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Best place to see a live possum and vintage taxidermy – Chicago Reader
Aug
Chicago Reader
Chicago’s alternative newsroom
You may know the Insect Asylum as a quirky storefront in Logan Square where you can explore a whole underrecognized phylum and boop a possum snout all in the same day, but its coolness goes even deeper. Though the storefront opened Earth Day 2022, founder Nina Salem originally kicked things off in 2018 with a traveling exhibit called Bug Out Chicago.
Salem’s ethical policies go deep, from emphasizing “conservation, community, and kindness” in all of their business interactions to supporting and even training those interested in local conservation efforts. A proud member of the International Association of Butterfly Exhibitors and Suppliers, the Insect Asylum is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, which she explains sometimes means fostering injured and orphaned wildlife to the point of bottle feeding. They also use ethical suppliers, help organize citizen science missions, and conduct field studies with students to collect data.
So know that when you peruse the vintage taxidermy and view the impressive array of pinned insects, you are supporting a nonprofit that does great things for conservation in the midwest. Most of the displays are touch-friendly as well, making it a great place to touch base with nature during the deep freeze.
They offer classes and tours, a low-cost entry community day, sensory-friendly days, beetle pinning events, and wet specimen preservation classes, which is exactly what you’re imagining right now. They even offer animal mortuary services to those who feel inclined to preserve an aspect of their beloved pets. But let’s face it, the main draw for most of the visitors is the live insect exhibit and the other rescued wild animals they tend to. On my visit alone, I met Opal the possum and Houdini the corn snake and got a good look at tarantulas, hissing cockroaches, and many other species. Whether you pitch it as a great date night or family field trip, you’ll also find a tiny store up front that puts Etsy to shame. Worth every penny and for a good cause!
The Insect Asylum
2870 N. Milwaukee, theinsectasylum.com
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