It’s March, and spring is officially here, and in typical Midwest fashion, the weather hasn’t seemed to have gotten the memo. The pendulum keeps swinging every few days from snow flurries to temps near 70 degrees. I’m ready for the warmer days to hang around and for the sun to shine so I can get out into my garden and enjoy more time outdoors.

In the spirit of hoping to usher in spring, I recently visited the Butterfly House at Faust Park in Chesterfield, near St. Louis. The Butterfly House is basically a big conservatory filled with tropical plants and flowers, and as the name would suggest, thousands of butterflies. We visited for my sister’s birthday, and the day we went it was in the 30s and windy, so being in a warm, tropical environment was a welcome change.

There’s also a gift shop and educational space inside the Butterfly House, and the shop carries all things butterfly and botanical. I was particularly drawn to the books on gardening, botanical infused cocktails, and botanical syrups (I foresee some botanical mocktails this summer).

Of course, the main reason most people visit is for the conservatory, which is a magical place with brightly colored butterflies fluttering everywhere, along with lush green plants, tropical flowers, and a water feature. If you’re in the St. Louis area, I recommend taking a visit to the Butterfly House.