I’m sharing our visit to a special place in Namhae where you can connect with nature in the forest:
the Butterfly Ecology Hall at Namhae Healing Forest Town.
Namhae is famous for its blue sea, but this spot is a nature learning destination in the forest,
and I truly recommend it for a family trip with kids.
Namhae Healing Forest Town: Healing and Learning in Nature
Namhae Healing Forest Town is a renewed version of the former butterfly ecology park, reborn as a forest complex that combines nature retreats with educational experiences.
- Location: 562-23 Geumam-ro, Samdong-myeon, Namhae-gun, South Gyeongsang
- Hours: summer (March to October) 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., winter (November to February) 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Closed: every Tuesday
It has a butterfly ecology hall, a children’s forest experience area, a native plant garden, a cypress forest trail and other spaces to fully enjoy nature.
Walking along the forest in air full of phytoncides, you can feel your mind getting lighter over the day.
Butterfly Ecology Hall: Learning in Living Nature
The heart and most popular spot of Namhae Healing Forest Town is the Butterfly Ecology Hall.
As Korea’s first butterfly theme park where you can see live butterflies all year,
it amazes adults as much as kids with the wonders of nature.
Exhibition Halls 1 and 2
- In Hall 1, you can see the butterfly
life cycle (egg, caterpillar, pupa, butterfly), more than 1,000 butterfly specimens and how insect specimens are made.
The fact that only 2% of butterflies survive to adulthood really stuck with me.
- Hall 2 teaches about forest insects and the importance of protecting ecosystems, with programs such as a media art room and insect necklace making.
Butterfly greenhouse, a paradise of live butterflies
The most moving place was the butterfly greenhouse.
Temperature and humidity are kept steady, so butterflies fly around all year.
Walking through the garden-like space, butterflies drift between the flowers and come close enough to almost touch.
It’s a living nature lesson for kids and a soothing moment for adults.
After the Butterfly Ecology Hall, I recommend continuing onto the cypress forest trail.
The 1.3 km path has wonderfully clean air and a deep scent.
Walking slowly along the phytoncide-filled trail, you feel refreshed in body and mind.
The Butterfly Ecology Hall at Namhae Healing Forest Town
isn’t just a tourist spot but a place to learn about and feel nature.
Time with nature in a quiet forest, away from city noise,
will be an unforgettable memory for adults and kids alike.
Prices, hours and details in this post are from our visit in October 2025 and may have changed, so check the latest information before you go.