Alert the hive! Bugs is a new special exhibition opening at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Downtown Miami on Saturday, November 23. This cinematic and immersive exhibition brings the world under your feet to life in larger-than-life proportions. 

Bugs invites guests to marvel at the intricate and diverse world of bugs, exploring their biology, evolution, and the incredible capabilities that make them some of the most extraordinary creatures on Earth. Through state-of-the-art displays and interactive experiences, guests will discover how these tiny beings have influenced advancements in engineering, nanotechnology, and various other scientific fields. 

“We’re thrilled to bring Bugs to Frost Science, offering our guests a one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore the natural world from an entirely new perspective,” said Dr. Cassie Freund, the museum’s director of science communication. “This exhibition not only showcases the incredible diversity of bugs, but also highlights the valuable lessons these tiny creatures can

teach us and their profound impact on scientific fields.” 

As guests explore the exhibition, they’ll encounter six larger-than-life bug ambassadors, each magnified to hundreds of times their natural size, and discover the incredible superpowers of these fascinating creatures through hands-on activities. 

The exhibition is built around four immersive chambers, where guests experience the incredible talents of four extraordinary insects: 

  • Meet the gorgeous orchid mantis, who hunts her prey disguised as the most beautiful flower of all. 
  • Discover how the jewel wasp is a killer brain surgeon, turning its victim into a zombie, ready to do its bidding. 
  • Witness the incredible flight of the dragonfly in the zoetrope, a spectacular 3D animation unlike anything on the planet. 
  • Join with other visitors in Bees vs Hornet: you become the bees defending your hive from the deadly hornet. 

Dozens of interactive experiences offer guests the chance to test their reflexes, practice bug brain surgery, or fly their origami butterfly in the bug wind tunnel. Those interested in exploring Frost Science’s collection of insects will have the opportunity to see them in a special display created with Broward College students. 

Whether you are being ambushed by an orchid mantis, protecting your hive from an invader, or examining the detailed physics of dragonfly flight, Bugs will transport you into a hidden world where reality is truly stranger than fiction. 

Bugs was developed by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa with support from Weta Workshop Limited, the five-time Academy Award®-winning film studio who worked on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. 

The exhibition will be on view from Saturday, November 23, 2024, through Sunday, April 20,

2025, inside the Hsiao Family Special Exhibition Gallery on the first floor of the museum. Admission to Bugs is included with all museum admission tickets. For more information on the exhibition, please visit frostscience.org/bugs. 

Follow Frost Science on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram @frostscience.