THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE
+ THE GREAT MAIZE MAZE | BUTTERFLY RELEASES | PYO SPRAYFREE SWEETCORN | PYO DAHLIAS AND ZINNIAS | BOUNCY CASTLES | BUNNY CUDDLES | WATERMELON
OUR VISION
Our vision for The Butterfly House is to create a captivating sanctuary that embodies both education and conservation. Our mission is to create an environment where visitors of all ages can connect with the beauty, diversity, and importance of these delicate creatures - guided by the principles of kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and manaakitanga (hospitality and care).
Drawing on the concept of ako, (sharing of knowledge) The Butterfly House will provide a nurturing environment where individuals can learn about life cycles, behaviour and the importance of monarch butterflies in a hands on and immersive environment. We aspire to teach our community about the critical role these butterflies play in pollination and our ecosystem, while empowering our visitors to take action in protecting and sustaining these remarkable creatures for generations to come.
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OUR GENERAL OPEN HOURS
NO BOOKING IS REQUIRED, BUT PLEASE KEEP AN EYE ON OUR SOCIALS IN REGARDS TO POOR WEATHER – WE WILL BE OPEN FOR SMALL AMOUNTS OF RAIN, BUT CLOSED ON HEAVY RAIN DAYS.
Monday - 9.00am - 4.00pm (last entrance 3.30pm)
Tuesday - CLOSED
Wednesday - 9.00am - 4.00pm (last entrance 3.30pm)
Thursday - 9.00am - 4.00pm (last entrance 3.30pm)
Friday (Doggy Friday) - 9.00am - 8.00pm (sunset)
Saturday - 9.00am - 8.00pm (sunset)
Sunday - 9.00am - 8.00pm (sunset)
THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE
Immerse yourself in a world of vibrant colour, tranquility, and wonder as you step into our beautiful butterfly sanctuary. The Butterfly House at Franklin Farm was created to support the endangered monarch butterfly species and provide a unique, educational experience for all ages. By visiting, you’re not only enjoying a magical space but also supporting vital conservation efforts that help preserve these iconic pollinators.
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What to Expect:
Our Butterfly House is designed to let you experience the delicate beauty of monarch butterflies up close as they flutter through our environment. Alongside monarchs, you’ll find informational displays to learn more about their life cycle, the environmental challenges they face, and the regenerative practices we use here at Franklin Farm to support their habitat. You'll find the red admiral also - our native butterfly that was extinct in the Auckland area up until 2024. You'll also find a fields of flowers, a huge maize maze, bouncy castles, a grassy picnic area and pick your own sprayfree sweetcorn (at an additional cost).
PYO DAHLIAS & ZINNIAS
Pick Your Own Dahlias & Zinnias – New This Season!
We’re thrilled to introduce Pick Your Own dahlias and zinnias at The Butterfly House for the very first time! These vibrant, colourful blooms are a beautiful addition to our gardens and attract and feed our butterflies.
You’re welcome to walk amongst the flowers, take photos, and enjoy the scenery at no extra cost. It’s the perfect spot to slow down, snap a few memories, and watch the butterflies in action.
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If you’d like to pick your own flowers to take home, this is available for an additional charge. Just chat to our team when you arrive. Picking is completely optional, and flower availability can vary depending on a variety of reasons, so keep an eye on our social media for updates!
THE GREAT MAIZE MAZE
Included free with your Butterfly House ticket, our maze in the maize is a twisty, turny adventure perfect for kids, grown-ups, and anyone who’s up for a bit of wholesome, farm-style fun. Whether you’re racing to beat your friends to the finish, or just soaking in the scenery with the kids, there’s plenty of giggles (and maybe a few wrong turns) waiting around every corner.
We’ve kept it friendly and family-sized, just long enough to be exciting, but short enough to not lose Nana. Along the way, keep your eyes peeled for scavenger hunt clues, and maybe even a few fluttering friends who’ve strayed over from the butterfly house.
So grab your sense of direction (or not), and head into the maze, it’s all part of the experience here at Franklin Farm!
PYO SPRAYFREE SWEETCORN
At Franklin Farm, we've done the hard work for you - our corn is nurtured without the use of harmful pesticides or chemicals, and hand weeded to prevent the use of herbicides and plastic ground covers. We plant our corn early to beat the caterpillars too, but don't be surprised if the odd one has snuck in! We like to think the potential of finding a caterpillar is better than using harsh sprays.
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Once you’ve tried our corn, you’ll never be able to settle for mass-produced, chemically-treated corn that has spent weeks sitting on the shelves. As sweetcorn ages, the natural sugars in the corn become starchy, and the corn becomes less sweet. This is why picking your own guarantees freshness.
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You can pick your own sprayfree sweetcorn straight from the field, for only $2 each, or 6 for $10. This will only be available for a limited time (until sold out), and picking dates will be updated on our socials. This experience is only available for those visiting our Butterfly House, and we will not have a seperate entry price for those who want to come just to pick corn.
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PS - When it's this fresh, you can take it home and eat it raw!
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BUTTERFLY RELEASES
There’s something truly magical about the gentle release of monarch butterflies, a symbol of love, hope, and new beginnings. We hold regular public releases at the Butterfly House (keep an eye on our socials for dates), and also offer butterflies for private occasions such as weddings, funerals, and other celebrations of life.
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Butterflies are available to purchase in a minimum of 10, for pickup only, and available as our breeding allows. Please reach out to us to discuss availability and how we can help make your moment unforgettable.
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FARM GROWN WATERMELON
Our farm-grown watermelons are a seasonal treat, available fresh during summer (roughly mid January). Each juicy melon is picked at peak ripeness by our experienced team, because once watermelons are harvested, they don’t continue to ripen like some other fruits.
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We don’t offer 'pick your own' options with watermelons. Watermelons are tricky - you can’t just grab one early and hope it ripens later. That’s why we leave the picking in the hands of our skilled staff, to guarantee you get the sweetest, highest-quality melon.
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Our watermelons are available for a short season only, so please check out our socials to see when they're ready!
BUNNY CUDDLES
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As part of your Butterfly House experience, you’ll also get the chance to meet and cuddle our fluffy bunnies. Find the bunny cuddle area at the end of the path.
It’s all included in your ticket — a little extra magic (and cuteness) to make your visit even more special.
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​​​​​BUTTERFLY HOUSE RULES & ETIQUETTE
To protect our butterflies and ensure everyone enjoys their visit, please observe these simple rules:​
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Please follow instructions inside the butterfly house on holding a monarch safely.
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You are welcome to hold a butterfly, but first please ensure your hands are free from sunscreen, perfume, moisturisers, hand sanitisers and food. Please do not touch or handle the eggs, caterpillars or chrysalises. Please do not touch any newly eclosed butterflies that are drying their wings. (these ones will be hanging from an empty chrysalis.
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Children must be supervised by an adult at all times. There is stinging nettle in the butterfly house, do not touch this under any circumstance (it will seriously hurt) - it is food for our red admiral caterpillar - butterfly.
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Children aged under 5 should observe butterflies rather than try hold one. The butterflies have 'tickly' feet that can startle or upset young children, as well as risk the healthy and safety of our butterflies.
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Do not bring any food, drink (other than water) inside the butterfly house. You are welcome to enjoy a picnic on our lawn afterwards. No dogs are allowed, other than guide dogs.
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Please respect the butterflies food source, and do not pick the flowers.
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Be mindful of the butterflies and other visitors, please maintain a quiet, calm environment. Move slowly and calmly to not startle the butterflies.
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Please stick to the pathways, and do not walk in the garden. Follow any additional instructions provided by staff or signage.
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Exit through designated areas only and close doors behind you. This prevents butterflies escaping and prevents wasps coming in to kill all our caterpillars and butterflies.
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Take lots of photos and videos, and please remember to tag us too!
BACKGROUND
The Butterfly House is a new initiative at Franklin Farm, born from our passion for sustainability and dedication to protecting local biodiversity. We've noticed the decline of Monarchs in our sunflower fields, and decided to do something about it, and thus the Butterfly House project was born!
We’re more than just The Butterfly House; we’re part of an educational movement that teaches the next generation about regenerative practices, the importance of pollinators, and sustainable practices that benefit the environment. As you explore, you’re part of this story too!
Thank you for visiting and helping us in our mission to support the monarch butterfly. We hope your time here is both inspiring and memorable.