The Little-Known Garden In Iowa Where, If You’re Patient Enough, You Can Hold Butterflies

When spring and summer fall over Iowa, the skies come alive with small visitors, and some are more welcome than others! Is there any more beautiful insect out there than the butterfly? These gentle, fragile, nectar-soaking bugs are like little works of art. They're completely harmless, and even friendly - if you hang out around them long enough, you might even be lucky enough to have one land on you! This is especially likely if you're spending time in a butterfly garden in Iowa. While there are plenty of large butterfly gardens in botanical gardens around the Hawkeye State, there's also a secret butterfly garden hiding in the small city of Knoxville. Established in 1994 and inspired by a woman who died at age 101 in the same hospital that now hosts the garden, the Bessie Spaur Butterfly Garden is a small public green space that is open for anyone to visit - and it's a beautiful, peaceful retreat often filled with butterflies.

Knoxville's main hospital is a place of healing, and for those who find healing in nature, there is a unique spot located on the grounds.

The Bessie Spaur Butterfly Garden is a hidden sanctuary, filled with unique decor and plants designed to attract the delicate insects.

It's like a mini-park on the grounds, and you can walk the trails for as long as you like, free of charge.

The flowers planted here were chosen as those to which butterflies are particularly attracted, so keep an eye out for movement!

Depending on which species are active at any given time, you just might see them delicately flitting from flower to flower.

Of course, the best time to see butterflies is during a major migration. Be patient, and you might be lucky and have one land on you.

It's the perfect peaceful spot to unwind after a long day and one of Knoxville's best hidden gems.

Have you visited the Bessie Spaur Butterfly Garden in Knoxville? Tell us about your visit to this hidden butterfly garden in Iowa in the comments section! You can find out more about the Bessie Spaur Butterfly Garden on its official Facebook page. While you're in Knoxville, don't miss this unique and beautiful beach.