Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium


Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium is an insectarium and entomology museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. With more than 50 live exhibits and numerous multimedia elements, the facility is the largest free-standing American museum dedicated to insects.
The Butterfly Garden and Insectarium opened on June 13, 2008. In 2009, it was awarded the Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement in a Science Center.
Part of the Audubon Nature Institute complex, it is located on the first floor of the U.S. Custom House Federal Building.

Exhibits and attractions

;Underground Gallery
Giant animatronic insects and oversized exhibits give guests a bug's eye view of the insect world.
;Louisiana Swamp Gallery
The sights and sounds of the Louisiana wetlands are depicted with aquatic animals and special effects.
;Termite Gallery
Formosan termites can be seen eating through a wooden skyline of New Orleans.
;Butterfly Garden
A garden populated by hundreds of live butterflies with which guests can interact.
;Metamorphosis Gallery
A working husbandry lab where an insect's entire life cycle is depicted.
;Hall of Fame Gallery
Preserved examples of some of the world's biggest, fastest, and most impressive insects.
;Awards Night
A comic film with animated insect characters voiced by Jay Leno, Joan Rivers, and Brad Garrett. Awards Night takes visitors to a red carpet event for bugs; the experience is enhanced by special in-theater effects and animated seats.
;Bug Appétit
Guests can watch chefs incorporate bugs into their dishes and sample some of their exotic creations.