Creepy Crawlies Inside Dr. Crawley’s Insectorium

Did you know that not all insects are bugs, but all bugs are insects? You will learn about this and more when you step into the world of creepy crawlies in Dr. Crawley’s Insectorium at the Creation Museum.

Get acquainted with hundreds of insects—including some that are bigger than you’d ever imagine—inside this exhibit. Here are some of the interesting insects that you will see in the Insectorium, along with a unique way to learn more about this topic.

Beauty in Variety

The largest insect collection you will encounter in Dr. Crawley’s Insectorium is a vast variety of beetles. From metallic to stag beetles and rhinoceros to flower beetles, you can see the beauty and variety of God’s creatures. In this exhibit, you will learn how metallic beetles get their colors, why male stag beetles “battle,” and much more!

God’s Insect Choir

Grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets are some of the most musical insects in their natural habitat, and you can see several of each type on display at the Creation Museum. Did you know that music is critical to these insects’ life cycle? Many males “sing” under the cover of night to attract females. A female will hear the music and respond by tracking the sound to locate the male.

Designed to Hide

In Dr. Crawley’s Insectorium, you will also see a variety of walking sticks, walking leafs, and mantids. These cases display some of the world’s most amazing examples of mimicry. Cryptic colorations, more commonly known as camouflage, allow these creatures to blend into their surroundings. When you visit this exhibit, notice how closely the walking stick and walking leaf resemble their habitats.

Ask Dr. Arthur Pod Questions

When you are in Dr. Crawley’s Insectorium, you will meet Dr. Arthur Pod, an animatronic figure that will answer questions about these incredibly designed insects when a question is selected from the touchscreen monitor. Learn from Dr. Pod about the purpose of insects, the explosive bombardier beetle, and whether there’s a reason for the beauty of butterflies.

Where Did They Come From?

Once you learn about the interesting insects inside Dr. Crawley’s Insectorium, you might be wondering where these creatures came from. Dr. Geoff Crawley is a creation scientist who donated his insect collection to the Creation Museum in 2013. The collection represents a lifetime of collecting by Dr. Crawley, who began his interest in these creatures during a merit badge project as a kid. Wherever his travels took him, he would venture out and add to his collection.

“The goal of every collector,” Dr. Crawley says, “should be to share his collection with others.”

Dr. Crawley’s Insectorium is located on the bottom floor of the Creation Museum near Palm Plaza and the topnotch Dinosaur Den. This fun, interactive exhibit with its world-class insect collection rivals the quality seen at the Smithsonian. Make plans to visit the Creation Museum today to see these amazing creatures!