Butterfly House opens at Airlie Gardens

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Airlie Gardens will cut the ribbon this afternoon on a long-awaited addition. The new butterfly house is home to about 300 butterflies.

The staff at Airlie says the house will be an educational tool to teach people about biodiversity. The butterfly house will be a seasonal attraction running from late April until October. The staff hopes visitors to the house will be excited about what they experience.

“You come in here, and the butterflies are all around,” Airlie Gardens Environmental Educator Matt Collogan said. “They can fly on you. They’ll land on you, and you can get up close an personal and watch them, and they’re an incredible animal, because you can see them in their different life stages.”

Collagan says he hopes people will leave with a love for butterflies and a greater knowledge of their importance.