Last spring, Eden Park's Krohn Conservatory kicked off its annual spring butterfly show Butterflies of Bali, but due to the rising pandemic, the show was ultimately cut short.
Over the summer and fall, the greenhouse teetered between open and closed to the public, eventually closing for an extended period of time around Thanksgiving when COVID-19 cases began to surge.
But now, several long months later, Krohn has announced its May reopening, welcoming folks back to the conservatory with its 25th butterfly show and reboot of its Butterflies of Bali show, which Krohn Conservatory manager Mark House describes as "stunningly beautiful."
"It's because we had a real good dry run last year," House tells CityBeat, chuckling. "We practiced it, so it's really nice. We've tweaked it and made some improvements. And we got some wonderful things planned for the future."
Butterflies of Bali will feature 120,000 fluttering butterflies and is inspired by the country's vibrant forests, rice paddies beautiful beaches and lakes.
Because the show will operate with at a reduced capacity, it will be twice as long this year, running from May 8 through Sept. 26 in order to accommodate all of its prospective guests. The conservatory has also extended the event's hours past its typical 5 p.m. closure, welcoming guests from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. House says they will only let 40 visitors in per hour, making for a comparatively unique and intimate experience with the show.
Tickets must be reserved and purchased online before attending the show. Tickets cost $10 for adults, $7 for guests aged 5-17 years old and free for children ages 4 and under.
Over the course of the conservatory's closure, Krohn began selling the plants that would typically premiere in its seasonal shows with a weekly series. The plant sales were so successful they will be creating an online sale platform for the greenhouse's gift shop — which will include live plants.
For more info, visit cincinnatiparks.com/krohn.
