The Philadelphia Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion

Last updated

Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion, Botanical Garden construction, January 2017 Insectarium butterfly pavilion construction botanical garden january 2017.jpg
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.

Contents

History and features

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 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

  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. 1 2 Yu, Alan (June 1, 2023). "Philadelphia Insectarium evicted: 'Every window and every mirror was shattered'". WHYY. Retrieved September 17, 2023.

40°02′32″N75°01′35″W / 40.0423°N 75.0263°W / 40.0423; -75.0263

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.