The Butterfly House, at Chicago's Navy Pier, provides beauty, education for visitors
CHICAGO (CBS) – They're beautiful and intriguing, but perhaps many don't know a lot about butterflies.
CBS News Chicago's Mugo Odigwe spent some time at The Butterfly House at Navy Pier to get an up close and personal look at some winged wonders.
"Butterflies have always been a symbol of serenity and grace," said Joe Rudy, expert and owner of The Butterfly House. "Because of the process they go through going from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly, they represent change and metamorphosis to people."
And visitors can be part of it all at The Butterfly House, just west of Navy Pier. Rudy loves to tell people about the symbols of the human soul.
"We want to share with people a vibe of serenity and education, inspiration and wonder," he said.
The House is made up of steel support structures with a metal steel mesh to keep the butterflies inside. An extra layer of shade cloth diffuses light. Rudy said it took two years of hard work to get everything just right.
"It took a long time to plan and to get all the pieces rolling and coming together," he said. "And we wanted to make sure we had the most incredible plants and butterflies to share with everybody."
There are butterflies from all over the world. They started our delivered in boxes as a chrysalis, housed in a special room until they were ready for prime time.
Then, they were put in special mesh boxes and brought to the "Big Room" to meet their fans.
"They just hatched, so these are from Costa Rica," Rudy told a small crowd of visitors. "He's going to explore a bit."
Rudy added that there was no substitute for being able to see a butterfly up close, just ask 11-year-old Jessica.
"I really like looking at them," she said. "I like the pretty colors and how [they fly] around everywhere."
The visitors learn some fun facts while at The Butterfly House.
Butterflies "taste" with their feet and they don't have mouths. Their food comes from plants and they "sip" it through a long straw-like part called a proboscis. Visitors get to help serve them at feeding time.
Rudy showed some kids how to use feeding swabs to serve the food to the butterflies.
"Go really, really slowly up to the butterfly's nose so he can smell the nectar on here," he told them.
Rudy said he's loved nature since he was a kid, growing up in rural central Illinois. He majored in fine arts and business at DePaul University, then decided it was time to "fly."
"It's always been a dream to be able to open a live Butterfly House exhibit," he said. "I think that's where the magic really is, in educating and sharing with people."
He added, "When people see nature up close, it's so important because it really helps them connect with nature and hopefully want to work to help conserve and protect the nature that's left out there."
Navy Pier's Erika Taylor said that will all of the pier's outdoor beauty, The Butterfly House is a great fit.
"It's perfect for all ages," Taylor said. "Come in. It's a beautiful, serene moment, observe the butterflies. Hopefully one will land on you."
And visitors just might get a surprise.
"These guys are all mating," Rudy said.
Reporter: "Is that what's happening?"
Rudy: "When they're tail to tail like that. Yup."
Rudy said that in ancient Greek, the word for "human soul" is "psyche." It's also the word used for "butterfly."
To learn more about The Butterfly House at Navy Pier, including hours, visit NavyPier.org.
