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Magic of Life Butterfly House
Magic of Life Butterfly House is a lovely choice when you want something colourful, unusual and completely different from the mountain and woodland attractions around Mid Wales.
Step inside the tropical house and you are suddenly surrounded by warm air, lush plants and free-flying butterflies from rainforests around the world.
Walk Among the Butterflies
The main attraction is the indoor tropical butterfly house, where large and colourful butterflies fly freely around the plants and visitors.
Some will stay high in the foliage while others settle close enough for you to see their markings properly. If you stand quietly, one may even land nearby.
Morning visits can be particularly good because the butterflies tend to be more active earlier in the day.
Look Beyond the Butterflies
There is more here than the name suggests.
The centre also keeps a range of unusual insects, including giant stick insects, praying mantids and beetles, along with moths and other tropical species.
There are also tropical fish and coral displays, so children who lose interest in butterflies usually find something else to investigate.
See Butterflies Up Close
One of the nicest things here is being able to notice details you would normally miss.
You can see the scale patterns on wings, watch butterflies feeding and sometimes spot them emerging or resting among the plants.
It works particularly well for children because the experience is immediate — they do not need to read lots of interpretation before something interesting happens.
Explore the Wildlife Garden
Outside, the centre has planted a wildlife garden specifically to encourage native butterflies and other insects.
More than two dozen species of native butterfly have been recorded around the site, so on a warm day it is worth taking a look outside as well as concentrating on the tropical species indoors.
A Good Wet-Weather Stop
This is particularly useful to know about when the weather around Aberystwyth and the Cambrian Mountains turns wet.
Most of the main attraction is indoors, so it gives families something colourful and interesting to do without abandoning the day completely.
Because it is not a huge attraction, it also combines very easily with Devil’s Bridge, the Rheidol Valley or another nearby stop.
A Few Useful Tips
Magic of Life Butterfly House is at Cwm Rheidol, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 3NB.
It is currently open seven days a week, with longer hours from April to October and shorter winter hours.
Parking is available beside the neighbouring Rheidol Visitor Centre.
The Butterfly House is suitable for wheelchair users, and dogs are welcome.
The tropical house is warm and humid, so layers are useful if you are arriving dressed for cold or wet Welsh weather.
There is no need to spend half a day here. For most families, around an hour is enough, although keen photographers and insect enthusiasts may stay longer.
Stay near the Rheidol Valley: Find hotels and cottages for exploring Aberystwyth, Devil’s Bridge and the surrounding Mid Wales countryside.