Lukas Nursery & Butterfly Encounter

Lukas Nursey is a well-known plant nursery in the Oviedo area just North of Orlando.  Its different from many nurseries that one might come across in the Greater Orlando area because its spread out, its neatly landscape with large pathways in between sets of trees. There’s no tripping over weeds and mismanaged mounds of dirt. The main attraction however at the Lukas Nursery is Orlando area’s only butterfly conservatory where visitors can take a guided or self-guided tour and learn about a butterfly’s life cycle. 

This is known as the Butterfly Encounter. You can see all the different varieties of butterflies flying in their element. Its a great attraction because everyone knows that there’s more than one type of butterfly in existence, but let’s face it, its tough to find multiple types of butterflies out in the open to compare and study.  You can also get up close and personal with these butterflies because there’s a section where you can dip your finger into a food solution jello-shot looking cup and butterflies will land on your finger to eat off of your hand. These kids will most likely want to do this, just make sure they don’t accidentally hurt the butterflies.

There’s an aviary with different colorful Finches to see and these birds are tiny so kids will most likely enjoy watching these birds fly around as well. You can pretty much walk into their small enclosure and hang out with them. The Butterfly Encounter is also home to the only publicly accessible caterpillar farm in Florida.  Not that there’s a big trend to open up caterpillar farms across the state, but its always nice to have the corner on the market.

On your way out, you’ll want to check out Lukas Nursery’s large selection of nectar plants………….if you plant them at your house, it will enable your house to attract butterflies as well.  Overall its a great place to check out whether your a kid or an adult, but its especially a great place to take kids.

Hours:

9am-4pm Monday to Sunday

Admission:

$5 a person, children under 3 years old are free.

Location:

1909 Slavia Road
Oviedo, FL 32765
(407) 365-6163

Special Unlocked Tip:

The Butterfly Encounter is hosted in a large greenhouse type enclosure with glass walls and ceilings so it is quite warm and humid in there. We recommend going earlier like by 10:30 to try and escape the heat. We also do not recommend wearing heavy clothing or jeans when walking in because you will be pretty uncomfortable. Its similar to walking into a Florida greenhouse.