Audubon Insectarium — Attraction in New Orleans

We went when combo tickets were discounted. If I had paid full price, I would give three stars. I was equally impressed and and disappointed. It’s a very small facility but well done. Very little about local insects. The insects they had and the information was very succinct, so I was able to read a most of the information they had displayed to the kids before they lost interest and wanted to move to the next one and it was phrased in a way that was easy to understand. The butterfly garden was amazing. I also liked the big cafe where you could eat bugs, they had three bugs and a bug cookie the day we were there. There were two easy to use microscopes with spinning slides to see insect parts enlarged/up close, and there were three or four monitors where you could “build a bug”. You selected and environment and then chose three bug parts to make a whole bug to see if it would survive in the environment you chose. Another neat thing was the suit of armor that showed that many insects have an exoskeleton. I would have liked to see more insects and to have seen an area dedicated to insects in the local area. I also think an area focusing on bees would be a nice addition like the one they have at the Children’s museum in Chattanooga. Still, we definitely enjoyed the visit but are glad we didn’t pay full price. Last thing, the employees were super friendly and very excited to share additional information and explanations about the insects. You could tell they were passionate about their careers and wanted to share information/expertise with you. Everyone we encountered was expert level in knowledge with a great attitude towards education. They were patient, as well, when my children stopped listening and interrupted and/or when I asked questions and tried to interact with them as my children said, “Let’s go” five times. If I asked them to hold on while I talked to my children, they waited and then continued when I was able to...

Ok guys, bugs creep me out, BUT I LOVE this place. We come here at least once a week when we're in town. When it's 90 degrees out, this place is perfect. Air conditioned, lots of interesting stuff to touch and look at. My 4yo stays occupied and interested the entire time. And I find something new every time. It's more interesting than yucky. The ants and the millipedes are my favorites.The staff seem to actually like kids, very friendly and engaging. The place is super clean. Lots of places to sit. Wheelchair accessible/handicap friendly. There are well stocked vending machines and a Cafe that gives out tasty samples of bugs to eat. Over 2 years, I've grown brave enough to try everything. The Butterfly Garden is lovely with a cute little Koi Pond. The butterflies will often land on you. There's what my kid calls the Quiet Part for Grown ups, it's a lovely art gallery style area that we never spend enough time in. I could say another hundred things about this place. You should 100% go. And it's close to Canal Street and the Streetcar and Downtown.

HINT for FAMILIES: We bought an Audubon Membership because between here, the Aquarium of the Americas, and the Aydubon Zoo, it saves us money based on the frequency we go.

HINT FOR GROWNUPS: this place is great even without kids. I've had a fun giggly time there with my friends. This would make a cute place for a daytime date.

I think this may be my favorite nonfood/alcohol place in...

I have wanted to visit this attraction for years but it always worked out that they were closed due to construction or other reasons. I am a scientist and I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of scientific/layman friendly exhibits and information plaques. Cost was reasonable at $30.00, but had I planned better I would have purchased the 3 attraction ticket at $60.00. This allows you to visit the zoo, aquarium and insectarium within 3 days of each other. I loved that they gave out free samples of foods made with insects! Often a visitor is forced to buy these items just to say they tried it. The staff was super friendly and knowledgeable and there were multiple hands on exhibits that allow a visitor to touch an insect. Due to the close proximity of the aquarium I would recommend at the minimum to buy the two ticket combo and spend the entire day between the insectarium and the aquarium. We interacted with most of the exhibits and it took about 2-3 hours to complete it. Very accessible to handicap needs, clean restrooms and easy access to purchase drinks. I do wish there were more seating options throughout the building so people could rest for a few. It was a weekend and very hot, so the volume of people seeking a cool place to take their family was high. Overall a very educational but fun experience and would recommend, with the caveat that visiting all three exhibits is a way better value...