PRESS RELEASE

June 1, 2011

MEDIA CONTACT: Jenna Stoll, (513) 287-7099 office, (513) 373-6592 cell, jstoll@cincymuseum.org

Crawl, Slither and Fly Your Way into the World of Bugs
Cincinnati Museum Center hosts annual BugFest

CINCINNATI- Crunch! Munch! Buzz! You heard right, the time is here for the 8th annual BugFest at Cincinnati Museum Center! Immerse yourself in the world of arthropods on June 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. as we learn more about these creepy crawlies!

Where else can you find a delicious meal of gourmet chocolate chirp brownies, ants on a log and red curry mopani worms? Also check out our recipes new to this year’s menu, cricket jambalaya and mealworm fried rice. Wash it all down with a delicious glass of beetlejuice or green ant tea during the Insect Tasting from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Yum!

Fly into the Museum of Natural History & Science to watch our Big Brown Bats take flight and learn why bats are important to the insect world. How many bugs do you eat a year? Test your knowledge about insects in a Jeopardy-style Insect Fact or Fiction game! Ever wondered what makes an insect so special? Learn their characteristics while you build your own bug to take home. Discover more about butterfly and insect coloration with Museum Center’s Geier Collections & Research Center and peer into a microscope to see butterfly scales! And don’t miss our very own hissing cockroach races and cheer your favorite to the finish line!

Slither into a pair of “bug” glasses and experience what it is like to see the way that insects see in the Duke Energy Children’s Museum and create your own insect collage. But don’t stop there!

Explore all the free fun in the Rotunda! Visit the Hamilton County Park District and their lady bug display and find out more about David Rogers’ Big Bugs. See how recycling can pay you from Recyclebank and discover the WAVE Foundation at the Newport Aquarium and their live insect encounters. Test your insect knowledge with insect memory, an active worm bin and other bugs with the Cincinnati Park Board!

All activities are free and open to the public. Activities inside the Museum of Natural History & Science Museum and Duke Energy Children’s Museum are free with Museum admission. For more information call (513) 287-7000.

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About Cincinnati Museum Center
Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal is a nationally recognized institution dedicated to sparking community dialogue, insight and inspiration. As one of the top cultural attractions in the Midwest, Cincinnati Museum Center has served as an educational, research and entertainment resource to millions of visitors from around the world. Organizations within Museum Center include the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children's Museum, the Museum of Natural History & Science, the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater, and the Cincinnati Historical Society Library. These organizations combine to serve more than one million visitors annually, reaching out to nearly 400,000 young people through hands-on exhibits and programs. Originally built in 1933 as a train station, Union Terminal stands as one of the last remaining grand-scale Art Deco style railroad terminals. The building is a National Historic Landmark and was renovated and reopened as Cincinnati Museum Center in 1990. For information, call 1-800-733-2077 or visit www.cincymuseum.org.