Put In Bay's Butterfly House

Put In Bay on South Bass Island in Ohio was a big part of my childhood and the place where I met my husband. I made pizza and he drove the old cabs--but that was a whole generation ago. Lots of things have come and gone but one that I hope is here to stay for a long time is the Butterfly House at Perry's Cave. It's always a treat and on our last visit, it was extraordinary.


It is a 4,000 square foot aviary, nicely landscaped and filled with hundreds of butterflies of all sizes and colors. There are at least 50 different varieties. The younger kids usually let out a squeal when they first enter. It is fascinating to see so many butterflies in one place.


Lots of walkways take you past beautiful flowering plants and bushes. At any given time there are about 900 butterflies, the attendant told us, with about 200 new ones being released each week of the season.


If you wear bright colored clothing or like one lady, carry a shocking pink tote bag, you will end up with hitchhikers. The butterflies are attracted to the bright colors.


We visited the Butterfly House with our granddaughter who loves to hatch butterflies during the summer. She and her mom plant milkweed and flowers known to attract butterflies and when they find caterpillars, they put them inside a hatchery that keeps them safe from the backyard birds. They feed them and watch the miraculous transformation as the caterpillars form their cocoon and eventually emerge as a butterfly. Needless to say, she thoroughly enjoyed lingering in the Butterfly House.

[A heads up for those of you close to this area or wanting to travel to it soon: There is a big celebration of the anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie with a reenactment to happen in early September. Check it out at the Bicentennial website.]