BUGS - Grand Rapids Public Museum

What if the planet’s smallest geniuses could share their biggest secrets?

Bugs is open through February 4, 2024!

Crafted by the renowned New Zealand museum Te Papa, in collaboration with the five-time Academy Award-winning film studio Wētā Workshop, Bugs is a high-impact, hands-on experience for the whole family.

Enter the bugs’ world, marvel at their talents, and witness them in action. Meet the greatest of these micro masters and face their most fiendish tests. Can you fathom the dragonfly’s speed, beat the mantis’ reflexes, or defeat the giant hornet with your friends and family?

The bugs’ biggest challenge to us is to learn from their genius. Precision flight, swarm intelligence, mind control…bugs did it all first, and they’re still doing it better. What would the future look like if we could match their brilliance?

The exhibit is organized around four immersive chambers, where visitors experience the astounding talents of four extraordinary insects. Meet the stunning orchid mantis, which hunts its prey while disguised as the most beautiful flower of all. Discover how the jewel wasp acts as a killer brain surgeon, transforming its victim into a zombie, ready to carry out its commands. Witness the remarkable flight of the dragonfly within the zoetrope, a breathtaking 3D animation unlike anything else on the planet. Join fellow visitors in bees vs hornet, an interactive experience where you take on the role of the bees defending your hive from the perilous hornet.

Bugs is a Great Exhibit for School Groups!

Students will delve into the intricate world of insects through immersive displays and engaging experiences. The Bugs exhibit ingeniously employs models, artifacts, interactive installations, and narratives to unveil the fascinating life of various bug species, the influence of insect ecosystems, and the vital role bugs play in shaping our planet’s environment.

Book a field trip today to see this exhibit as part of your Museum experience!

About Te Papa

Te Papa is the national museum of New Zealand, combining science, art, history, and the culture of New Zealand’s indigenous Mäori people. Since opening in 1998, it has been recognized as a world- leader in innovative museum experiences, attracting over 1.5 million visitors a year, in a country of only four million people. Te Papa’s previous co-creation with Weta Workshop, Gallipoli: The scale of our war has smashed records for exhibition attendance, and its touring exhibition Whales | Tohora has attracted more than two million visitors at venues throughout the United States. See more at www.tepapa.govt.nz

About Wētā Workshop

For over 20 years, five-time Academy Award®-winning Wētā Workshop has applied creativity and craftsmanship to blockbuster films and hit television series including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, King Kong, Avatar, District 9, Thunderbirds Are Go and Ghost in the Shell. This diverse, innovative company is also a tourist destination, producer of consumer products, interactive studio in collaboration with Magic Leap, behind-the-scenes facility, and creator of public sculptures and exhibitions, including Te Papa’s record-breaking Gallipoli: The scale of our war.

Dive Deeper with These Reading Recommendations From Kent District Library

The GRPM and Kent District Library have collaborated to expand your learning opportunities about the world of bugs, with a variety of English and Spanish book titles for all ages. Enter the bugs’ world, marvel at their talents, and check out these books today!