NEW ORLEANS — The Audubon Nature Institute Aquarium and Insectarium are expected to reopen Thursday after extensive renovations and additions. Audubon invested $41 million into the upgrades, which included conjoining the experiences into one building.
As you step inside the new insectarium, you're greeted by a video wall of monarch butterflies that follow your movement.
"You can actually interact with the butterflies," said Senior Curator of Entomology Jayme Necaise.
The insectarium includes new interactive experiences, like building your own bug. The 'Bug Appetit' restaurant allows you to eat bugs. The sample menu includes 'Chocolate Chirp Cookies' with crickets, 'Cheezy Garlic Waxworms,' and 'Crispy Cajun Crickets.'
"It's just like having a cookie with walnuts or pecans," said 'Bug Chef Zack.'
One of the highlights is the butterfly garden overlooking the Mississippi River where more than 500 butterflies now call home.
Audubon Aquarium originally opened in 1990. The aquarium closed in November for extensive renovations and the insectarium hasn't been open since 2020. Now they are reopening in one building.
"If you look around at the graphics, the videos, the interactive exhibits, these are the latest in technology very Smithsonian, National Geographic like," said Audubon Nature Institute President, Ron Foreman.
The insectarium is now located where the former IMAX theater had been. Now that section leads straight into the aquarium, where you'll be greeted by a jellyfish exhibit, then the albino alligator.
"To join him we brought in some small friends," said Curator Kristine Grzenda.
Baby alligators, crawfish, turtles, a new rescue screech owl, plus new birds and seahorses were all added to the aquarium. The Gulf of Mexico exhibit that houses sharks, large fish, and a sea turtle, can now be seen from above.
"Previously this was behind the scene service area space and we've opened it up to our guests," Grzenda said.
Finally, a new virtual reality experience allows you to feel like you're swimming with sharks.
The aquarium and insectarium open at 10 a.m. Thursday. Tickets to just one attraction are $25 for kids and $30 for adults. A ticket to both is $45 for kids and $50 for adults.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.