Dubai Butterfly Garden

The Dubai Butterfly Garden opened in 2015 as a companion attraction to the Dubai Miracle Garden, the vast flower garden that had opened on Valentine's Day 2013 in Al Barsha South, part of Dubailand. The Miracle Garden grew out of an agreement between Dubailand and Dubai Properties Group, with development led by Akar Landscaping and Agriculture, the company of Jordanian businessman Abdel Naser Rahhal.

From the outset the attraction billed itself as the region's first indoor butterfly garden and the largest of its kind in the world, a claim made by the operator itself. Unlike the neighbouring Miracle Garden, which closes during the hottest months, the butterfly garden is advertised as open all year round, something its fully enclosed, air-conditioned layout makes possible.

The complex covers about 2,600 m² and is made up of ten interconnected climate-controlled domes; the operator speaks of a range of 18 to 25 °C throughout the year. Outdoor planting surrounds the domes and carries on the floral scenery of the Miracle Garden next door.

The logic is that of a greenhouse turned inside out: rather than trapping heat, as a European glasshouse does, the domes shield the insects from desert summers in which temperatures routinely pass 40 °C.

More than 15,000 butterflies fly freely under the domes. The species count is more than 50 according to the operator and to the article devoted to the butterfly garden itself. Around fifteen feeding stations offer the insects nutrient syrups and fresh fruit such as mango, pineapple and watermelon.

An educational area follows the butterfly life cycle from egg to caterpillar, chrysalis and adult. The site also has a museum displaying pieces made from real butterfly wings by in-house artisans, and a koi pond set inside one of the domes.

The garden lies in Al Barsha South 3, right beside the Dubai Miracle Garden but with its own entrance; it can be visited on a separate ticket or on a combined ticket with the flower garden. The operator suggests allowing two to three hours for the whole site, including the museum and a small children's cinema.

During the Miracle Garden's season, generally October to April, the two are easily seen together. In summer, when the flower garden is closed, the air-conditioned domes remain one of the few horticultural attractions open in the area.