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The youngest two and I recently ventured to a media preview of Mega Bugs! At Stone Mountain Park. With 28 species and over 75 individual creepy crawlers that you can get up close with, you are sure to impress any bug lover!
Before Entering
Before you even enter the MEGA BUGS! attraction, you are greeted by a giant katydid between the parking lot and the Dinotarium (aka the barn aka the ball area which is still there). This MEGA BUGS! exhibit has taken over the space where the dinosaurs were.
There’s a buzz in the air at Stone Mountain Park with the addition of 70 new exhibits of larger-than-life insects. New in 2019, MEGABUGS! Adventure Encounters is an immersive and interactive area for “bugologists” of any age to explore.
From Stone Mountain Park
“As the state’s most visited attraction, Stone Mountain Park is constantly looking for something new or different to keep visitors across the region and around the world coming back for more,” said Michael Dombrowski, vice president and general manager. “This new themed area is the perfect environment for families to enjoy time together and learn about nature.”
MEGABUGS! brings park visitors face-to-face with a 15-foot emperor dragonfly, a 26-foot Madagascar hissing cockroach, a 50-foot Madagascan fire millipede, honey bees, butterflies, ladybugs and many other species. Children and adults can work together to explore and identify 70 different species, many featuring the individual sounds and movements that make these insects unique members of the animal kingdom. Visitors are invited to crawl like a spider, fly like a bee and dig like an ant as they interact with colossal crawlers along winding paths.
Our thoughts
The girls were so excited to see all of the giant bugs. They were willing to pose by some of them, but B worried some of them were real (age 5). Nope, they aren’t real. But, some of the do move around and it can be a bit of a surprise.
Because the bugs are way more than life-sized, you can see many features on them that you might not know exist. Plus, the placards with more information are very useful for the adults and readers in the group.
We were only slightly concerned this one was looking right at us!
How long does it take?
Of course, this will depend on the age and interests of the people in your group. It was unseasonably cold when we went, so I know we had a lot more pep in our steps. It took us about 15-20 minutes to walk through MEGA BUGS! but we didn’t stop and analyze all of the bugs nor did we read every sign. (Again, it was REALLY cold). I would say, most people should plan to spend 30 minutes to 1 hour in the MEGA BUGS! area, but of course, your mileage will vary.
At the end, there is a great photo opportunity where you can stand inside an magnifying glass, so make sure you have your phone or camera ready.
Buying tickets
Included with an All-Attractions Pass or Mountain Membership, MEGABUGS! will remain at Stone Mountain Park for a limited engagement through the 2019 season. Ticket discounts and parking can be found online at stonemountainpark.com.
MEGA BUGS! At Stone Mountain Video
Be sure to check out our video to see some reactions and get an idea of what the space is like.
