WHITEHOUSE, Ohio — It's been a popular destination in Whitehouse for decades, but has been closed since before the pandemic.
And as of Thursday you can experience the Wheeler Farms Butterfly House once again.
Open since 2000, the attraction offers an intimate, sometimes hands-on experience with more than 800 butterflies of 20 to 30 species from Costa Rica.
Visitors can see the entire life cycle of the colorful insects, from chrysalis to full grown.
"Something that starts out this small, and can cocoon into a shell and then turn into something so colorful and magnificent. It's just an awesome thing to me," said Rachel Dudley who visited from Oregon, Ohio.
And over the years, the butterfly house has become a must-see for families and local school field trips.
"We've seen a lot of group visits and special events here. And I think it's fun, educational, it's entertaining, and it's just a great place to spend some time, some quiet time," said Christy Geha, director of operations for Wheeler Farms.
Thursday marks the first time the butterfly house has been open since 2019, as it was closed in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic, and then had to remain closed in 2022 after storms damaged the house.
"We've been coming down for years," said Karen Taylor, who brought children from her Taylor Learning Center group. "And when they shut down during covid we were a little disappointed, but we understood. So, this is our first time back, and we're excited to be here for opening day."
To kick off the season, there will be a book signing with local author Kimberly Novak this Saturday.
The butterfly house will be open Thursday through Sunday through July 30.
"I think that's what's fun about the butterfly house. It's great for kids and adults of all ages. It's entertaining, it's educational, just a really fun experience," Geha said.
To celebrate the first season open to the public in a few years, The butterfly house will hos a few food trucks in their parking lot periodically throughout the summer.
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