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| - As part of the "Space for Life" network of museums located in the former Montreal Olympics Center, the Insectarium is one of the most renowned museums dedicated to the science of entomology, or more bluntly, all things insect and insectoid.
It is located at one of the Rue Sherbrooke entrances of the Jardin Botanique, and the entrance fee is inclusive of both attractions. The exterior of the museum building is quite plain. It was built long after the nearby Olympic Center structures but to be so close to the outre designs of the Biodome and Stadium just heightens the contrast, although the aerial view is supposed to reveal an insect-like layout. Behind it is an insect-themed outdoor children's play area that includes some fun designs, including a climbing net shaped like a spider's web.
Entry is directly into the smaller level of the museum, which overlooks the much larger lower level. One of the few spectacular structural designs are the green, plant-like columns extending from the lower level all the way to the ceiling of the upper level. Looking down from above, these pillars dwarf the display cases and people roaming about below, evoking activity on a forest floor, an apt perspective.
What the Insectarium's housing may lack in visual impact outside and, for the most part, within, is more than made up by its breath-taking and extensive holdings. This is no token attraction. The collections here demonstrate both depth and breadth in the field of entomology. Georges Brossard, the founder, has a tremendous interest in insects that led to the opening of the Insectarium, with his own self-amassed collection donated for exhibition. There are thousands of live and dead insects on displays, including a substantial arachnid representation. The mounted dead insects are frequently grouped in dazzling displays of color, pattern, and size. The sheer variety leaves no doubt about the diversity that exists in the insect world.
The live insect exhibits are fascinating and well-designed. Many viewable from 360 degree angles inside closed, glass cases, the insects can be seen in replicas of their natural habitats. Their talent for mimicry and role in the ecosystem are showcased well. There are also open displays, such as the leaf cutter ant colony. From a distance, it looks like two entwined small trees. Leaning in a bit reveals hundreds of ants busily going about their daily business, or back heading home to a glass-enclosed burrow that lets you peak inside.
Personally, I wish for more robust descriptions for the displays in general, but the current postings are plenty informative. The insects themselves command the most attention.
Whether one is fascinated or disgusted with these creatures, anyone who has any curiosity about them needs to pay a visit. I belong firmly to both groups, and won't soon be forgetting the enormous centipede nor many of the live insects. The Insectarium is a rewarding experience for all ages.
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