I purchased a ticket for the Aquarium and Insectarium (Adult - $47.50). After you purchase your ticket, you enter the Insectarium. Yes, you have to walk through the gift shop. So many types of insects exhibited in their environments. I particularly liked the velvet red ants. Ginormous. Can't really say I spent too much time reading any of the information on the insects. The space is dark. There's also a cafe where you can snack on insects. Again, not really my cup of tea. Thanks, but no thanks. My favorite part of the insectarium, where I spent most of my time, was the butterfly atrium. What an absolutely spectacular place. Heavenly. When you walk through one door, it has to close before another door opens. This is to ensure no butterflies escape. As soon as I walked in, there were hundreds of butterflies! Of all shapes and sizes, blue, brown, white, yellow, orange and black. The majority of them were attached to the window where they thought they could fly out. There's different types of plants for them to land on. Fruit and sponges with nectar are set throughout the trail for them to land and suckle on. There's a walkway for visitors, but you have to be careful because butterflies land on the walkways, too. You're not supposed to touch or hold the butterflies, but it's fine if they land on you. The staff member there kept repeating not to touch the butterflies because there was a child who kept grabbing at them. You could tell some of the butterflies were man handled because pieces of their wings were missing. Honestly, it's pretty hard to keep your hands to yourself when there are so many butterflies flying around your head. read more

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If your in NOLA and you want to kill a little bit of time, this is one of the places to go. Yes, it may have its fair share of tourists, but it can be interesting. The main thing to understand about this establishment is that it is attached to the Aquarium. You really need to buy the combination ticket for both. That way you easily transition from one exhibit to the other. Now, let me state that I'm really not into bugs. The only reason I went here is because it is attached to the aquarium. This being said, what you do get to see in this part of the greater museum is an incredible butterfly exhibit. I mean, it is really a place to see! The way it works is that you go up to the entrance and wait for one of the members of the team to let you in. Then, there is a pathway through the exhibit. The space is just full of butterflies, doing all that stuff that butterflies do. It's really great! Totally Fun and Recommended! But, if you go inside, be really careful that you do not step on the butterflies because they do land on the walkway. And, don't try to grab the butterflies. That's a No-No. When I was last there, a child grabbed one and you could tell when the staff member told him to let it go he had hurt the butterfly Sad! Just keep that in mind. Overall, for the butterflies alone, this is a interesting place to visit. read more

The insectarium is connected to the aquarium. The butterfly room was pretty cool. They also had complimentary dried crickets to try which was a cool addition . I don't feel the need to go back but it was an ok experience in tandem with the aquarium. read more

Audubon Insectarium - Butterfly room - Zoos Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

So many bugs and it's usually pretty crowded with a ton of kids so just be prepared to be patient. Feel free to try a bug cookie! read more

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We bought advanced online tickets for both the aquarium and insectarium for a weekday entry and arrived right at opening (10 am). The insectarium was clean, well-organized, and easy to navigate. My favorite part was the butterfly room. I also got to eat free chocolate chirp cookies and apples and cinnamon roasted mealworms. We spent about 5 hours at the aquarium and insectarium, including a beverage break at Cafe Aqua. They do have some extras like a hurricane simulator and VR chairs. It's a little pricy, but all the bugs and the facts they list about them was worth the price. read more

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One of the highlights of my last trip to New Orleans. The museum was clean and very spacious. Displays were bright, informative and interactive. The live butterflys and insects were amazing. Learned so many things that I didn't know before. Highly recommend to locals and tourists. read more

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I would never thought I would enjoy the Insectarium. It was very educational with workers giving facts on about some of the insects. I really enjoyed the butterfly room. On your way through the building they have the different cycles of butterflies and can see them come out their cocoon. Definitely would recommend to families. read more

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Would you rather see a white Alligator or butterflies? Insectarium overshadowed by the Audubon Aquarium. There are at least 22 Insectariums in North America, but only a handful of aquariums with a white alligator. Wife is crazy for butterflies, and we see them at the Monterey, CA butterfly sancturary. Came over directly from the adjoining Aquarium, which has a separate admission, and headed straight to the indoor butterfly collection. Place has double doors to prevent butterflies from escaping. Beautiful indoor display overlooking the Mississippi river, with butterflies stationary, eating, and flying around. A couple of butterflies with damaged wings, dying on the ground, more than likely by kids handling them. We spent a good hour watching them, on a weekday morning with school in session, and only few preschoolers around. Before we leave, we have to make sure there are no butterflies still hanging onto our clothes and hats. Wife is big into butterflies, but I told her there's no need to pay to see the Insectarium, when we can see cockroaches in the local hotel for free! read more

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It was a rainy day in New Orleans, so we decided to go to the aquarium. We found out that there is more. The Insectarium is connected, you can buy tickets for each one or a package for both. It was recommended to us, to first visit the Insectarium. There were a lot of very interesting insects. Walking sticks (some really hugh, like 6 inches), ant colonies, and the butterfly room. That is really special. You walk in through a double door area to prevent the butterflies to escape. After that it is amazing. Butterflies in all colors and sizes flying around. Another double door (please check if no butterfly landed on you for a walk out) and on to the aquarium. When in New Orleans and it rains (which happens a lot, according to our tour guide), this is a wonderful destination. read more

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I was on my last day of my very long trip in NOLA and decided to just spend the day at the aquarium. When I got there I realized they had a pretty good package deal with the insectarium and I had a lot of time so even though I hate bugs I decided why not.... Honestly a lapse of judgment for a good deal really but it was still a good experience! The insectarium definitely was smaller than the aquarium and felt geared more towards children. But as a grown adult that knows basically nothing about insects except the fact that they creep me out it was pretty interesting seeing a lot of different species like neon colored bugs. I learned lots about insects (like that beetles can swim?!?!). Left the insectarium with more knowledge and more terrified about what kind of bugs exist out in nature and excited to see the cute penguins in the aquarium LOL read more

Very cool! Very interesting! Very educational! I was enlightened about insects in a way I'd never known. Gotta check this one out!!

Came here for the first time with my family. Based on some photos that was online, I didn't want to go because it looked like a place for toddlers. My kids are grown so we decided to do just the aquarium only to find out that the admissions covered both the aquarium and the insectarium. I'm glad it did because the family and I all enjoyed both exhibits. There were some cool and gross critters lol. Definitely cool to experience and read about. There was also a beautiful butterfly exhibit. There are gift shops and also an area that gives out free crickets to eat lol. Our hotel was nearby so we walked. There is a paid parking lot nearby. There are a few homeless people outside so just be careful. All the staff were very friendly. read more

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Are the tickets a bit pricy? Sure. But this was a great way to spend the day with kids. Ours were 8 and 10, and were very happy wandering around the Insectarium and checking everything out. They were too chicken to try the cricket chocolate chip cookies, but then again... so was I! (My wife tried one and said it tasted pretty much normal!) I liked the butterfly exhibit, but my 8yo got freaked out by it, so I appreciated that there was a way to bypass it if you didn't want to go through. I don't really get why the Insectarium and the Aquarium are listed as different places, as you literally can't buy separate tickets. Both are great. This would be a perfect rainy day activity. That said, it does get crowded. read more

My kids had a wonderful time at the Audubon Aquarium and Insectarium. Really enjoyed the butterfly room and all the insect exhibits. We didn't feel rushed or overwhelmed.. my only request is that I hope they add a friend for the sea turtle so he's not the only one in the aquarium. read more

Bugs, spiders and butterflies, oh my! One price gets you admission to the aquarium and the insectarium. Wear light blue in the butterfly room. They will come land on you. read more

This was an inhumane display of insects and marine life. No type of enrichment is provided for the marine life. It really was a sad experience, especially dead insects. read more

Audubon Insectarium - Dead caterpillar u see the gate! - Zoos Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Located with the Audubon Aquarium makes it an easy visit. Pretty neat seeing all the different species. I enjoyed my visit and I am certain you will as well. A good place for kids to visit as well. Definitely worth a visit. Enjoy! read more

Great way to spend part of the day when you aren't huge into the typical New Orleans things. read more

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There are some fascinating "bugs" here, and you can actually stop in the "bugateria" and eat one or two. Grasshoppers and some worms are deep fried or made into hummus. I was not that brave/adventurous. read more

Just seems like it downsized and wasn't what I remembered. It's a once a year thing maybe.

Perfect for the insect lover in you. The exhibits were interactive and educational. There is so much to see. read more

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I visited on Sunday, March 17th. WOW WOW WOW! Definitely a state-of-the-art adult and child approved interactive museum. As someone who is covered in insect tattoos, I am a bit biased but still, it was incredible. There are many features that are for children, however, there was plenty to see, feel, read and taste as an adult. As an adult who steers clear of children, I appreciated the added playground-esq interactive toys for children which acted as deploys so that we could hear the small lectures at the bug camp and the butterfly garden exhibition. Perfect location for the deploys, in my opinion. At the insectarium you will learn about the insects that you encounter every day to the ones in other countries that you can only dream about touching or seeing from being in movies or pictures. At the "Bug Appétit Cafe" you can taste edible insect cuisine--flavored crickets, candy covered mealworms, roasted waxworms and even desserts (cicada muffins or chocolate chip cricket cookies) with insects or insect protein powders. The Butterfly Garden was truly impressive. It even looks over the Mississippi River which is the perfect backdrop when exploring the Butterfly Garden. You could easily see 100+ butterflies drinking nectar, taking naps, or simply majestically soaring around. My only complaints are with the Butterfly Garden. (1) Entrance logistics need to be worked out. There needs to be a staff member on the outside of the entrance so that it doesn't keep opening every EFFING minute when we are trying to open the main door. So annoying. No lie, it took us over ten minutes to get through due to the amount of people who stepped closed to the entrance door to the waiting room. (2) There needs to be 2+ employees inside the butterfly garden since the children were grabbing, poking and touching the butterflies--I am assuming this is why many were damaged. Maybe having an info graphic poster on the negative aspects of touching the butterflies should be posted beforehand and throughout. Also, having a staff member that isn't afraid to speak up and toss a kid out would be apricated. Though I wanted to trip or smack the kids running and touching everything, it was still amazing (I did hiss at a few which made them focus on the crazy lady inside the butterfly enclosure instead of the butterflies--whatever works, ya know?). (3) There should be a limit of how many people can gain access to the butterfly room--there was NO ROOM to move. We were all on top of each other. I highly recommend the Audubon Insectarium. It truly is a must see when in the area. It is located at the Audubon Aquarium and NOT AT THE ZOO. read more

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Amazing. Lots of great information, learned a lot. Very clean. Insects were very active. Great amount of insects, activities, explore zones and educational. Def worth coming to, probably the better part of the aquarium. read more

Stop 7 on the Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour. This place had the BEST butterfly exhibit! I've seen at least 2 or 3 in Los Angeles, but this definitely takes all!! So many butterflies! One even landed on my kids head! This exhibit was definitely well done. Prior to entering the butterfly exhibit, we looked at many exhibits about insects. Some of these exhibits actually contained live bugs. YUCK!! So disgusting!! Another interesting area was the Bug Appetit where you can actually eat some cooked bugs. My kids definitely tried it out. Did you know that the FDA allows 60 or more insect parts in our chocolate?!?! UGH!! This museum isn't very large, so you can actually see the whole place in a few hours. Many things to see and read. If your kid finds this stuff interesting, he/she will have a blast! read more

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I was in town for a conference and this was right across my hotel. My local friends said to check this out so I thought why not. It was an awesome experience. It was very educational and the museum really makes a lot of effort to explain the evolutionary science behind insects in general. So many interesting live bugs are on display from around the world. The most impressive element of this museum was a volunteer named Jeremy whom was sitting at a table near the entrance with several live insects for you to touch. He knew every single thing about every insect in the museum. Including where they import each one from and the customs restrictions. I even asked him how old their Goliath Spider was and he responded, "He's 8 years old and he's probably going to die soon because his mating horns have grown in. Once the males reach sexual maturity, they are very close to the end of their life cycle. The females live approximately 30 years. A private person donated that spider to us. Hopefully we will have another." I asked him if it matters that he doesn't get to eat birds or rodents like in the wild while in captivity. And Jeremy's response was that he is fed cockroaches once a week and to him, he doesn't know the difference. Any living thing of a certain size has a certain "morph" or appearance that advises the spider on its hostility and whether it can be eaten. His procedure for killing and eating is essentially similar approach after he has rapidly determined it can be eaten." Like holy crap, this young man Jeremy is a human encyclopedia of insects and hugs. He knew each of the growth stages of the bugs, the temperature and moisture conditions of their natural habitat...the museum was supposed to take "1 hour to get through", but I spent over 3 hours in it cuz I talked to that guy for 2 hours. He was seriously an enthusiast and a pleasure to meet. read more

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This was very nice and worth the money for the garden! The insect portions some of them were a bit creepy as I am not a huge fan of bugs.... but still very interesting!! They have many games, Q&A pieces and so much more. I would recommend checking this place out while your in town! So much history, education, and fatcs that are inside this exhibit! Fun for all ages! read more

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I reallyyyyyyyyyyyyyy fear bugs but I REALLY enjoyed visiting a place filled with them and similar crawlies. First of all, thank you for having metal detection service. I do not understand why I appreciate this so much in an insectarium, but I felt extra safe in a place filled with insects (seriously no sarcasm). This place has a wide variety of bugs. Now, at first, I was a bit disappointed until I remembered the millions or billions of bugs/insects this planet holds. So, I guess they house some of the noteworthy ones. I also tried a chocolate chip cookie with a cricket baked into the middle. It was pretty good--no further comment. Yikes. The butterfly garden is what sold me. The space does not swarm with butterflies, per se, but they do fly around you! It is a magical setting on a nice, natural backdrop. Nice job there! I cannot wait to go back and turn my nose up at people trying insect edibles. I'm kidding. This is a great adventure for families! read more

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The insectarium has really cool stuff, bugs. The butterfly garden is awesome. Take your time and soak up the ac!

A National Institute of Insects. This was a good change of pace from the typical drinking and eating in NOLA. And cheaper, too. The bugs were cool and disgusting to look at. A cool show occurs every hour or so and has cool features that perks all your senses. Then you leave the area and explore the bug buffet of which you get to eat bugs! For myself, it was nbd. Good source of protein and you don't even realize what it is. Bugs for the world! The main attraction is their butterfly garden. A room filled with hundreds of them and you're patiently waiting for one to land on your nose. That is the dream right? So if you're looking for something different to do in NOLA, this would be it. And bring your student ID, you get a discount. read more

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Came here with my friends during Mardi Gras. We used some coupons we found online. This place is cool. Lots of exhibits and THE MOST INTERESTING PART, trying the bugs and the butterfly exhibit! At the insect cafe, We tried them all! Very interesting to learn about them all! Quite an educational experience. read more

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3.5 stars. I went to the Insectarium as part of the Audubon Experience. For $45, you get to go to this, the aquarium, and the zoo. If you want to go to this only, it's $24 for adults. It's kind of expensive for adults since it's not that big, but it's entertaining for children. They have a good variety of insects and it's cool to see them. The tanks are spaced out so not too many people are not cluttered together. I was not impressed with their Butterfly Garden. I did not see that many butterflies compared to the butterfly gardens in DC. Don't forget to step into their Tiny Termite Cafe and try some cricket and mealworm cookies! You'll get a stamp on the hand in return! I tried the cricket cookie. read more

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Wow! Just wow! I have been to New Orleans a few times in the past and I have for whatever reason just passed on the Audubon Butterfly Garden. Why? Well, I have no idea. If you're planning on going to the aquarium as well, I suggest you get the tickets to do both because you won't regret it! This insectarium was surprisingly close to our hotel and located in a building that could be confused for a large bank. The stone on the outside with the large glass doors make you think you're going into an office building in New York. The moment you walk in you feel like you've been transported as you're instantly greeted by educational signs and insect decorations to begin your journey through this museum. I can understand that people can be squeamish around insects but this place is really great for adults and kids. Unlike other places where they have only plastinated or preserved specimens, this place has a decent collection of live insects. Really enjoyed their displays going from little tiny ants to the larger cockroaches. You can even get a chance to pet a millipede if you so desire. At the end of the first hall, you can go to their insect cafeteria and try some cookies baked with insects and other fun insect oriented treats. Quite the surprise! One of the coolest sections of the museum is their water bugs where they have a large tank of water beetles on display. After walking past that, you will arrive at the butterfly exhibit where they have likely thousands of pinned butterflies from around the world. Lastly, you get to walk through their butterfly garden which actually has quite a variety of species in a large open space. I would definitely do this museum again and would recommend NOT skipping this if you had to choose between the insectarium and somewhere else. It'll take you about an hour or an hour and a half to get through everything so be sure to allot that amount of time to thoroughly see everything! read more

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The insectarium is a neat place! I've really never been to one and I'm glad I paid a visit to the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium. The space is in a federal building so you will need to go through metal detectors upon arrival. There are plenty of exhibits for kids and adults alike. Below are some of the highlights that I enjoyed: 1. A glass tank of worker ants carrying pieces of leaves along a trail. This was cool to see because it's like a small ant farm, but on a bigger scale. 2. A room that is dark and resembles the bottom of a house. In this space, you will see gigantic spiders, worms, ants, and other little creatures that live under your home. The animals are all fake, but they can be creepy for a small child. 3. The café in the back is an insect café. Yes, there are vending machines for regular snacks and drinks, but the café itself has insects on their menu. You can sample some worms, crickets, and other insects that are cooked and seasoned like a peanut snack. I didn't try any but maybe next time. 4. The roach exhibit was probably my favorite. It's located in an area of the museum that talks about the humid weather of New Orleans and how insects thrive in the hot, humid air. One of those insects are roaches. The roaches hang out in a fake home display where you see them clamoring toward dirty parts of the home. Very neat! 5. There is even a theater that shows an insect cartoon that lasts about 10 minutes. There are special effects in the theater so you get to smell and feel the special effects. The show reminds me of the "A Bug's Life" movie screening at Disney's Animal Kingdom. 6. Before you leave the insectarium, you go through the Butterfly Garden. It's so cool to be in an enclosed space to experience butterflies. They will fly all over you. Just let them do what they want. You are visitors in their home. read more

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Great history and natura of butterflies, bugs, species in the world. I'm glad to be here and see all of them. read more

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Part of the group of 4 : purchased online, Aquarium, big screen film, zoo & this one. Approximately 88 bucks for a couple, use for one visit each in 30 days. Allow 90 mins. for the insectarium. Kids will love this one . read more

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The insectarium is definitely worth the price. Extremely interesting experience. You get to see critters that would never be displayed at a typical zoo. *However* you cannot bring "weapons" into the federal building. I had pepper spray the guard told me to leave outside the building behind the door and "it would be fine." Upon exit, my pepper spray had been stolen. The staff needs to create a locker system so people can store their items, not a new concept- World of Coke does this. Also to note, the Insectarium itself is very cool, but the butterfly house is a bit underwhelming if you have been to another one. read more

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We were looking for something to do with our toddler and were happy to find the Insectarium and Butterfly Garden close to our hotel. It's bigger than it appears outside and took us about 45 minutes to get through with a short attention span toddler. They had lots of insects to look at and some activities and displays. They had another area which you could actually eat bugs which we had the cookies and they were actually pretty good! Our daughter liked the butterfly garden it was large and also had a koi pond. I found the price really steep for something that wasn't a museum and just had insects. It was $30 plus tax so my husband and I cost $65. We were lucky our daughter wasn't quite 2 or she would have cost $22 as well. I know they have a combo ticket with the zoo and aquarium which would definitely be worth it if you're staying for the weekend. read more

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It's OK if you just "HAVE" to have something to do, if you are traveling with kids or have an extreme interest in bugs. I don't mean to make it sound blasé but it was kinda lost a mediocre experience. The insectarium is large and filled with extraordinary insects. Open Tuesday grouch Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Adults admission $20. I really wish I could be more excited. Lol ~Christy read more

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This place was something of a dream come true for a gal like me who has always had a fascination with insects. It was a major blow as a kid not to have received that ant farm I always wanted. Instead, I would just watch the ants scurrying around on the ground. Surprising that I didn't turn out to be an entomologist. The Audubon Insectarium gives us a lot to think about with our tiny (and some not so tiny) friends. Perhaps more importantly we are reminded that most insects are essential to our everyday life and well-being. Take the dung beetle for example...you'll learn how grateful we should be to those tireless eaters. And while I'm most certainly not a member of the cockroach fan club, the exhibits featuring these characters are incredibly interesting. Their fortitude and hardiness are something to be admired, no matter how gross we might think they are. There is an interesting termite room with an array of displays that will amaze you. I loved the praying mantises and the clever way they can blend into the foliage creating a sort of Where's Waldo game for the insect world. The Insectarium has a "cafe" area where you can learn how to turn your favorite bugs into snack foods. For those who aren't squeamish, there are samples of chocolate "chirp" cookies with crickets in them, good for a blast of protein along with your carbs, I suppose, and a couple of wax-worm salsas to try on crackers. I did eat a cricket cookie which was a new culinary adventure for me; however I had to stop short at bowls of wax-worm salsa. When you see it, you'll probably get what I mean. Nevertheless, it's good to know some food options in the unlikely event I'm in a famine situation. One of my favorite parts of the visit was the butterfly sanctuary. This was housed in an incredibly cool looking Japenese style atrium enclosed by windows on one side and shoji screens on the others. Once inside you'll see hundreds of beautiful butterflies flying freely about. It's an amazing and magical environment. There is a pretty koi pond in there too, flanked with benches. It's a relaxing place to sit and spend some time watching the fish serenely swimming below and the butterflies flying above. There are helpful entomologists on staff who are eager to answer questions and provide additional information. (What a great place to work!). While this place is larger than it seems at first with lots to see, I would have given it a 5th star had there been just a few more live insect exhibits. I highly recommend a visit here next time you're in New Orleans. This is both entertaining and educational; my favorite combo. And it's fun to do other things in this town besides eat and drink! read more

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This is my second time at the Insectarium and fortunately each time I had free passes. Otherwise I would be a little annoyed at how small this insectarium and how expensive the entrance fee is. Anywho, the first time I went was with a girlfriend of mine and we arrived an hour or so before closing time. We had a good time but the insectarium was so small we breezed through it in an hour. Pretty much the same experience this time around when I went with my Mom. But this time I knew what to show her. First of all it's located on a federal building so you will go through a metal detector and all nags go through a scanner. Btw, don't be like me and set the darned thing off three times. Apparently my bracelet, belt, and watch set it off. Just take all your metal items off and save yourself the time! Secondly, head straight to the back left and eat some bugs! Since my Mom and I had about an hour in this joint I dragged her to the back to eat bugs! The first item we ate were crickets that were baked into a yummy little dessert (see my pic). Then I had the herb sauce with some other bug in it on crackers. Since it was the end of the day the nice lady said we could have as much as we wanted but we didn't want to be greedy so we each had one bite! I just couldn't eat the mealworm items because I'd rather not see the bugs I'm eating! Overall they tasted delish! Btw, the front part is a cafe and the big eating is in the back room! One thing I enjoyed this second time around is the 8 minute movie. Like a previous reviewer said it's interactive with your seat moving, stinky smells coming out, blasts of air etc.! My Mom got a kick out of it and laughed a lot which made me smile. Usually she's pretty quiet and demure so I was quite pleasantly surprised to see how much she enjoyed it! And of course my favorite part is the Japanese butterfly garden! Ahhh...so beautiful to see butterflies fluttering around! It kind of cracked me up to hear these little boys getting freaked out by harmless butterflies! There are colorful little birds in a big cage. And there is a koi pond with mist coming out of it. The temperature is a hit warm and humid in here so be forewarned. One lady had two butterflies resting on her arm which was cool. But be forewarned that it's against the law to take butterflies outside of the exhibit. Just check to make sure you don't have a butterfly on you before you leave! Happy Insect Eating! read more

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