The cool thing about being a writer is that you get to ferret out things that interest you. I had visited Houston’s Museum of Natural Science a number of times over the years but it wasn’t until I toured the entire facility as part of the research for a travel book that I discovered the museum’s quirky bug zoo. What a fun place. Anyone who’s been to Houston for more than a nanosecond has run into some segment of our bug population. The museum simply expands the experience. While most visitors get caught up in the rainforest experience of the Cockrell Butterfly Center, the Insect Zoo with its many weird creatures is even more fascinating. I don’t know if I’d call them “crowd-pleasers,” but the infamous Madagascar Hissing Roaches clearly get top billing.
The Cockrell Butterfly Center, the Brown Hall of Entomology, and the Insect Zoo have been closed for major renovations. Memorial Weekend 2007 marks their re-opening with brand new state-of-the-art interactive exhibits that bring the insect world to life, while displays of preserved specimens of rare butterflies, beetles, and moths show off some of the most jewel-like tones and intricate patterns found in the insect world. The butterfly rainforest habitat also provides amazing opportunities for the amateur digital photographer. Be sure to wear something colorful and bright. Hawaiian-style shirts tease and tempt butterflies to land on your shoulder, your head, even your hands. On my last trip to the center I even managed to photo-capture the resident iguana as he basked in the sun on the stairway’s railing.
BUGStravaganza! opens Friday, May 25 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm with a performance by the Houston Ballet butterfly dancers, face painting, and even butterfly origami. Saturday, May 26 from 11:00
