History: In 1970, the property was given to Southwest Harbor in memory of Charlotte Rhoades who had owned it from the 1950s, to be used as a quiet park for children and their parents.
Bruce John Riddell, a Maine landscape architect, offered to create a plan for a butterfly garden in 1996. His design included perennials, annuals, and shrubs that are butterfly host plants suggestive of butterfly wings. The Butterfly Garden was officially opened as Charlotte Rhoades Park in June 1998. A new butterfly education center was opened in 2019.
Highlights of Garden: The path that winds through the garden is four feet wide and made of crushed stone that allows access for wheelchairs. Signs are posted throughout the garden describing the plants and the butterflies that you may see.
Picnic tables encourage bringing a lunch to enjoy the view. A restroom is available when the education building is open.
Many different butterflies call the gardens home, including the always popular Monarchs.
Plants in the garden are larval or nectaring. They either provide food for caterpillars or butterflies. The plants include shrubs, trees, annual and perennial flowering plants, and herbs that will invite pollinators, including butterflies, hummingbirds and bees.
Events & Programs: Check out the Event Calendar for the latest information about what is happening. The Charlotte Rhoades Park & Butterfly Garden allows weddings with advance reservations and permission from mid-June through early October. The request form is available on the website. Please call for other types of gatherings.
Tours; Tours of the garden are self-guided. However, Master Gardeners who serve as docents are often on hand to provide additional information and to point out things of special interest. On Thursday mornings from mid-April to mid-October, volunteers are on hand from 9:30-11:30 am.
Season/Hours of Operation: The Charlotte Rhoades Park & Butterfly Garden is open mid-May to mid-October from dawn to dusk.
Admission Fees: The suggested donation is $5 per family and a donation box is located at the entrance to the park and garden.
