The Insectarium

This was s new one for the family.  An insectarium.  I had never heard of one before.  Even spell-check doesn't like me typing it.  But, it was what you'd expect from reading such a word.  It's a museum of insects, both alive and dead and even some fake (because you really wouldn't want to encounter the real thing).  There were some really neat exhibits and I was surprised how much the kids really wanted to see the live ones.

Despite the look on Mason's face, he really seemed to like this touch-the-bug exhibit.  There were scorpions in the tote next to the tarantula.  Did you know that scorpions (certain species, apparently) glow under ultraviolet light?  The staffer demonstrated and it was pretty cool.

The kids are crawling on an earthworm, fake, of course, but the whole exhibit was a blown-up version of what life is like in the soil.

OK, maybe not insects, but still a cool Koy pond.

There was also a butterfly house in the insectarium.  I've been in a few butterfly houses, but this one takes the cake, I think.

The two pictures above this are the same exact butterfly, one with the wings closed and the other open.  The pictures don't do it complete justice.  The difference is amazing.