Butterfly Haven to open soon in Pingree
A new butterfly Haven is coming to the area. A family in Pingree is getting ready to open up shop soon.
The Butterfly Haven will have a gift shop along with the butterfly greenhouses.
It will be home to 400 butterflies – all species native to Idaho.
“It’s something that I’ve had in my mind for about 15 years and, as business is getting a little bit harder, we decided it’s time that if we’re going to do it, to try it,” said Randy Reed, owner of The Butterfly Haven. “I’ve always liked butterflies. I’ve always raised butterflies and bees, I’ve always been interested in it so it just fits into what I like.”
You walk in and it’s butterflies all around you, sometimes even on you.
“I think they’re pretty cool,” said Sarah Lott, Reed’s daughter. “I like being out around on picnics and things and see them flying around me. And as you can see, they’re flying around me in here. It’s kind of fun. We come in here and we start doing work and you notice yourself watching them or one lands on you and you’re like this and ‘oh cool.’ So it’s pretty fun.”
There’s also a lot of beautiful plants – some that are native to Idaho, some are not. But all plants are either a host plant for caterpillars to transform or they are a nectar source for the butterflies.
You can also find other sets of wings inside like colorful canaries.
“They’re real popular back East, there’s a lot of them there,” Reed said. “There’s a couple of small ones locally – there’s one in Boise and one in SLC. But this is the largest one in the area.”
“I think it will be good and educational and fun,” Lott said. “I think kids will love it. My kids absolutely love it.”
“We’re way excited,” Reed said. “We can hardly wait to get it open.”
They hope to have the haven open by the first of July. It will be open Monday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Admission is $9 for adults, children 4-12 are $7, children under 3 are free, seniors are $8. A family of four is $28.
There are also special rates available for large groups or school groups.
More info about The Butterfly Haven can be found on its Facebook page.
