Insectarium

I don't know who was more excited about going to the Insectarium, me or the monkeys. We just missed its opening on our last trip to Nola two years ago, and I have been anxious to get back and check it out ever since.

It did not disappoint.



Right from the start there are lots of colorful creatures, including giant hissing cockroaches.



And yes, you can even pet them if you want.



The kids absolutely loved the gaint ant house where you could watch as the ants cut leaves and carried them all the way home. There was a close up of each "room" and you could even see their waste disposal system. Very cool.

There was also an Underground Gallery where you "shrink" to the size of a bug and see the world from their perspective. It was really creepy and fun.

Of course my favorite stop was the Bug Appetit cooking show where you could watch a chef cook up bug dishes and then eat them. I have to say that chocolate covered crickets are pretty tasty! We all tried at least one bug and got a "I ate a bug" stamp on our hands. (They also have a cafe that sells the usual sandwiches, ice cream, etc. if bugs aren't your thing.)


After eating bugs, you can go to a movie. It's an animated feature voiced by Jay Leno and it's really cute. The seats move and poke you and the railings squirt you throughout the show. Of course we didn't know that until it happened and it was hilarious.

My next favorite area was the Hall of Fame where they had beautiful displays of beetles, butterflies, and things I'd never heard of. I could have spent hours there.



The final exhibit is the Butterflies in Flight where you can walk among hundreds of butterflies. You can't technically touch them, but you can try and get them to land on you.



Be forewarned that the exit from the butterflies leads directly into the gift shop. That was probably my only complaint!

I highly recommend that you check out the Insectarium on your next visit, even if you don't have kids. The cost is $15 for adults and $10 for kids. You can see the rest of my pictures here.