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PG Butterfly House

4.7 (24 reviews)
Open Open 24 hours

PG Butterfly House Photos

Recommended Reviews - PG Butterfly House

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Reviews With Photos

Jon R.

Fun quick stop before we headed to the 17m drive cute house, residential street parking just be respectful of the neighbors but cool house

Joyce T.

The story of this house is touching me. Please come and parking along the street without disturbing the neighbors. This is a beautiful house with beautiful story

Claire S.

Definitely a hidden gem. It was a quiet Tuesday afternoon. I love the story behind this house. It was decorated for Halloween when I went. Super pretty. Please be respectful to the neighborhood.

Robert S.

This landmark house in Pacific Grove was only a few blocks from our friend Mechelle's condo....so we decided to stop by and check it out. Definitely bright and colorful, it's one of the most photographed spots in Pacific Grove. The Pacific Grove Butterfly House has undergone two major transformations, both times by the skillfully artistic Army vet and proprietor, "J," and both in honor of his muse and true love, Sonja. Sonja had always dreamed of living in Pacific Grove, so in 1977 these newlyweds purchased a tiny cottage just a few blocks from the heart of downtown and began their new life together. In need of repair, the house was ready for its first overhaul. One fateful day, the kitchen floor collapsed under J's feet while he was doing the dishes. The structure was in such bad shape, it only took one afternoon for J to strip the house down to its frame. Undeterred, J rebuilt Sonja's dream cottage. Not too many years later, J would set out to transform their home yet again. In the early 1990s, Sonja slowly started losing her eyesight, the result of a degenerative eye disease. One day J made a painted wooden butterfly as a gift for Sonja, and they both quickly realized Sonja was able to make out the bright colors, if little else. Now their home is covered in hundreds of brightly colored wooden butterflies. The dazzling rainbow house delights visitors day and night, as colorful lights keep the butterflies shining bright after dark. This story of love and dedication is famous in the Pacific Grove area. Both J and Sonya have passed and the house has been sold to new owners, but they have maintained the colorful exterior for tourists and locals to enjoy.

Julia L.

Stumbled upon this beautiful home while trying to find new things to see and do in Monterey with the husband. The story behind this home and how it came to be is more of a love story. According to an article online, the wife was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease, resulting in becoming legally blind. However, the husband and wife learned she can still identify and perceive bright colors. And so, the labor of love began for approximately 20 years in which the husband painted and decorated this home in bright and colorful shades. As mentioned earlier, this is a HOME. This is somebody's house and clearly located within a quiet neighborhood, so please be respectful when parking your car and taking pictures. It's definitely a sight to see and I'm glad I was able to stumble upon this gem!

Shelby G.

Super cool find. The story behind this house and the butterflies is so heartfelt, what a lovely endearing story of true love from the husband for his wife. Once you know the story you won't think this is gaudy. Worth the stop. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pacific-grove-butterfly-house Listed for sale by Sotheby's two days ago, 11/10/2022 $998,000.

Eva S.

Read about this butterfly house story online and it is unbelievable about the amount of butterfly decorations. Feeling love in the air, the passion about butterfly is amazing.

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Pauline N.

I LOOOVE scanning through Google Maps for attractions/landmarks & this house was one of them. I felt so lucky finding it on the map, but it felt even more magical stepping seeing it in person! I recommend stopping by this house to give it a visit when in Monterey. It is so colorful and cheerful! My Monterey Itinerary: - Look at lazy seals sleeping on the sand near aquarium - Visit aquarium - Walk to Butterfly House & admire - Consider snacking on McDonald's and observe their "more recycle friendly than other locations" packaging - Drive to Calla Lily Valley in March to look at the lilies

Louise E.

We were supposed to go to The Butter House for lunch but put the wrong name on google map that we ended up going to this house instead. Since we're there already, we quickly took some photos. Had to google about the house when we left and learned it's sweet history. Nice house!

PG Butterfly House
Jen W.

Beautiful and creative tribute to a husbands love for his wife. Up a steep hill so be ready. It's also a private residence.

Cindy C.

4.5 stars! Beautiful house! Please be respectful of the neighborhood. Don't stay too long and pls keep noises down.

Debbie F.

Wow is all I can say! So imaginative what's been done here! Makes you smile! Right close to downtown PG.

Sammy L.

Talk about true love and dedication. The story of this house is one of the warmest and tearfully heartwarming. The owner J has dedicated his time in painting his home in bright colors for his dear wife (Sonja) who was diagnosed with an eye disease that left her partially blind, she is able to see brighter colors so he began his journey in painting their house. After her walks around the neighborhood he wanted to make sure she would be able to view it easily. When you come to visit please respect the quiet neighborhood and walk by without blocking any driveways as you park. We had no trouble finding parking around 11am on a Saturday. We spent a good 10 min admiring the house and seeing all the tireless details. Looks like they are also a huge fan of bunnies. The yellow brick road of monarch butterflies for the memorial wall is beautiful. In the sleepy town of Pacific Grove it's a very sweet sight to enjoy. We can all learn a bit from J and strive to do more for our loved ones.

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2 months ago

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15 days ago

After some discussion, they were considerate enough to refund me for the accommodations. Thank you

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8 months ago

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11 months ago

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

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10 months ago

Sweet story behind the art. Quick way of getting a nice warm feel either at beginning or end to a hike nearby.

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3 years ago

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1 year ago

It was cute and the story behind it was sweet! Very colorful, great for a quick stop!

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10 months ago

Such a nice sight to visit. Read the background and house came to be and am glad the new tenants haven't made a change to the home.

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

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6 years ago

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2 years ago

A must see when you visit Monterey, CA. Beautiful house and lots to look at! Highly recommended!

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4 years ago

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6 years ago

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Ask the Community - PG Butterfly House

Review Highlights - PG Butterfly House

Please be quiet and respectful and Do Not enter areas on the sides, just stay in front of the house.

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Aliotti's Victorian Corner Restaurant - Pictures with hot cocoa is a must

Aliotti's Victorian Corner Restaurant

4.3(798 reviews)
0.3 mi
$$
Locally owned & operated
46 years in business

What to do with that extra hour when we "fall back", especially when it is a beautiful warm…read moreNovember day? Go out to brunch down at Pacific Grove and enjoy it at a leisurely pace when there are more locals than tourists. The weather was beautiful to enjoy a flavorful corn beef hash with poached eggs and Eggs Florentine Benedict outside under the Victorian facade of the house. The food and service were excellent and so enjoyable, returned just a few months later for the crab cake benedict from their special's menu and a meatball sandwich from their lunch menu under beautiful blue skies once again. Only note is I didn't see a price for the crab cake benedict so was surprised that it was over $30 when the receipt came. But I would definitely return, just maybe not for the crab cake benedicts unless I want a splurge. This spot is definitely worthy of my 1400 review and to take my childhood friend from back East for her favorite meal, brunch, the third time dining indoors. They must be doing something right if I am here 3 times in less than 6 months.

OUTSTANDING SERVICE & FOOD. I had the Salmon special & my husband had Seafood Spaghetti…read more My salmon was cooked to perfection, the capers on top of the salmon were amazing. The vegetables were cooked perfectly with a nice crunch & grilled. My husband had Seafood Spaghetti, a nice huge portion with a lot of delicious seafood in every bite. We haven't been to Pacific Grove in years, we were very delighted with our food, service & the music in the restaurant was great.

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Aliotti's Victorian Corner Restaurant - Giving my heart to my latte!

Giving my heart to my latte!

Aliotti's Victorian Corner Restaurant - Fresh seasonal fruit cup

Fresh seasonal fruit cup

Aliotti's Victorian Corner Restaurant - Breakfast menu

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Breakfast menu

City of Pacific Grove - Ocean View Blvd scenery

City of Pacific Grove

3.6(19 reviews)
0.4 mi

What a beautiful city to visit. Filled with cute shops and places to eat. Lots of beautiful views…read moreof the ocean. Lighthouse ave has a lot of lovely restaurants and stores to check out. They have parking all down the street. We checked out the Vintage finds antique shop. They had these tiny hand painted scenes of the local area painted by a local artist. I thought they were beautiful. There is a farmers market taking place today down Forest Ave that we are going to check out. There is a lot to do any many things are close by, like Cannery Row and fisherman's warf.

We are spending a few days with our friend Mechelle in Pacific Grove. this is a cute town that has…read morea classic Main Street, USA, and has been nicknamed by some........"America's Last Hometown." With a historic downtown, beautifully curving coastline, and even a romantic spot affectionately named Lovers Point, Pacific Grove is the place to be in any season. We enjoyed the many small mom and pop businesses, boutiques, antique shops, bakeries, gourmet stores, gyms, banks and more. There's free street parking everywhere and you are almost always within blocks from the ocean...or....you can easily see if from many of the houses and street corners.... Many parks like Lover's Point and Perkins Park allow anyone to get close to the water and sit on benches overlooking the waves any time of the day... Just a breathtaking town...

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City of Pacific Grove - Lucy's on Lighthouse banana split

Lucy's on Lighthouse banana split

City of Pacific Grove - Ocean View Blvd scenery

Ocean View Blvd scenery

City of Pacific Grove - Historic homes

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Historic homes

John Denver Memorial Rock

John Denver Memorial Rock

3.9(9 reviews)
1.7 mi

We had a hard time finding this spot as the Yelp pin was in front of a house across the street…read more I almost gave up after looking near the beach side, but just as I turned around I saw it! It's very small, and very insignificant! I wasn't sure exactly what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. *sad face* The memorial is definitely weathered and had tons of rocks, shells and other misc items around it. While I still was glad I stopped to find it, and I got to see it, it made me a bit sad that it's really not much of anything. But again I don't know what I was expecting?

Admittedly, I was disappointed with this memorial. The fact that John Denver is such an icon in…read morethe mythos of Americana, is incongruous with the little rock memorial that is here. I knew I'd be coming to a rock, but the memorial was so small, dificult to locate based on my map location, and it seems like no one pays much attention to the site. I'm still glad that I came, because the walk in the surrounding park area was amazing and more than made up for the disappointment of the memorial. The coast is simply beautiful, and evokes such emotions that are truly hard to articulate. I walked along the trail here for a while up to the Beach Point Vista Point as labled on google maps. From here I was able to see whales breaching so close off the shore. I never imagined I would see this here, and I was rapt by the feeding show that was happening just before sunset. So even though the memorial itself isn't as grand as I had hoped, the immediate area is a beautiful place to stroll and enjoy the nature John Denver so fervently advocated for!

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John Denver Memorial Rock - Sun getting low - August 2025

Sun getting low - August 2025

John Denver Memorial Rock - Foggy day

Foggy day

John Denver Memorial Rock - Plaque for Henry John Deutchendirf

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Plaque for Henry John Deutchendirf

Good Old Days - Great booth

Good Old Days

4.0(6 reviews)
0.4 mi
$$

This is one of the best street fairs I've attended. It wasn't the biggest, but it did have a lot of…read morelocal vendors and organizations. As a dog owner, it was great to see 5 different dog rescue or dog advocates booths. Also plenty of music stages. It seemed every other block had a stage. The food area had a nice variety of food. Maybe next year the organizers will try to bring in some vegetarian options.(Yes there some people who had 1 vegan option). Not a complaint,but as with all street fairs. Get there early to find parking. You may have to walk a few blocks. Final thought, it was nice to see a large police presence

Nice free family themed festival. It can get really crowded and wouldn't recommend strollers…read more Lots of artists from all over, some really nice pieces available for purchase. Huge amount of vendors with all sorts of things for sale. Live Music and other entertainment through out the event on different stages. Childrens carnival area at the end of the street. Dog friendly. Everybody and their cousins bring their dogs. It's nice to see all the different breeds. Everything here is Pretty pricey but if you look really hard you might be able to find a good deal. Only 3 stars because it's so expensive most families probably can't afford much. Lots of food and drink booths. Parking is always challenging as it's primarily street parking so you have to fight for a space among the residents.

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Good Old Days
Good Old Days
Good Old Days

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Old Fisherman's Wharf - 3D printed dragons

Old Fisherman's Wharf

3.8(402 reviews)
1.4 mi

Monterey Bay is always a nice getaway. Love the wharf, even if it's touristy, but I like that vibe…read more The shops are cute to browse and get souvenirs and gifts, it's never crowded, the views are incredible, you can spot some Marine life. It has an old-school vibe which is more than OK with me. Not a lot to do, but it can be a good stop on a road trip or you can kill time if you spend the night in town.

The views are nice of the Monterey Bay and the boat harbor. Otherwise, the wharf area has become a…read morevery touristy / borderline junky collection of souvenir shops, plus a few restaurants hanging on. It feels like an area that's trying too hard to get attention and extract dollars from visitors. Dear Hubby and I normally wouldn't be visiting the wharf when in the area. Especially because I have a dear friend who lives in Carmel and knows all the best places to go from a local's perspective. We rolled in to town just as the sun was setting, and we wanted to get something simple and have a view of the water. I had Googled "clam chowder, water view" and there was a listing for the Grotto, and it was close to our hotel, so off we went. I hadn't been to the wharf in probably twenty years, and I was surprised at the transformation. I remember it as being more of a place to find / buy freshly caught fish, with a few restaurants serving tasty seafood dishes. It was more about buying and enjoying food, with only a few options for other kinds of shopping. Now it's about all the kitschy shops full of forgettable souvenirs that line the foot of the wharf. There were a number of families walking around with young kids begging and pleading for their parents to buy them stuff they didn't need. We did end up having a good meal, and the weather was pleasant with no wind or fog. That made enjoying the views out over the Bay and the boat harbor very pleasant. Paid parking is required until 8 p.m., seven days a week. I think it was $1.25 an hour. There are pay stations readily available to use with a credit / debit card to pre-pay for parking.

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Old Fisherman's Wharf - Kafe Toribashi

Kafe Toribashi

Old Fisherman's Wharf - Calamari from Fish & Chips Cafe

Calamari from Fish & Chips Cafe

Old Fisherman's Wharf

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PG Butterfly House - localflavor - Updated May 2026

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