Amsterdam Zoo’s Insect house.
Location
Artis Zoo, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Objective
Artis, the oldest zoo in The Netherlands, renovated a food warehouse of 1897 to house its collection of insects. Over 70 live species of insects are exhibited in a modern environment, making it one of the biggest Insectariums in the world.
The Insectarium aims to awaken visitors to the wonders of insects, and to explain the enormous diversity of the insect world. An audio-visual show at the entrance, featuring magnified pictures and surround sound, helps people to discover the fascinating world of insects.
Approach
A special gallery has been devoted to more in depth discovery of living as well as mounted insects. Younger visitors can join the children’s book character ‘Mijnheer Prikkebeen’ (mister Spindle-Shank) on his expedition to the jungle, where they will learn about insects through hands-on activities, multimedia, observation and sound. The multimedia game will also allow them to design their own insects.
Another popular attraction is the grasshopper glasshouse; children crawl through a tunnel and reach a dome in the centre, all the while being surrounded by hundreds of grasshoppers.
