The Butterfly Pavilion is a great place to spend a cold and rainy afternoon in Amsterdam. Located in Artis Zoo, there are over a thousand butterflies flying freely in the 1,000 m2 tropical interior. Amsterdam's Butterfly Pavilion is the largest in the Netherlands, and appeals to all ages.
Wander freely
As you wander along the paths of this colourful indoor garden, all kinds of butterflies flutter by. Of course, butterflies are synonymous with flowers and the tropical interior is a delight. Depending on the season, the Butterfly Pavilion contains between 20 to 30 kinds of butterflies. One of the most spectacular is the Blue Morpho, a very large butterfly that owes its bright blue colour to the structure of its wings. Also, try spot a hawk-moth - the fastest flying butterfly which can reach a top speed of 60 km/h.
Largest insect collections
The Butterfly Pavilion is located towards the back of Artis, near the Insectarium. In fact , with the Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion, Artis currently owns one of the world’s largest insect collections.