Emotional send-off: Watch the last butterfly release at the Butterfly Estates in Fort Myers

Mark H. Bickel, Fort Myers News-Press
·1 min read

How do you say good-bye to a bunch of butterflies?

You let them flutter around their butterfly house one last time. That's what happened on Friday (July 28) at The Butterfly Estates in downtown Fort Myers. The News-Press and Naples Daily News visual journalist Andrew West was on site to capture the moment, which was emotional for some.

The Butterfly Estates has been the home of the Florida Native Butterfly Society since 2009. The news of butterfly house closing was posted on the society's Facebook page on July 29.

"It is with great sadness that we close our doors tomorrow 7/28/23 at 2pm. We want to thank our customers for their support over the years. Butterflies & Staff will miss you."

The property was sold and the new owners have no intention of continuing operating the butterfly attraction.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Fort Myers butterfly estates closing after property sold