Butterfly House to eventually move to Great Plains Zoo; merger announced
The Great Plains Zoo and Butterfly House & Aquarium are merging, the organizations announced Thursday.
The merger is effective Jan. 1, 2023, and primarily affects the boards of both organizations, which will now be known as the Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium (SFZA) Board of Directors. The board will operate the two facilities, according to a news release.
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While the zoo and butterfly house will continue to operate on their respective campuses for now, the plan is for the Butterfly House & Aquarium to occupy a space on Great Plains Zoo property by the end of 2025.
Butterfly House & Aquarium CEO Audrey Otto-Pepper said the merger would mean that her organization could operate at a larger scale, while helping to elevate the zoo's campus as well. The figure she gave for the potential size of the aquarium was 25,000 square feet — more than three times the size of what they could do in their current space.
“Once the renovation is complete, we will have one consolidated campus providing a dynamic experience that features animals from land, sea, and sky – creating a remarkable destination for our community and visitors," she said in a statement.
The two organizations had been discussing a potential partnership since late last year, although there had been few details until now about what it could mean.
“This merger is possible because of outstanding support from our community, our donors, and our partners at the City of Sioux Falls who share our vision,” Great Plains Zoo President & CEO Becky Dewitz said. “We know that we’re stronger together – and together, we will further our mission-related impact for education, conservation, and incredible animal experiences that live in our hearts for a lifetime.”
A fundraising campaign is planned for sometime in 2023 once the organizations have officially merged, and a land use master plan will be used to determine how to "build our zoo out appropriately," Dewitz said.
The zoo's campus contains 45 acres of land, much of it undeveloped, Dewitz said. And the merger isn't the only change coming to the zoo, as the press release also notes that the new lion exhibit is expected to open in 2024.
As for the Butterfly House & Aquarium's existing space, TenHaken said there was nothing to announce about a future use, but would say that "it's not going to sit dormant."
He praised both Otto-Pepper and Dewitz for working together, and said he was excited about what this partnership would bring to the city.
TenHaken, who joked he'd turned his seat heaters on as he drove to the press conference, also noted the importance of elevating attractions in the city that were useable no matter the weather.
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The Zoological Society of Sioux Falls was formed in 1957. It is currently home to more than animals from more than 120 species.
The Butterfly House & Aquarium opened in 2002 as a butterfly conservatory, adding aquariums in 2011. It is currently the only public saltwater aquarium in the Dakotas – and one of the few year-round butterfly houses in the Midwest.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Sioux Falls' Butterfly House, Great Plains Zoo to merge in 2023
