Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans.  This is a report that I received from a friend who has visited this brand new museum.  The admission is $15, and it will one of your options for the day trip on Tuesday, November 4.

It was really grand; I would love to go back with an “adults only” group to take a lot of time.  To me, the show piece is a Japanese butterfly garden; you walk in, with those sliding doors that you think of in a Japanese home; then enter this very high ceiling area with a pool and coy fish, etc. and just gorgeous flowers and butterflies all over, flying, eating, etc.  It is extremely warm and humid in there and it seems like the air is NOT circulating so it was, to me, almost claustrophobic but well worth the time spent there, once you acclimated to it; it is so cold in the other exhibits and then you enter this extremely warm, humid place!    They have this METAMORPHOSIS display area where trays and trays of various moths and butterflies are metamorphosing; I am sure it is like what they have where they have silk worms growing;  Another display you enter was as if you are entering an underground space where there are huge models of animals, such as earthworm, etc. and other underground critters….the “floor” where you walk on is squishy; and along the way are videos; the one that just fascinated Allison was a time lapse film of a possum that was dead, then a green bot fly lays eggs on it; the eggs develop into larvae, etc. decomposition occurs, and it concludes with small seeds sprouting from the area where the possum once was….a great video and she watched it over and over and kept asking Jim to tell her about it!  Lot of interactive “displays” for children…..but gorgeous live and mounted insects of all types……the huge ant farm, like the ones they have for children in toy store, but this was wall sized, was also very neat………and of course, we went to the “café” where we tasted cricket pancakes and mealworms!  One gift store was the Flea Market!