Butterfly Experience at Dunwoody Nature Center: dates, tickets

Last checked Oct. 5, 2026. This page is updated each year. Dunwoody Nature Center has not yet announced the 2027 dates, so the times and prices below are from the 2026 festival, as published on the center’s Butterfly Experience page and its 2026 ticket page.

The Butterfly Experience is Dunwoody Nature Center’s signature festival: hundreds of native butterflies in walk-through tents, plus birds of prey, music and a kids’ zone, on Labor Day weekend at the center on Roberts Drive. In 2026 it ran Saturday, Sept. 5, and Sunday, Sept. 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Labor Day 2027 is Monday, Sept. 6, so the same weekend next year would be Saturday, Sept. 4, and Sunday, Sept. 5. That is our reading of the calendar, not an announcement; we will update this page when the center sets the dates.

Who to call

• Dunwoody Nature Center: 770-394-3322, info@dunwoodynature.org
• Ticket changes: marketing@dunwoodynature.org
• Official page: Butterfly Experience

When and where

Tickets

From the center’s event page, for 2026:

• Timed entry. Tickets are sold in 30-minute slots. The slot is your window to enter the butterfly tents; most guests need only a few minutes inside. Arrive at least 10 minutes before your slot.
• Buy online. Door tickets are extremely limited, and all sales are final.
• Members get more. Members get presale access and a discount, and the Maple, Hickory, Beech and Oak membership tiers include free Butterfly Experience tickets.
• Late slots. If you book a 3 to 4 p.m. slot, the center recommends arriving well before it, because booths and activities close at 4 p.m.

What is on

• Three butterfly tents with hundreds of native butterflies. All three have the same species and numbers, and guests can use nectar sticks to draw butterflies in.
• The Pollinator Pathway, a map-led trail of education stations about pollinators, staffed in part by partner groups.
• Birds of prey from Nature’s Echo, with a photo op.
• A main stage with puppet shows and live music both days.
• A Kid Zone with arts and crafts, face painting and the Bubble Man. Face painting and vendor shopping are not included in the ticket price.
• Food and drinks for sale all weekend.

In 2026 the festival also used the center’s new Wildcat Creek Learning Lab and its accessible boardwalk; the center said construction of the lab was complete.

What to know

• Plan to stay. The ticket buys a tent slot, but the music, the pathway and the kids’ activities run all day; come before or after your slot.
• Rain or shine. The event runs in any weather, and tickets are not refunded.
• Need to change an order? Email marketing@dunwoodynature.org.
• Labor Day weekend plans. Our Labor Day guide covers what is open and closed, and kids’ activities has more for families.

A short history

The Butterfly Experience has been a fixture at the center for more than 25 years, and it draws more than 3,000 people, according to the center. The center’s sponsor tiers put names on the butterfly tents, the main stage and the Pollinator Pathway.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Butterfly Experience at Dunwoody Nature Center? It is held on Labor Day weekend. The 2027 dates are not announced yet; in 2026 it ran Saturday, Sept. 5, and Sunday, Sept. 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Labor Day 2027 is Monday, Sept. 6.

How much are Butterfly Experience tickets? In 2026, general admission was $18, members paid $15 and children 3 and under got in free. Tickets are timed and sold online; door sales are extremely limited.

How do Butterfly Experience time slots work? Tickets are sold in 30-minute slots. Your slot is the window to enter the butterfly tents, and the center asks guests to arrive at least 10 minutes early. The rest of the festival is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Is the Butterfly Experience canceled for rain? No. It is a rain-or-shine event, and all ticket sales are final.

More events: things to do in Dunwoody and this month in Dunwoody.