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All the United States Colorado Colorado Springs May Natural History Museum

May Natural History Museum

Hidden beyond a kitschy giant beetle is this remarkably sprawling collection of preserved insects.

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Added By
Daniel R. Thorne
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Herkimer, the world’s largest beetle, built in 1952   ickaimp / Atlas Obscura User
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About

A giant roadside beetle and RV park belie the world-class quality of this Colorado Springs bug museum's collection.

Turning off of Colorado Highway 115 at the oversized model of the Giant West Indian Hercules Beetle, and driving back through the recreational vehicle campgrounds, one could be forgiven for expecting a certain amount of kitsch at the May Natural History Museum. But beyond the gift shop and the Tiki warrior gods lie case after case exhibiting nearly 8,000 specimens from the extraordinary collection of James May, a British second-generation collector who traveled the world searching for rare, exotic, and beautiful insects.

There are hundreds upon hundreds of species of butterfly, moth, beetle, centipede, spider, scorpion, and more, arranged tastefully, even elegantly, in an immersive serpentine maze of framed white cases. The scale of the collection is impressive on its own, but at each case one is impressed as well by the remarkable quality and condition of its specimens, and above all, its variety. The carefully-written labels indicate that the bugs were gathered from locations as far flung as Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa, and Papua New Guinea, and several varieties were discovered by May for the very first time.

The RV park and museum were opened by in 1947 by James' son John May and is run today by his grandchildren.

Related Tags

Museums And Collections Museums Insects Roadside Attractions Bug Week

Know Before You Go

Open from May 1st through October 1st every year.

A scavenger hunt is available for kids and those who want to do it, with a small prize as a reward. 

Community Contributors

Added By

danielrthorne

Edited By

carstelvizsla, Martin, ickaimp, EricGrundhauser...

  • carstelvizsla
  • Martin
  • ickaimp
  • EricGrundhauser
  • Rick Sheridan
  • marthaking0608

Published

June 22, 2016

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  • http://gazette.com/side-streets-may-museum-remains-a-classic-attraction/article/1519405#GyZA4hTjhR1qhRYl.03
  • http://www.pikes-peak.com/attractions/may-natural-history-museum/
May Natural History Museum
710 Rock Creek Canyon Road
Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80926
United States
38.709066, -104.84801
Visit Website
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