Butterfly World in Coconut Creek: A Half Day for Families Staying in Pompano

Here is the short answer. Butterfly World sits on the south side of Sample Road in Coconut Creek, inside Broward County's Tradewinds Park, a straight run west from the Pompano Beach coast. It is open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Last entry is 4 p.m., and the park recommends arriving by 3 p.m. Day passes are $32.50 plus tax for ages 12 and up, $22.50 plus tax for ages 3 to 11, and free for children 2 and under. Go on a bright, warm morning, plan on two to three hours, and keep $2 in cash for the lorikeet nectar. Every hour and price below came from Butterfly World's own pages this week.

We are Brad and Justina, founders of Yours Truly Hospitality. We manage vacation homes across Southeast Florida, with a cluster of them in Pompano Beach and Lighthouse Point. When a family staying with us asks for something that is not the beach, Butterfly World is one of the first places we mention. It is close, it is easy, and it works for a toddler and a grandparent on the same morning. Here is how to do it well.

What Butterfly World Actually Is

Butterfly World opened on March 28, 1988, founded by Ronald Boender. The park describes itself as the first butterfly house in the United States, and its tagline promises 20,000 exotic butterflies and birds.

What you walk through is a loop of screened butterfly aviaries, botanical gardens and two tropical bird aviaries, plus the Lorikeet Encounter, where small, bright parrots land on your arm to drink nectar from a cup. It is a private attraction, separate from the county park around it, but you enter through Tradewinds Park to reach it.

Tickets and What They Cost

Keep this simple. Most families buy day passes at the gate.

Day pass. Adults (ages 12 and up) are $32.50 plus tax. Children ages 3 to 11 are $22.50 plus tax. Children 2 and under are free.

Annual pass. Adults are $80 plus tax and children are $60 plus tax. It gives unlimited daily admission for one year from purchase with no blackout dates. For a single visit it does not pay off, but if you are wintering in Pompano for a few months and the kids want to go back, run the math.

Lorikeet nectar. $2 per cup, cash only. This is the part kids talk about afterward, so do not leave the cash in the car.

Digital guide book. $2, tax included, if you want to put names to what you are seeing.

The park takes cash, American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Apple Pay. It does not take personal checks. The posted price board also says plainly: no refunds for any reason. Rain checks for long stretches of bad weather are issued at the park's discretion and expire one year from the visit date.

One dated note. In late October 2026 the park was running a fall offer of $10 off adult and $5 off child admission through Saturday, October 31, which you had to mention in person at the gate. Check the homepage before you go, because offers like this come and go.

Getting There, and the Gate Fee Most People Miss

The address is 3600 W. Sample Road, Coconut Creek, FL 33073. From the Pompano Beach and Lighthouse Point coast, Sample Road takes you most of the way there.

Two things to know before you pull in.

Watch the GPS. Butterfly World warns that some map apps send drivers to the wrong part of Tradewinds Park. The entrance you want is on the south side of Sample Road.

The county gate fee. Because you drive in through Tradewinds Park, Broward County charges a gate fee on weekends and county holidays: $3 per vehicle with 8 or fewer people, $20 per vehicle with 9 or more. That is separate from your Butterfly World tickets. On a weekday, it does not apply.

The Schedule That Actually Matters

The posted hours say 9 to 5, but the day ends earlier than that inside. Here is the real timeline:

• 9:00 a.m. Park opens Monday through Saturday (11:00 a.m. on Sunday).

• 10:30 a.m. Lorikeet Encounter opens (11:00 a.m. on Sunday).

• 3:00 p.m. Recommended last arrival.

• 4:00 p.m. Last entry.

• 4:15 p.m. Last lorikeet feeding.

• 4:30 p.m. Butterfly area and Lorikeet Encounter close.

• 5:00 p.m. Park closes.

If you arrive at 3:45 on a Sunday, you will get in, but you will have about 45 minutes in the butterfly area. That is the most common mistake we hear about. Treat 3 p.m. as the real cutoff.

The park is closed on Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, and hours can change for weather.

When to Go: Sun Beats Shade

This is the tip that makes or breaks the visit. Butterflies fly when it is warm and bright. The park says you will see the most activity on bright, sunny days, and that when it drops below 60 degrees most butterflies will not fly at all.

So pick your day by the forecast. A clear morning after a cool night is good once it warms up. A gray, drizzly day is a weak day for butterflies. Heavy rain or thunderstorms can close the butterfly aviaries early, and South Florida afternoons bring storms often, which is one more reason to go in the morning. If the sky looks uncertain, the park asks you to call 954-977-4434 during business hours.

Our plan for families: arrive around opening on a sunny weekday, walk the butterfly aviaries first while the light is strong, then do the Lorikeet Encounter once it opens. You are back on Sample Road by lunch, and the afternoon is free for the pool.

How Long It Takes

The park recommends at least two to three hours for a relaxed walk, and notes that many people stay all day. With small children, two hours is usually the sweet spot. With a photographer in the group, budget more.

What to Bring and What to Leave

• Water. Outside drinks are not allowed, but bottled water and infant feeding liquids are the exception. Finish anything else before the entrance.

• Food. Two outdoor cafes inside sell snacks, drinks, ice cream and lunch items. If you would rather picnic, there are picnic areas just outside in Tradewinds Park.

• Shoes. Good walking shoes. Shoes and shirts are required at all times.

• Camera, not a tripod. Personal photos and video are welcome. Tripods and monopods are not allowed anywhere in the facility, and no photography of any kind is allowed in the shop.

• Leave the dog at home. Only service dogs are permitted, declared at the admissions gate and kept on a short leash. Comfort, therapy and assistance animals are not allowed.

Accessibility

Butterfly World says the park is fully wheelchair accessible. Wheelchairs rent for $5 plus tax for up to two hours, first come, first served, and supply is limited, so bring your own if you have one.

Fitting It Into a Pompano Stay

Butterfly World works best as half of a day. Do the butterflies in the morning, then come back east for an afternoon on the sand or by the pool. If you want the full family week built around it, our family week guide for Pompano Beach and Lighthouse Point has the other six days.

If you are planning a family trip and want a home within an easy drive of Butterfly World and the beach, have a look at our South Florida vacation homes.

Updated October 2026, with hours, prices, the gate fee and visitor rules verified directly with Butterfly World.