Our Exhibits
Bug University
You’ll want to start your exploration at Bug University to learn the bug basics.
Find out the system that scientists use to classify and name all living things (Taxonomy). Be able to list the characteristics all insects share. Spin the wheels of Metamorphosis and lift the flaps of Phylum Arthropoda. Visit the class pets and discover the various orders within Class Insecta before you graduate.
Unique Physique
Play a game on our touch-screen computers to test your knowledge and also to find out more interesting facts. Observe our aquatic insect tank- you just might see the diving beetle devour a small fish!
Caterpillar Café
Insects are an integral part of the worldwide food web. Whether you inspect their mouthparts or their senses, you’ll discover that insects use a variety of ways to find a satisfying meal.
WBug Radio
How do insects tell each other vital information?
In ways you can’t even imagine: sound, smell, light, even dancing! Learn all the ingenious things insects do in order to communicate with one another.
Rock State Prison
The bad bugs are behind bars…or are they?
Slide open the cells of the six-armed bandits to see the mugshots of the agricultural pests who are thieves. Look with disdain at the mass murderers in solitary confinement for spreading disease. Study the outlaws who are still at large. Just make sure you also recognize Insectropolis’ Finest- the insects out policing our world and keeping the villains in check.
Battle Zone
There’s a war going on- the battle for survival.
Whether they are predator or prey, insects employ brilliant strategies to increase their chances of winning. It’s “Eat or be eaten” and through use of weapons, armor, scare tactics, and camouflage, insects continue to fight valiantly for their lives.
Rubber Tree Plant
Just what makes that little old ant think he can move that rubber tree plant?
Teamwork is the answer. An ant colony runs like a successful company with the industrious ant as the epitome of a team player. Study the anthill flow chart to see how efficiently the work is divided. Or spy on the live carpenter ants as they go about their business.
Mud Tube
Subterranean termites live in our area and eat wood in our soil.
They are busy building elaborate subway systems to travel from place to place. Will their appetite for destruction lead them right into your home? Check out a termite’s view of your crawlspace or crawl through the Tube to see a glimpse of what’s happening underground.
Creepy Cavern
In any city, if you make a wrong turn, you may wind up in a scary neighborhood. Take a detour into this area to see some of the more frightening arthropods- namely the tarantulas.
View our spider friends and learn about how dangerous they actually are. Notice a crumpled up tarantula? It’s just its outgrown, hollow exoskeleton tossed to the side by its owner. Molting, the process of how all arthropods grow by shedding their exoskeleton, is just one of the new things you will discover.
Hive Airport
Honeybees have been helping pollinate crops and providing us with honey for ages.
Learn the specialized tasks that enable a colony to produce that sweet treat and all the work that goes into it. Find out the unique way that bees communicate. After observing our live hive, you’ll definitely understand the phrase “busy as a bee”!
Bugseum
Throughout history, insects have played an important role in many cultures.
Ancient Egyptians revered the scarab beetle, the Chinese enjoy cricket fights, and Native Americans have folklore about butterflies. Insects and man live together all over the planet and people have taken notice. Admire the multitudes of specimens from around the world and catch some of that awe-inspiring enthusiasm for yourself.
Insectropolis Zoo
Peer through the windows to see our featured arthropods each season.
Or view the most venomous creatures in Insectropolis. You may be able to watch our bug keeper feed our friends and discover how insects are kept alive in captivity.
