Top 5 Bug Museums
A museum conservator’s worst nightmare isn’t men in ski masks, disorderly visitors or even climate change. Rather, it’s bugs.
Bugs may be creepy or repulsive to some, but the insects that make up our planet’s insect kingdom play a vital role in our ecosystems. Whether they’re pollinating flowers, devouring garbage or fighting disease, these tiny creatures are all around us. And, though many of them are small and unobtrusive, they can also be quite beautiful and fascinating.
So, if you want to learn more about the world of insects, consider visiting one of these bug museums that offer a fun and educational experience.
Located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Harrell House began as a mall kiosk where Wade Harrell sold nature and science toys, but it has since expanded into a gallery that houses more than 2,400 mounted insects from around the world. It also hosts live critters including spiders, scorpions and millipedes. The exhibit is also home to the Crawlywood Collection, which features wooden structures where visitors can touch and hold some of the less-aggressive bugs.
The museum’s founder traveled the globe for 80 years, collecting specimens from locations like Africa and South America before settling in its current location. As a result, the collection boasts a diverse array of species from across the world, and it is one of the largest collections in the country.
In addition to the dazzling number of insects, visitors will find exhibits that showcase how humans have used insects throughout history. For instance, a display of green metallic beetle wings shows how Victorian fashion designers used insect wing embroidery to embellish garments. Another display highlights how artists in Yucatan bedazzle beetles with gems while they’re still alive, turning them into living brooches.
The Museum of Natural History has one of the world’s largest insect and arachnid collections. Its collections are used for original research on the taxonomy, life history, geography and evolutionary histories of insects and other myriapods, with significant holdings in medically and agriculturally important species.
Visitors can walk through the museum’s recreated Sonoran Desert, Mangrove Swamp and Tropical Rainforest to observe more than 300 live insects. If you time your visit right, you can also watch tarantula feeding demonstrations. For more details please visit insect museum montreal
This is the perfect place to take a child for a hands-on insect exploration. Kids will love discovering the differences between say, a praying mantis and a daddy longlegs. They’ll also be able to see how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly or how beetles are used for food, clothing and medicines.
Visitors will be enchanted from the moment they cruise past Herkimer, the museum’s trademark giant Hercules beetle that greets them as they enter. Afterwards, they’ll be captivated by case after case of meticulously preserved insects. They’ll even have the opportunity to explore a “living insect garden” where they can observe leaf-cutter ants gathering up pieces of blackberry bramble to build their colony’s fungal food. The museum’s bugarium is a must-see for insect enthusiasts of all ages.