Creepy, crawly, sticky, prickly, wiggly, yucky. And kinda cute. At least that is what we think about bugs at the Academy of Natural Sciences!

Join us on August 12 and 13, 2017, for our annual celebration of insects! Enjoy new activities and shows plus revisit some old favorites—back by popular demand. Talk with real scientists, learn about insects from all over the world, and see specimens from the Academy’s behind-the-scenes collections. Eat bugs, get your face painted, and relax as you enjoy a buggy show.

Bug Fest 2017 Highlights

Live Displays

Hundreds of live invertebrates will be on display throughout the museum. You’ll see beetles, true bugs, millipedes, centipedes, scorpions, stick insects, cockroaches, caterpillars, tarantulas and other spiders, and more. Hold a cockroach, count the legs on a centipede, and snap a spider selfie.

New in 2017

Swim-pressive Bugs

Dive into the aquatic life of the extraordinary inverts that call the water home. Marvel at these agile arthropods as they perform their very own water ballet! Perfect your beetle backstroke, watch the bugs that walk on water, and go toe-to-toe with toe-biters. Build your own aquatic bug and test it in our Bug Fest Pool. Will your creative critter outswim the rest?

Exoskeletons in the Closet

Face your fears as you come face-to-face with some cool creepy crawlies. Spend time with spiders, take in a centipede feeding, meet some maggots, and scope out live scorpions. Discover these awesome animals’ stories, and see for yourself what makes them beautiful and beneficial.

Predator or Pollinated?

Celebrate the unique connections between bugs and plants. Indulge your inner science-fiction geek and explore the weird and wonderful world of carnivorous plants. Meet plants that have bugs on the menu!
After you visit our lush, tropical garden in Butterflies!, learn how to make your backyard a paradise for local pollinators. Make and take your own butterfly puddler, and talk to backyard butterfly experts about setting up your pollinator-friendly garden.

Baby Bug Bonanza

Can you find all the little larva hiding around Bug Fest? Learn about the lifecycle of your favorite critters as you embark on the cutest scavenger hunt on six legs!

Plus returning favorites like Roach Races, Bug Picasso, Bug Walks, Crafty Critters, and the chance to sample some bug cuisine!

Click here for the full details and to purchase tickets.