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!

JESSICA MANSON AvatarJESSICA M.

We’re just had my sons 7th birthday party here and it was better than I could’ve expected. The owner and... read more - 6/03/2024 

Lisa Mazzuca AvatarLisa M.

Insectropolis is an incredible display of fascinating educational content for kids and adults. Located on Rt. 9 in Toms River,... read more - 5/23/2024 

Richard Ciullo AvatarRichard C.

Great time with a 10 year old. The exhibits are fun and informative but the touch presentation, when kids interact... read more - 4/28/2024 

M Jiang AvatarM J.

Awesome place for a day trip for an hour. Those who’s interested would know you can spend 2 to three... read more - 3/07/2024 

David Moos AvatarDavid M.

Awesome experience! Beautifully designed and curated. Seeing so many different colors and variations of the same species of insects reminds... read more - 3/04/2024 

Lonnie Moon AvatarLonnie M.

Visited Insectropolis a few months back and it exactly as you might imagine. It's an insect museum. I was actually... read more - 9/15/2023 

Matthew Marino AvatarMatthew M.

What a fun place to visit with kids of all ages. There are a lot of different areas of the... read more - 9/12/2023 

Connie D AvatarConnie D.

This place is perfect for spending a couple of hours with children. It has ample parking space and the entrance... read more - 8/02/2023 

Kenith Corrales AvatarKenith C.

Awesome place to bring young kids expect about a two hour experience. Most of the insects that they have are... read more - 7/22/2023 

Pete C AvatarPete C.

Really great museum and very interactive. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Very educational and fun. - 7/18/2023 

Someone AvatarSomeone

Very informative, clean, and a great job using space efficiently. They had a live presentation and many interactive exhibits. Great... read more - 7/03/2023 

Dennis C AvatarDennis C.

Insectropolis was well worth the drive for the visit. While the entire venue is not big by any means (the... read more - 4/13/2023