Celebration Weekend - The Insectarium Marks Its 20th Anniversary With an Open
House on February 6 and 7

To access a multimedia version of this release, please visit: http://smr.newswire.ca/en/museums-nature-de-montreal/pour-ses-20-ans-linsectarium-vous-ouvre-ses-portes

MONTREAL , Jan. 27 /CNW Telbec/ - Montréal's Nature Museums today announced the special program of events for the "Celebration Weekend" to mark the Insectarium's 20th birthday, on February 6 and 7. Admission will be free for everyone, and visitors of all ages are expected to come and join the party. The Insectarium's founder, Georges Brossard, will be on hand, and there will be lots of treats to enjoy. As usual, the Insectarium will be buzzing with life!

The open house event will be a chance to celebrate the past 20 years of this Montréal scientific institution, which welcomes some 350,000 visitors every year. Georges Brossard recalls how he realized right from the start that "creating an insectarium for children was bound to be a hit! Making science accessible and targeting potential visitors who were eager to learn, that was our goal!" Anne Charpentier , Director of the Insectarium, talks about what has gone into making the Insectarium's 20 years of "insecterrific" moments, including the way it tells all kinds of stories about insects, magical events like Butterflies Go Free and a devoted team with world-renowned knowledge and expertise." Lastly, for Montréal's Nature Museums, the Insectarium is "above all a place that reveals secret worlds that have inspired the idea of a splendid metamorphosis that is going to happen over the next few years!" according to Charles-Mathieu Brunelle, Director of Montréal's Nature Museums.

    
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    PROGRAM OF EVENTS FOR THE FREE WEEKEND - February 6 and 7, 2010

    AUTOGRAPH AND PHOTO SESSIONS WITH GEORGES BROSSARD
    Diversity Room - 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., 1 to 2 and 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
    Come meet Georges Brossard and share your enthusiasm for the mysterious
    world of insects with him.

    EXHIBITION: IMAGES OF THE INSECTARIUM THROUGH THE YEARS
    Lobby - ongoing
    Relive some wonderful memories as you admire the selection of posters,
    pictures and a special video featuring some well-known figures, recalling
    the highlights of the Insectarium's first 20 years.

    SOME LIVELY ACTIVITIES

    Incredible Atta Ants (15 min)
    Busy Bodies Room - ongoing from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
    Watch the incessant comings and goings of leaf-cutter ants as they
    harvest leaves and tend their garden.

    "Bug Bites" (5 min)
    Diversity Room (activities corner) 9:30 and 10:30 a.m., and 12:30, 1:30,
    2:30, 3:30 and 4:30 p.m.
    Solve some mysteries: The Bee Case, The Mysterious Disappearing Waste and
    Operation Tunnellers.

    The Missing Link - Insect Tastings (15 min)
    Multimedia Room, 9:15, 10:15 and 11:15 a.m., and 1:15, 2:15, 3:15 and
    4:15 p.m.
    All kinds of animals eat insects ... and so do many humans!
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Montréal's Nature Museums

Montréal's Nature Museums - the Biodôme, Insectarium, Botanical Garden and Planetarium - helping people enjoy nature to the fullest. For more information: museumsnature.ca

Visual available on request

For further information: Karine Jalbert, Communications Co-ordinator, [phone], [email protected]; François Ouellet, Marketing Representative, [phone], [email protected]