displayed in the exhibit. Come and enjoy their first flight, their elegant gliding through the air, and the stunning array of colors on their wings. You’ll find the chrysalises showcased in special display cases and on stands throughout the exhibition.
Throughout the exhibition, thousands of butterflies will hatch, both during the day and at night, inside the greenhouse. The butterflies emerge from around 5,000 chrysalises that arrive weekly from a butterfly farm in Stratford upon Avon. This includes the stunning Morpho peleides with its sky-blue wings, Night Martins Attacus atlas, the large owl butterflies from the Caligo genus, and the well-known migratory monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), along with the colorful baboons and otacarans. This year’s season at the Botanic Garden celebrates nature’s allure. The exhibit in the Fata Morgana greenhouse is named Butterflies: the magic of attraction. It will feature an interactive display called Secrets of Butterfly Life in the Exhibit Hall at the Ornamental Garden, offering guests a new perspective on the remarkable world of butterflies. Everyone is welcome until May 25.
The magic of attraction and the secret of butterfly life
This year, part of the live butterfly presentation at the Fata Morgana greenhouse features an interactive exhibition. The focus of this exhibition will be on the enchanting connection between plants and these beautiful pollinators. Unlike bees, which collect pollen mainly in specialized cups on their legs, butterflies collect pollen passively using their entire bodies. This allows them to reach a broader area, enabling them to pollinate plants that are farther apart. Butterflies also excel at pollinating hard-to-reach flowers. For instance, they can access tubular flowers or orchids with long spurs thanks to their long mouthparts, making them invaluable aides in nature. Baiting plays a significant role in the mating rituals of butterflies.
Some ambitious butterflies actively search for females, often flying long distances. A standout among them is the tropical martinets, the nocturnal butterflies that you can expect to see in full splendor at this exhibition. The beloved butterfly beauty highlight will also feature an interactive exhibition
Secrets of butterfly life, which provides an exciting new viewpoint into the captivating world of butterflies. Visitors can enjoy a look through the butterflies’ eyes, experience how a falcon’s bill functions, and examine wing structures under a microscope to uncover the secrets behind their beautiful colors. Through the example of the red-eyed jason, along with a panel exhibition prepared in partnership with the Spring group, attendees will learn about the challenges faced by endangered butterfly species in our environment. Visitors will also have the chance to participate in a daily butterfly census during an event called Butterfly Half Hour. On weekends, guests can engage in various creative activities at themed workshops.
This year’s live butterfly exhibition will showcase stunning tropical specimens such as the Morpho peleides and Morpho achilles with their enchanting sky-blue wings, the see-through baboons Methona confusa, the migratory monarch butterflies and their Asian counterpart Danaus plexippus, the vibrant otacarids, as well as the remarkable great owl butterflies from the Caligo genus. Other colorful Asian butterflies, including the striking Atrophaneura semperi and the magnificent Attacus atlas, which is known as the largest butterfly in the world, will also be on display.
The exhibition is open daily except Mondays from April 11 to May 25, 2025. It takes place at the Botanical Garden of the Capital City, Prague.
Additionally, the exhibit within the Fata Morgana Greenhouse will be accessible every day except Mondays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.. The last guests may enter at 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be bought at the box office, but to make it easier for visitors, the Botanical Garden recommends purchasing tickets through their online service via the e-shop. From experience, it’s best to plan your visit throughout the whole opening hours; during weekends, expect increased interest, which could lead to long waits for entry due to the limited capacity of the Fata Morgana greenhouse.
