butterfly house

Have You Even Been to a Butterfly House?

Blue butterfly

@JudyEv (382412)

Rockingham, Australia

November 6, 2015 3:34am CST

We left Northern Ireland, spent a few days with our son then went off touring again. We wanted to visit a butterfly house near Straffan in Co. Kildare. As it was getting late in the afternoon, we were looking for somewhere to free-camp for the night then we'd visit the butterfly house the next day. But then we suddenly came across it. We decided to ask the proprietor if we could park in the car park for the night. She was very obliging and told us to use the toilets and barbecue area if we wanted to. Another random act of kindness to add to the many we encountered. Next morning we went through the 'house' which was a large area, lavishly planted with all sorts of plants and flowers. It was quite hot and very humid which is what it needs to be for butterflies. The humidity kept fogging up our cameras but we managed to get some nice photos. The butterflies were going about their daily business all around us. Some were feasting on flowers; others on the fruit which was laid out for them. They were hard to photograph because, as soon as they landed, they folded their wings and weren't nearly as beautiful. In the room connected to the butterfly house were display cabinets with various creepy crawlies and a lot of information about the various exhibits. The woman and her husband had run the attraction for over 30 years. It closed a few months after we visited as she said she hadn't had a holiday for years and she was missing out on seeing her grandchildren grow up. So we thought ourselves very lucky to be able to enjoy the butterfly house.

Butterfly House, Straffan

I created this video with the YouTube Slideshow Creator (http://www.youtube.com/upload)

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26 responses

@valmnz (17095)

• New Zealand

7 Nov 15

I went to a small butterfly house up in Auckland a few years ago, what an amazing experience! I have no idea whether or nt it still exists

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@valmnz (17095)

• New Zealand

7 Nov 15

@JudyEv we're all the same - you can't do everything!

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@troyburns (1405)

• New Zealand

7 Nov 15

@valmnz - I don't know if you mean Butterfly Creek Val - it's still there but it's not small. Maybe it was when you visited though.

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Nov 15

There are all sorts of attractions that I seem to miss - both local and elsewhere.

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@Rosekitty (19368)

• San Marcos, Texas

7 Nov 15

they have them here at the Nature center and i enjoyed it so much that i planted more butterfly attracting plants and now have a similar experience in my own yard!

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@Rosekitty (19368)

• San Marcos, Texas

7 Nov 15

@JudyEv and the monarchs are a plenty here right now

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@Rosekitty (19368)

• San Marcos, Texas

7 Nov 15

@JudyEv here is Texas usa

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Nov 15

What a lovely idea. It would be nice to have lots of butterflies in the garden.

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@sofssu (23660)

•

6 Nov 15

That is so sad isn't it. I love watching butterflies.. they are so soothing to the soul.

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@sofssu (23660)

•

7 Nov 15

@JudyEv Maybe they haven't found the right people willing to spend the time and effort to run the place.

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Nov 15

@sofssu That could well be. The butterfly house is in their backyard so perhaps they don't want to sell the house either.

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Nov 15

It is a pity they couldn't have handed it on to someone else to run.

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@simone10 (54180)

• Louisville, Kentucky

6 Nov 15

I've never been to a butterfly house but would love to. I bet it was so beautiful with butterflies all around you.

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@simone10 (54180)

• Louisville, Kentucky

8 Nov 15

@JudyEv How wonderful! Like you said, I imagine they are hard to take pictures of.

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Nov 15

They were right in your face at times. Then they'd land on a piece of mango or peach and you could see them feeding.

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@xFiacre (14796)

• Ireland

6 Nov 15

@judyev There's another butterfly house between Belfast and Newcastle - expensive and small but quite intriguing..

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

6 Nov 15

I must have missed that one. Your comment threw me for a moment because there is a Newcastle in the eastern states. So many of our place names originated in the UK or Ireland. We live in Donnybrook and there are two more in Australia and a suburb in Dublin all called Donnybrook.

@xFiacre (14796)

• Ireland

6 Nov 15

@JudyEv and I've just been visiting a woman in Donnybrook St in Belfast!

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Nov 15

@xFiacre How about that? Donnybrook in Dublin is a relatively well-to-do suburb. Damian drove us through it. There were some very nice homes in the area. There is also a Bonnybrook somewhere there too.

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@Auntylou (4262)

• Oxford, England

7 Nov 15

Nice slideshow. As you say they are hard to catch with their wings spread, outdoors they are even harder and there are far fewer than when I was young

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Nov 15

Glad you liked the slideshow. The blue ones really stood out against the plants.

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@Rollo1 (16676)

• Boston, Massachusetts

6 Nov 15

I remember when The Boy went on a field trip with his school to a butterfly house. He was insistent on having something yellow or red to wear as they said those were the favorite colors of butterflies. It was so cute. He loved it, but he was so little then. I think it's much better to experience it when you are old enough to remember it.

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Nov 15

Soon I'll be old enough to forget it again. But you're right. We've taken our kids to see stuff but they have little recollection of some of the visits.

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@snowy22315 (209129)

• United States

12 Dec 15

I haven't been to a butterfly house it sounds awesome. I have been in rainforest environments though like at the zoo. They are fun to visit and give you the look and feel of he rainforest.

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

12 Dec 15

That would be interesting too. Did you find them hot and steamy?

@slund2041 (3314)

• United States

7 Nov 15

I have never been to a butterfly house, but it does sound like something I would love. I love butterflies so much.

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@slund2041 (3314)

• United States

7 Nov 15

@JudyEv I bet it was something to see, and would love to visit one one day.

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Nov 15

It was the first one I had been to too.

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

8 Nov 15

@slund2041 It seems there are a few around judging by the comments.

@LadyDuck (502729)

• Italy

6 Nov 15

They had installed a butterfly house inside our main mall last Spring. I enjoyed watching the living butterflies. I remember that some of them escaped and it was hard to get them back to the house. Very nice slideshow Judy.

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Nov 15

We accidentally let one out while we were there. They caught it easily enough. They said they would die outside as it was too cold for them.

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@mom210 (9170)

• United States

11 Nov 15

Oh yes, we have a great one about 2 hours away and make sure we take the kids about every other year. We all love it.

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 Nov 15

I'd never been to one before and found it really fascinating. You could really get close and watch them feeding on the fruit that was placed here and there.

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@boiboing (13147)

• Northampton, England

6 Nov 15

There's a very good one in Stratford on Avon and I've also been to one in Puerto Maldonado in the Peruvian rain forest.

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Nov 15

I should imagine the one in the rain forest would be pretty spectacular.

@boiboing (13147)

• Northampton, England

7 Nov 15

@JudyEv surprisingly not that much more impressive than the one in the Cotswolds. Both are excellent.

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

8 Nov 15

@boiboing I would have expected the Peruvian one to have had bigger and more colourful butterflies.

@PainsOnSlate (21845)

• Canada

14 Nov 15

Again I loved your photos. There is a Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls, Ontario that is awesome. I've been there a few times with friends and family. Its a great way to spend a day. My dad the last time he visited me here in Canada, we made sure he got to see it. He was delighted. He didn't move very fast and often was covered with butterflies just resting on his shoulders and arms.

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Nov 15

I can imagine your Dad enjoying his visit. My mother would have loved something like that too.

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ElizabethWallace

@ElizabethWallace (12069)

• United States

6 Nov 15

I have been to one on an island in the Caribbean. I plan on visiting more of them in the future, and taking pictures. Wish me luck.

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ElizabethWallace

@ElizabethWallace (12069)

• United States

7 Nov 15

@JudyEv It didn't when I was in the Caribbean. I think it depends upon the location and season.

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Nov 15

I should imagine the butterflies in the Caribbean would be very bold and colourful. I wonder if your lens will fog up like ours did.

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@Jessicalynnt (50523)

• Centralia, Missouri

7 Nov 15

I loved the very first one, the blue was amazing!

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Nov 15

Of all the colours the blue ones really seemed to stand out.

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@Dragonairy1 (1722)

• Newcastle Upon Tyne, England

7 Nov 15

Lovely butterflies, I think I went to one when I was a child but I don't really remember it. I learnt on Autumnwatch (a uk nature show) just tonight that butterflies are dull underneath so if they hibernate they can hide

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Nov 15

Some we saw had markings like big eyes on their wings to deter predators.

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@intal_carl (299)

• Quezon City, Philippines

6 Nov 15

Yes, I truly enjoy because they are very colorful when they are flying.

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Nov 15

I would think the Philippines would have some very lovely butterflies too.

@fawkes62 (1276)

• United States

9 Nov 15

I've been to one place that sounds similar to that. It was fun to get to see so many different butterflies that I will probably never get a chance to see in nature. It was rather warm and humid there too, but it was similar to their natural habitat. The lady there said that they are busy in the winter when it gets below freezing out.

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

9 Nov 15

We arrived just after closing time. The lady would have let us in but said the butterflies had all 'gone to bed'.

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@vickyrose (2236)

• Cooma, Australia

7 Nov 15

That's beautiful, Judy. I have visited a butterfly park and yes, its very humid inside.

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Nov 15

For some reason, I hadn't thought about it needing to be hot and damp.

@Kazemononoke (248)

• United States

6 Nov 15

I would love to see a butterfly house. However, I would hate to accidentally step on one, and knowing my luck, I would.

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@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Nov 15

I don't recall seeing too many on the ground. There was a narrow gravel path winding through the little garden. There weren't many there when we were there so it was easy to avoid any 'accidents'.