Nestled in the heart of Pacific Grove, a small town in Northern California known for its monarch butterfly grove, you will find a beautiful gem, the Butterfly House.
I was excited to take my family to view this beautiful private residence that has been transformed with colorful handcrafted butterflies of all shapes, colors, and sizes. As I researched further into the story behind Butterfly House, I discovered a story equally as beautiful as the house itself. The love story that inspired the Butterfly House, is a true labour of love by Army vet and proprietor, “J,” in honor of his muse and true love, Sonja. According to Roadside America, the couple married in 1976 and bought the coastal cottage in 1977. About 20 years ago, Sonja’s sight was becoming impaired due to an eye disease. But she could still see bright colored objects, so J began bringing her artwork butterflies. In the 1990s he started to attach butterfly sculptures and art to the front of the house (a neighborhood passerby told us that the intent was to help Sonja easily spot her home if she was out for a walk).
Here are my daughter in front of the Butterflies of Hope Memorial Wall runs along one side of the house, covered with butterflies representing charitable donations to the Blind & Visually Impaired Center of Monterey County.
Our stop at the Pacific Grove Butterfly House was a magical way to start our day.
