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The Philadelphia Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion

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Coordinates: 40°02′32″N 75°01′35″W / 40.0423°N 75.0263°W / 40.0423; -75.0263
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Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion, Botanical Garden construction, January 2017

The Philadelphia Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion was a museum about insects located in the northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

History and features

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The museum opened in 1992 and features displays of many types of live insects, mounted specimens, exhibits and hands-on activities. Examples of the live insects (and other arthropods) include honeybees, tarantulas, cockroaches, scorpions, spiders, praying mantis, millipedes, beetles, water bugs, ants, and crickets.

In 2017, the museum expanded and opened a 7,000-square-foot greenhouse for a year-round butterfly pavilion. At this time the business changed hands from Steve Kanya to John Cambridge.[1]

A falsified reported heist of rare insects and lizards occurred in 2018. Damages totaled to $40,000 and police had suspected the operation was an inside job.[2] A lawsuit alleging defamation would later be launched in response to a documentary based on the incident, Bug Out.[3]

The Insectarium was evicted by the sheriff on May 30, 2023 after defaulting on mortgage payments. Following the eviction, the plaintiff reported the building had been damaged.[4] When the estate's attorney and the sheriff's deputy arrived, all the toilets, urinals, mirrors and windows were smashed.[5] The animals from the museum had been moved to a conservation group called Wild Things Preserve.[5] The plants and critters in the butterfly pavilion had to be destroyed pursuant to USDA licenses that governed possession of those non-native plants and critters.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ "A bug's life". Northeast Times. October 18, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  2. ^ Garcia, Sandra E. (August 30, 2018). "$40,000 Insect and Lizard Theft Was an Inside Job, Police Say". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  3. ^ Vadala, Nick (August 10, 2022). "Insectarium CEO sues 'Bug Out' documentary director, Amazon alleging defamation". Inquirer.com. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  4. ^ "Philadelphia Insectarium files for bankruptcy after being ordered to pay $928K in foreclosure judgment". Philadelphia Inquirer. March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Yu, Alan (June 1, 2023). "Philadelphia Insectarium evicted: 'Every window and every mirror was shattered'". WHYY. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
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40°02′32″N 75°01′35″W / 40.0423°N 75.0263°W / 40.0423; -75.0263

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