About Insectropolis in Toms River, NJ

FUN & UNIQUE INSECT LEARNING CENTER FOR ALL AGES

Insectropolis will motivate visitors to discover the little-known lives of insects and foster a greater appreciation for bugs and their place in our world. While you are here, you will experience a friendly, knowledgeable staff dedicated to making your visit as pleasant as possible.

There is plenty to see and do here! Set within the architecture of a bug-themed city, our creative displays entertain guests as they learn about these fascinating creatures.

View thousands of beautiful and bizarre exotic insects from all over the world. Play bug games on our touch-screen computers. Pretend you are a termite as you crawl through our mud tube. Safely get up close to our observation hive and see our busy bees. Or spy on our many other live insects. Of course, your visit is not complete unless you sit in on a touch presentation! Touch presentation occur daily.  Touch a live tarantula, millipede, and a hissing cockroach before you leave. Whether you are a bug enthusiast or just a curious visitor, Insectropolis has over a dozen exhibit areas that are sure to educate and entertain.

Our Insectropolis Staff

Our staff is a group of individuals who not only love bugs but love working here! You will not only see amazing insects and displays when you visit us, but you are guaranteed to meet enthusiastic, friendly, and knowledgeable staff. We have many brainy bug handlers, interesting tour guides, and fun birthday hosts. Below are our 3 main worker bees that were here from the beginning and made Insectropolis go from just a crazy idea to a reality.

“Velvet Ant” Val

Valerie started her bug career at Ozane and was brought on-board the Insectropolis project because of her retail sales & management experience, plus her background in art. Her artistic abilities can be seen throughout the facility in both the murals and exhibit areas. As a child, you would find her outside with an insatiable curiosity for living things, catching salamanders and frogs. Only to be called inside to “save” her sister from spiders and crickets. Valerie is the first smiling face that welcomes you in and the last face you see on your way out. She is the “One Stop Bug Shop” keeper.


“Dragonfly” Di

Preoccupied with her big hair in the ’80s, Diane had little or no interest in the lives of insects around her (except for her irrational paranoia that every cricket was “after her.”) Ironically, she is now running tours, handling bugs and planning group visits as Insectropolis’ Group Coordinator. Besides her phenomenal organizational skills, Diane is a creative thinker with an art background. She was the artistic force behind the concepts & execution of our beautiful, dramatic, and themed displays.


Chris Koerner

It was while managing Ozane Pest Control and identifying insect specimens for customers, Chris hatched the novel idea of opening a bug museum. Since his father owned and operated Ozane, insects fascinated Chris from a very early age and he always thought there was more to bugs than just killing them. With plans of managing the family business, he attended Rider College to study business and finance. He was hands-on during the construction and wore a carpenter belt to build many of exhibits. Chris continues to be involved and can still be spotted building up our collection of specimens at his pinning station. Chris was voted “World’s Best Boss” by a 2-1 vote.

Testimonials

This is what people say about us!

Abri AvatarAbri
Highly recommend! The museum was clean, new looking, fun, and very affordable. The place is small but packed with so... read more - 2/05/2023 
Amanda Glaspey AvatarAmanda G.
We had an in home party with Taylor, and she was wonderful- so professional and knowledgeable. The children had... read more - 12/05/2022 
Tom Pender AvatarTom P.
Very cool place! Well organized scientific exhibits with lots of artistic and creative displays to engage all ages. ... read more - 9/25/2022 
Melissa Graham AvatarMelissa G.
This was amazing! Brought our kids here for our oldest son’s birthday. He was so excited to see the tarantulas... read more - 9/17/2022 
Ari AvatarAri
Excellent displays and informative session for the whole family. They had s large display of pinned and live insects.... read more - 8/23/2022 
jgIII AvatarjgIII
Kids loved it, they have a little gift shop. The exhibit is pretty cool, lots of live bugs and spiders... read more - 8/09/2022 
Robert Krautheim AvatarRobert K.
What a fun place. Very kind and welcoming. Information is presented in a fun and creative way. You will learn... read more - 7/29/2022 
Rachel Kelly AvatarRachel K.
I took my 5 and 3 year old today and it exceeded my expectations. There were a variety of exhibits... read more - 7/19/2022 
Joey FLORIDA AvatarJoey F.
Super awesome place to check out! Definitely worth the price to see so many different bugs. They have tanks of... read more - 7/05/2022 
Melissa Martin AvatarMelissa M.
It was awesome, they let me hold like three bugs. Ask about the golden beetle, it's magnificent. - 6/29/2022 
Christine Corts AvatarChristine C.
This place is amazing! Beautiful detailed exhibits, lots of educational information and live insects to see. The interactive show was... read more - 6/13/2022 
Aneliya Georgieva AvatarAneliya G.
This place is a hidden gem. Had my son’s birthday party here and was so surprised how well organized and... read more - 6/08/2022