Thursday: July 31 & August 7 | 5:30-7:30PM Spread your date night wings and join a CNC naturalist for this exclusive date night experience at the Butterfly Encounter. This is a great time to enjoy nature with your date and spend time in the encounter. Feel free to bring your own picnic and drinks (non-alcoholic) to have, but we will also have some light snacks and drinks included for you to enjoy. As part of the experience, you will learn all about butterflies, enjoy a guided walk through CNC’s Wildlife Walk, and conclude with an animal demo highlighting one of CNC’s native animal ambassadors. Limited spaces available.
Ages 16+. $30 general public / $20 CNC Members. Advanced Registration Required. Register by the Wednesday before each program.
Summer is flying by at CNC! As our Butterfly Encounter season comes to an end, we would like to invite our members to say Bon Voyage to the Butterfly Encounter. Join us on Sunday, August 24 at the Lakeside Pavilion for crafts and a sweet treat like the butterflies eat (while supplies last). The opportunity is reserved exclusively for current CNC members! (Your membership will be verified at the Pavilion using your digital card or photo ID)
Saturday, June 14, Saturday, July 12, and Saturday, August 16
CNC Members get a chance to enjoy exclusive early access to the Butterfly Encounter! Beat the heat and start your day with CNC! The grounds will be open at 8AM in June and July and 9AM in August for CNC Member exclusive access to enjoy. Visit our website to become a member to enjoy this exclusive early access to the Butterfly Encounter and our grounds. All ages.
Join Atlanta-based nature photographer, Eric Bowles, for a workshop to help you make better photographs of butterflies and other garden subjects. You’ll have private access to the Butterfly Encounter and the butterfly garden, along with classroom time to talk about technique, equipment, and tips.
Ages 16+. Limited spaces available. Advanced registration is required by Thursday, August 14.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations must be received in writing (via email) at least 6 business days prior to your program date in order to receive a full refund. We are unable to refund cancellations that are received less than 6 business days prior to your program date. We cannot accommodate late arrivals – if you miss an active program or do not attend, we are unable to refund your payment.
While every attempt is made to conduct programs, CNC may deem it necessary to cancel the program due to weather, or any conditions that would compromise the program’s quality or put persons at risk. If CNC cancels a program, you will be notified and will receive a full refund. All refunds will be returned to the original form of purchase.
CNC reserves the right to cancel a program up to the scheduled time due to any of the following:
Grab your friends, your family, or even a date, and head to CNC for the year’s most popular exhibit! Join hundreds of live soaring and sleeping butterflies in CNC’s outdoor, tented Butterfly Encounter. Photo opportunities abound, be sure to bring your camera! Nectar and host plants are also available for purchase to start your own butterfly garden or supplement your existing garden.
Visit the event page for important need-to-knows before visiting your fluttery friends. Purchase your tickets in advance to secure your day and time to visit.
The 26th Annual Flying Colors Butterfly Festival will delight everyone as we celebrate all things pollinators!
>> Visit with LIVE butterflies at the Butterfly Encounter. >> Meet with pollinator experts and educators. >> Take part in the Migration Game throughout the festival and learn about monarch migration. >> Enjoy tasty food and live entertainment.
Ticket Information
Tickets Sales Open April 9; CNC member presale starts April 1
Ticket Price: $25 (children 2 and under are free); includes all activities throughout the day
There are two parts to any successful butterfly garden: nectar sources and host plants. Nectar is an important source of food for many pollinators, and luckily there are many different types of annuals and perennials that provide this resource.
To attract native pollinators to your garden, we recommend planting native annuals and perennials that would typically be found in your area naturally. Butterflies see in ultraviolet light, so bright colored flowers with a lighter center can act as a target to help attract pollinators. Butterflies also prefer a space to land while feeding on the nectar, so native species with larger petals or petals that form in clumps will also help attract butterflies to your garden.
The second item necessary for a successful butterfly garden are host plants. Host plants are required for a butterfly’s reproductive cycle.
When a caterpillar hatches from its egg, it must eat from a specific plant to survive. If an egg is laid on a plant that is not the correct host plant, the caterpillar will hatch, try to eat whatever plant they are on, and then die. Therefore, if you would like to attract a wide variety of native butterflies to your garden, be sure to plant a wide variety of native host plants!
Below, you can find the list of host plants to some of the native butterflies of Georgia.
Butterfly: Papilio polyxenes, Black Swallowtail Host Plants: Variety of plants in the Apiaceae family including: Carrots, Dill, Parsley, Fennel, Celery, Caraway
Butterfly: Papiliocresphontes, Giant Swallowtail Host Plants: Variety of trees and herbs in Rutaceae family including: Prickly Ash, Hop Tree, Common Rue
Butterfly: Papilio troilus, Spicebush Swallowtail Host Plant: Plants belonging to Lauraceae family
Butterfly: Papilio glaucus, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Host Plant: Common host plants in Magnoliaceae and Rosaceae families including: Tulip Tree, Sweet Bay Magnolia, Wild Black Cherry
Butterfly: Siproetastelenes, Malachite Host Plants: Ruellia coccinea and other plants in the Acanthaceae family
Butterfly: Heliconius charithonia, Zebra Longwing Host Plant: Several passion flower vine species (Passiflora sp.) including: Purple Passionflower, Corkystem Passionflower, Yellow Passionflower and more
Butterfly: Vanessa cardui, Painted Lady Host Plants: More than 100 species of plants have been recorded as a host plant for the Painted Lady including: Compositae family, Boraginaceae family, Malvaceae family
Butterfly: Agraulis vanillae, Gulf Fritillary Host Plant: Many species in the Passiflora family including: Purple Passionflower and Corkystem Passionflower
Along with nectar and host plants there are also a few other things to consider when planning your butterfly garden. They are not plant related, but just as important for attracting butterflies.
Create a spot for butterflies to rest. Butterflies need sun and warmth to dry their wings and be ready for flight. Flat stones in your garden are a great place for them to warm up and get ready for the day.
Bring together nectar sources and host plants in your garden, along with a few other features, and you will be on your way to attracting butterflies and other pollinators throughout spring, summer, and fall!
ROSWELL, Ga. – Reservations are required and masks are abundant, but aside from the obvious changes due to the coronavirus pandemic, staffers at the Chattahoochee Nature Center say their popular Butterfly Encounter will provide the same magical experience for visitors this year.
This year’s Butterfly Encounter opened last month will will continue daily through August 2nd, welcoming visitors into a butterfly-filled tent and allowing them to see the delicate winged creatures closer than ever before.
June 9 – August 31, 2025 | Open daily until 4:30PM
The year’s most popular exhibit is back for its 12th summer. Get up close and personal with hundreds of native butterflies surrounded by colorful nectar plants. Photo opportunities abound, be sure to bring your camera. You’ll also have the opportunity to purchase nectar and host plants to start your own butterfly garden or supplement your existing garden.
Photo Contest Details
Do you see the silliness in a swallowtail hanging upside down? What about joy in a Julia longwing flapping through the air? Show us butterflies through your lens this summer through our weekly photo contest. Submit your entries by posting your favorite photo to Instagram then follow and tag CNC @chattahoocheenaturecenter! Winners will be selected each week and will win a pair of tickets to CNC.
Celebrate the beauty, science, and spirit of pollinators! Come for the butterflies—stay for the bigger picture.
The Flying Colors Butterfly Festival celebrates the winged heroes that keep our world blooming. Discover the deep connection between these essential creatures and our environment, communities, and cultures around the globe.
Step inside the LIVE Butterfly Encounter, meet pollinator experts, play the Migration Game, and enjoy food, music, live entertainment, and global traditions.
Online Advanced Ticket Sales
>> Tickets Sales Open: April 9; CNC member presale starts April 2
>> Ticket Price: $25 (children 2 and under are free); includes all activities throughout the day
>>We may be able to accommodate walk-ups at the event depending on daily visitation.
>> It is recommended that groups purchase tickets within the same or adjacent time slots.
>> Family Plus, Naturalist, and Giving Society members may click the purchase tickets button below to verify their membership and claim their member benefit festival tickets. Contact Amy at membership@chattnaturecenter.org if you have any questions.
>> Ticket sales are non-refundable.
Butterfly Encounter Guided Experience
>> The time on your ticket is the entry time to the Butterfly Festival.
>> Based on availability, select your preferred Butterfly Encounter entry time in the plaza after check in.
>> Enjoy the festival activities and entertainment as you wait for your Butterfly Encounter time. Please return to the Plaza 10 minutes before your selected time to join your guided experience group. All guided Butterfly Encounter experiences begin from the Plaza.
>> The group will be led to the Butterfly Encounter where the Butterfly Attendants will help make the most of your experience.
>> The encounter will close during inclement weather for the safety of guests and may affect guided experience timing.
The Details
>> Bring your tickets on the day of the event.
>> Arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your ticket time to allow for parking and entry.
>> Events are rain or shine. In the event of inclement weather, most activities will be moved inside.
>> Please carpool! There is limited parking in the CNC parking lot. A shuttle will be available from Saint Francis School. The last shuttle will leave at 3PM on Saturday and 5PM on Sunday.
Butterfly Entertainment
Magicians, Stilt Walkers, Aerialist – Oh My!
Vespa the Bug Fae and Endless Butterfly Entertainment with photo opportunities each day. More details are below.
Guided experience through the exhibit with hundreds of native butterflies. Learn about our beloved native pollinators up close and personal!
Native Plant Sale
Host and nectar plants for butterflies and other pollinators available for purchase. Chat with gardening experts about what will work best for your native pollinator garden.
