This post covers the most interesting things to see and do at the Audubon Insectarium. We provide details about how to get tickets, plan your visit and other important information.
- Tickets
- Ways to Save on Tickets
- Plan Your Visit
- Exhibits+ Events
- Things to Do in NOLA
- Things to Do with Kids
NOTE: The Audubon Insectarium is once again open as of March 2024, and it has relocated to the same building as the Audubon Zoo and Audubon Aquarium.
AUDUBON BUTTERFLY GARDEN & INSECTARIUM TICKETS
There are a few different ways to get admission for this attraction.
The most obvious option is simply to visit the Audubon Insectarium and purchase tickets at the gate.
Alternatively, you can also buy tickets online to save yourself some time.
Finally, there are tourist attraction passes available which include admission to the Insectarium, making it easy and affordable to enjoy this activity.
Ticket Prices
Monday - Thursdays
- Adult (Ages 13-64) $30
- Child (Ages 2-12) $25
- Senior (Ages 65+) $25
Friday - Sunday
- Adult (Ages 13-64) $35
- Child (Ages 2-12) $30
- Senior (Ages 65+) $30
Click here to purchase tickets and to find out more information.
Tickets are valid for a full year after purchase until they have been used.
In other words, even if you can’t make it out to the Audubon Insectarium on the date you have planned, you’ll still have plenty of time to use your ticket!
COMBO TICKETS
Insectarium tickets can be purchased separately or in combination with the Zoo and the Aquarium.
Zoo and either the Aquarium OR Insectarium
- Adult: $50
- Senior: $45
- Child: $45
- Click here for more information.
Zoo and AND Aquarium AND Insectarium
This includes general admission to the Zoo and the other two attractions.
You have three days to use your ticket so you can visit them on different days if you like.
- Adult: $60
- Senior: $55
- Child: $55
Click here for more information.
WAYS TO SAVE ON TICKETS
If you’re trying to save money on tickets for this attraction, there are a few different opportunities to consider.
This section will cover the best ways to save money on admission to the Audubon Insectarium.
New Orleans Tourist Attraction Passes
Tickets to the Audubon Butterfly Garden & Insectarium are included with both major tourist passes in New Orleans.
Depending on how you use these services, you could save 50% or more on every activity they offer.
*Currently, the Aquarium is not included in these passes, but has been in the past and may be in the future. It's worth checking back.
Both passes have more than 20 different attractions to choose from, including the following additional locations:
- Mardi Gras World
- Oak Alley Plantation
- National WW2 Museum
- Cajun Pride Swamp Tour
- New Orleans Jazz Museum
- San Francisco Plantation House
- Longue Vue House & Gardens
- Oak Alley Plantation
- Edgar Degas House
- And more!
Please read our full post covering New Orleans tourist passes for more details.
Audubon Combo Tickets
The Audubon Nature Institute offers the only combo ticket currently available for this attraction.
This combo package includes admission to the Audubon Butterfly Garden & Insectarium, the Audubon Zoo and the Audubon Aquarium.
Combo tickets are less expensive than if you purchased each attraction individually.
When you purchase a ticket for the Aquarium and one other attraction you save 25%. When you purchase all three attractions you save 42%.
You have three days to use your ticket so you can visit them on different days if you like.
Orleans Parish Appreciation Free Days
Orleans Parish residents receive free admission to the three Audubon attractions (Insectarium, Zoo and Aquarium) for themselves and up to four guests when they present a valid government-issued photo ID.
This opportunity is offered only on certain days. Read more here.
Public Library Culture Pass
Audubon has partnered with New Orleans Public Library to offer Culture Passes for checkout by Orleans Parish library cardholders.
A limited number of passes are set aside each day and are valid for up to five admissions.
Reserve a pass here or call the Library at 504-529-7323 or visit any Orleans Parish Library location.
Senior Discount
Senior citizens (65+) save $5 off tickets upon providing proof of their age.
Children's Discount
Parents with children under 12 can get $5 off tickets for their kids. Any children under the age of 2 are granted free admission.
Become a Member
Audubon Institute memberships include unlimited free admission to the Aquarium, Zoo and Insectarium for an entire year.
Members also pay less at the gift shop and receive invitations to special events.
While an Individual Membership for one adult is $100, the Dueal Membership is $165, which reduces the price for each adult to just over $82.
If you make four visits in a year to any or all of the Audubon facilities, a membership will save you money!
Plus seniors (65+) save 20% off Individual and Dual levels for Members.
The Family Membership is even better. It costs $219.95 for two adults at the same address and two children.
SNAP participants
Orleans Parish SNAP participants and up to four guests receive free admission to the Aquarium when they present a valid ID that matches their SNAP card.
Read more here.
AAA Discount
Currently, AAA members are not eligible for reduced-price tickets.
Military Discount
Currently, active and retired military personnel are not eligible for reduced-price tickets.
Group Rates
Reduced-price tickets are available to groups with 20 or more guests. This does not include guests under 2 years of age.
Find out more here.
Groupon/Living Social
When all else fails, don’t forget to check sites such as Groupon and Living Social to see if they’re offering any deals.
These services often provide sales on popular attractions, including each branch of the Audubon Nature Institute.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
In this section, we will provide details about how to get to the Audubon Insectarium, hours of operation, best times to visit and other important details to consider.
Where is the Audubon Butterfly Garden & Insectarium?
As of 2024, this attraction is located at 1 Canal Street in the same building as the Audubon Aquarium.
One of the easiest ways to get here is via the streetcar (#47 and #48), which runs along Canal Street and provides a stop right across the street from the Audubon Insectarium.
Alternatively, you can also take a bus (#5 and #55), which also makes a stop across the street from this location.
If you’re planning to use a hop-on-hop-off bus tour, it’s worth noting that they make a stop at Harrah’s Casino, just across the street from the Audubon Butterfly Garden & Insectarium.
Hours of Operation
The Audubon Insectarium is open seven days a week and they have the same hours every day of the year.
- 10 am - 5 pm
- Last entry at 4:30 pm
This location may close early or keep the doors shut due to inclement weather. Check the Audubon Institute website before heading out to make sure that there are no closures.
Best Times to Visit
As with most attractions in New Orleans, the Audubon Butterfly Garden & Insectarium is at its busiest during weekends and in the afternoon.
The quietest hours are from 10 am - 12 pm and 3 pm - 5 pm.
If you’re trying to avoid the crowds, your best bet will be to visit either earlier or later in the day on a weekday.
Even the Audubon Institute recommends experiencing the Butterfly Garden and Insectarium during their least frequented hours.
How Long Will It Take?
Although there is no indication that you will have to wait very long in a ticket line, purchasing your tickets online will make it easier to get inside of the Audubon Butterfly Garden & Insectarium.
Most people spend at least 2 hours wandering around the Insectarium and enjoying all of the attractions they have to see.
We recommend setting aside 5-10 minutes to get your tickets and another 1 ½ - 2 hours for exploring the garden and seeing the exhibits.
Other Important Details
Here are a few more things to keep in mind before visiting the Audubon Butterfly Garden & Insectarium:
- Photography of all kinds is allowed
- Outside food/drink are not allowed
- The building is handicap accessible
- A limited number of wheelchairs are available
- Strollers are allowed, but they do not offer rentals
- All visitors must pass through metal detectors before entering
- Maps and daily schedules are available in the lobby
Nearby Attractions
Here are a few additional locations you might want to visit and activities you can enjoy while you’re in the area of the Audubon Butterfly Garden & Insectarium.
- Audubon Aquarium
- Harrah’s Casino
- House of Blues
- Riverboat Cruise
- Woldenberg Park
- Jackson Square
- French Market
- Mardi Gras World
- The Presbytere
- The Cabildo
- Cafe du Monde
- Louisiana Children’s Museum
- National WW2 Museum
- New Orleans Pharmacy Museum
- The Historic New Orleans Collection
POPULAR EXHIBITS
This section will cover some of the best exhibits at the Audubon Butterfly Garden & Insectarium.
We will also provide information about what you can expect to see and do while visiting these sections of the building.
Butterfly Garden
This is one of the most popular attractions at the Insectarium, and it’s not difficult to see why.
At any given time, you can expect to see hundreds of butterflies fluttering around this garden.
These beautiful animals aren’t contained, and they freely fly around the area at their own leisure.
Main Hall
The Main Hall, a sort of "Aquarium Building" for the Insectarium, leads to diverse exhibitions much like separate entrances.
It is enriched with murals, a living collection of new animals including prehistoric insect models, actual bugs like dung beetles, a large leafcutter ant colony, and walking leaf insects.
This intriguing array of animal species, from the Mississippi River to the Caribbean, even hosts unique creatures like the armadillo and the tortoise.
Visitors could also marvel at the entomologists' 60-foot-long hands-on touch pool and the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas' largest exhibit, the 450,000-gallon Gulf of Mexico exhibit!
Insects of New Orleans
At this exhibit, you will learn about the important role that insects have played in the development of the New Orleans area.
This is a great place to learn about bugs like mosquitoes, katydids, and even cockroaches (although you can totally skip that part if you want!)
These are the types of bugs that you can expect to see in and around the city, so you might as well become more familiar with them!
Terminix Immersion Theater
At this unique and interesting theater, you’ll have the opportunity to see a film all about bugs.
In addition to featuring notable voice actors that you and your children will probably recognize, this multi-sensory theater also has technology that can help you feel some of the moments in the movie!
Admission to this attraction is included with each ticket.
Underground
If you’ve ever wondered what life would be like as a bug, this exhibition will be an interesting experience.
Travel into an underground tunnel of an insect and discover how they live their lives from a unique perspective.
There are also displays and other things to see which will help you learn more about bugs.
Bug Appetit
While some guests may be a bit too squeamish for this one, the more daring visitors might want to think about trying to eat a few bugs at this exhibit.
In addition to the bug-filled food, this area of the Insectarium also covers information about cultures where bugs are frequently eaten.
Dishes are served throughout the day, including king cakes with crickets in them!
SPECIAL EVENTS
In this section, we will cover some of the more notable and popular events that are held at the Audubon Butterfly Garden & Insectarium throughout the year.
Party for the Planet
This is an Amazon encounter celebrating pollination, lush greenery, and all of the bugs, including honey bees, that contribute to this vital building blocks of all life.
Guests, dressed as their favorite pollinators such as butterflies or even bats from Central America, will have the opportunity to learn about the important connections between bugs, plants, and human life in diverse habitats.
Visitors are encouraged to join the Audubon Nature Institute president in the Amazon gallery, adorned like their favorite pollinator, to receive a special butterfly badge, a memorable token from the only facility housing such an event.
Along the way, don't forget to enjoy the snacks provided, including waxworms, a Bug Appétit discovery!
New Orleans Museum Month
During this collaboration between museums in the New Orleans area, members of participating museums will have the chance to visit all of them for free.
In other words, if you have a membership at one museum, you can visit another participating museum free of charge.
For more details about which institutions are included, check the New Orleans Museum Month website.
Smithsonian Museum Day
Once a year, the Smithsonian magazine hosts Museum Day, an event where they provide free entry to anyone with a ticket.
This is a very limited opportunity, and it’s a great chance to see the Audubon Insectarium without worrying about admission prices.
Make sure to register for Museum Day ahead of time if you want to take advantage of the event. Tickets will be available to download beginning on August 15th.
Crawloween
This Halloween event includes a lot of creepy activities for visitors.
In addition to the spooky things to see, there will also be trick-or-treating, a contest to guess how many maggots are in a jar, and holiday-themed cookies at Bug Appetit.
Anyone who comes in a Halloween costume will receive reduced-rate tickets!
Hoppy Thanksgiving
If you’re really serious about trying out food with bugs, this is an interesting event that you might want to attend.
In addition to all the other dishes they usually create, Bug Appetit will also be making popular Thanksgiving food such as stuffing and pie with insects as the main ingredient.
One thing is for sure: this is definitely one of the most unique Thanksgiving meals you’ll ever have!
Jingle Bugs
Celebrate Christmas with bugs at the Audubon Insectarium!
This event includes a variety of fun activities including caricatures, face painting, and even an opportunity to meet Santa Claus.
There will also be festive exhibits created for the seasonal activity, so make sure to look around for the most interesting displays.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Does Audubon Insectarium offer any free days?
Under the Audubon Community Connect program, Orleans Parish residents enjoy free access to the Audubon Insectarium, which hosts a beautiful garden filled with free-flying butterflies, important insects, and live arthropods.
This initiative not only offers an encounter with amazing animals from different species but also provides a taste of edible insect cuisine.
Is the Audubon Insectarium still closed?
The Audubon Insectarium has completed its renovation, allowing visitors to explore the diversity of creatures on the second floor.
Now, open daily, it provides a kind opportunity for special animal encounters with the largest group of animals, including honey bees, lightning bugs, and other important insects.
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