May Natural History Museum

This place is a gem! If you like oddities and things off the beaten path then this is the place! Its like a time capsule… a sort of bizarre little museum that hasn’t been changed in years. Yes, its raggedy and the space museum part is more of a joke, but the bug museum is fantastic! One of the largest collections in the world and absolutely magnificent! Collected in the early 1900’s you get a feel for what this man must have subjected himself to in order to collect these amazing specimens! Even in today’s modern world this would be a feat, but back then it must have been unimaginable! Dangerous to say the least!
You can spot it, and also get a clue as to what you are in for, by the crazy giant bugs roadside! One rare little piece of Americana. A must see!

Quaint museum, but super interesting! My boyfriend is a huge bug nerd, so he was in heaven. I’m not into bugs, but I learned a lot and found it fascinating. I highly recommend this as a stop even if it’s not on the top ten things to do in Colorado Springs.

I haven’t been to the museum in years but decided to take my grandson. I am so glad we went! He enjoyed the whole experience. It was so fun to see his excitement with the largest bugs you will ever see. Such a reasonable cost, $ 4 for kids and $ 6 for adults. This will be an experience he is sure to remember.

When I was about 12, my family came on a trip to Colorado Springs. I saw the giant beetle by the road & whined & argued till Mom & Dad stopped. & took us there. It literally changed my life — leading me to a lasting interest in arthropods.
This summer (almost 50 years later), i found myself passing through Colorado Springs again on my way home to Texas. Realizing where I was, i quick checked my smartphone to see if May’s Insect Museum still existed. It DID! So, just as I’d done in 1968, i threw a tantrum till my family agreed to stop there. Again.
It is a tiny place — though it hosts thousands of insects, they don’t take up much room. It’s cheap for a museum (only $ 6 per adult).
It was fantastic! One case would be filled with terrifying foot-​long horrors, bristling with spines & claws. Next to it would be a case containing creatures of ethereal beauty — jewel-​like beetles in metallic glistening red, green, gold, or blue — or huge gorgeous moths. Or tiny butterflies no bigger than a fingernail. It was like a roller-​coaster of loveliness & terror.
The insects that rely on light-​vulnerable pigment for their color were, of course, completely washed out after 50 years in the cases. They were all yellow & parchmenty — like mummy skin. But their shapes were just as impressive as ever.
I cannot recommend this place strongly enough. It was emotional, educational, and impressive. Even the 14 month old liked it. I did notice that the 3 year old shied away from the case containing the tarantulas. But she liked the rest.
There is literally too much here to take in. Do not miss it.

The first clue that this is not your usual tourist attraction is the giant beetle sculpture that you will see on the highway trying to locate the museum. Once you make it to the museum, you will find one of the world’s largest collections of insects on display. The founder of the museum, James F.W. May, compiled the collection himself while exploring jungles in now extremely politically unstable areas throughout the world. The collection is both fascinating and slightly creepy. You’ll find other offbeat oddities such as a large, stuffed fruit bat.
There’s a space museum located next to the bug museum which is also worth a visit, but is definitely less creepy!