“We’re not just beige walls and dead bugs,” says Valerie Redzinak, an employee at Insectropolis, the eight-year-old Toms River “bugseum” that boasts thousands of specimens, from tarantulas to New Jersey’s official state insect, the honey bee.
That’s an understatement.
About 25 percent of the insects are alive, including many you can touch. Does that give you the creeps? In addition to serving as an interactive intro to entomology for kids as young as two, the 7,200-square-foot museum is something of a therapy center. If you suffer from entomophobia—fear of insects—Insectropolis thinks it can help.
“A lot of people don’t want to be here—they can’t stand bugs,” says Redzinak, who leads tours, cares for the insects and runs the gift shop. “They’re just looking for a way to get over being terrified. Usually they leave saying, ‘You know what? That was really cool. Bugs aren’t so bad.’”
Especially the ones that can’t be accused of being ugly.
“We’re 80 or 90 percent exotic,” she says. “We have bugs from New Guinea, Thailand and a lot of rainforest bugs. They’re brightly colored and visually exciting to most people.”
Insectropolis was founded by the Koerner family, owners of the still-active Toms River pest-control company, Ozane. After years of clients calling to ask them to ID some multi-legged critter that turned up in the living room, they launched the museum.
Redzinak says tarantulas and scorpions get the most bug-eyed attention. But the Koerners by no means spurn the local. “We do have thousands of bugs from all over, but always have room for one more,” says the museum’s website. “If you are willing to bring it to us, we gladly accept your donations.”
1761 Route 9, Toms River; 732-349-7090; insectropolis.com; 10 am–3 pm, Thursday through Saturday; $7; groups of 15 or more, $15. Children 2 and under, free.