New NHMU Bug World Exhibition Explores the World of Bugs at a Blockbuster Scale

Built by the Special Effects Wizards Behind “The Lord of the Rings” and “Avatar,” the Exhibition Opens Feb. 14

Salt Lake City, January 23, 2026 — The newest exhibition coming to the Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU) on Saturday, February 14, is backed with some real star power. Bug World, as much an experience as an exhibition, takes visitors into “the world that bugs built,” where they can learn about the genius of insects and see them on an awe-inspiring scale.

Arriving from half a world away, Bug World was created by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. It was built by the five-time Academy Award-winning film studio Wēta Workshop, known for their craftsmanship in “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Hobbit,” “Avatar,” “King Kong,” and other Hollywood blockbusters.

“Imagine the visual wonder of those blockbuster films packed into an awesome exhibition about the amazing world of insects — one of my favorite subjects,” said Jason Cryan, Ph.D., The Sarah B. George Executive Director of NHMU and a trained entomologist. “As NHMU continues to inspire wonder in the natural world, Bug World does so with a wow factor like we’ve never seen.”

That wow factor is on full display when guests come face to face with giant, intricately detailed models of invertebrates built at a larger-than-life scale, offering a “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” experience and an all-new way to learn.

The models are built into immersive pods that use light, sound, and motion to showcase unique insect adaptations, and the wow factor continues as guests learn about these “superpowers”: orchid mantises that disguise themselves as beautiful flowers, jewel wasps that conduct brain surgery on their prey, swarm strategies used by bees against invaders, and more. All the featured superpowers in Bug World, which have come about over hundreds of millions of years of invertebrate evolution, are now being studied and applied by scientists trying to solve humankind’s greatest challenges.

“The exhibition is packed with fascinating science, looking at how humans are adapting bug technology: from drones inspired by the humble housefly to spider venom being used to treat cancer,” said Ben Barraud, head of design for the exhibition, who added that kids especially will be wowed by this exhibit, designed “as if built by bugs themselves.”

Along with its grand scale and spellbinding design, the exhibition boasts dozens of interactive experiences that will entertain guests of all ages as they test their reflexes against bugs, help defend a beehive from invasion, practice bug brain surgery, or fly origami butterflies in a Bug World wind tunnel.

Bug World’s appearance in Salt Lake City was made possible by the generous support of the Presenting Sponsor, The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation.

Additional support was provided by Major Sponsors, The Meldrum Foundation, My Good Fund, and Rio Tinto Kennecott; Exhibit Sponsors, the Clark and Nancy Giles Special Exhibition Endowed Fund, the Janet Quinney Lawson Foundation, the Lawrence T. & Janet T. Dee Family Foundation, and The Potter Family; Community Sponsors, The DiFiore Family Foundation, the JoAnne L. Shrontz Family Foundation, and the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation; with Institutional Support from Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts & Parks.

Bug World opens at NHMU on Saturday, February 14, with a Love Bug Celebration full of family activities. The exhibition remains open for a limited time through September 7, 2026. Access to the exhibition is included with museum admission, which is free for Museum Members. Learn more at nhmu.utah.edu/BugWorld. The exhibition was developed by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa with Wēta Workshop Limited.

About the Natural History Museum of Utah

The Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU) is one of the leading scientific research and cultural institutions in the country. NHMU is Utah’s official state museum of natural history located at the University of Utah, and serves residents statewide through education programs, exhibitions, scientific research, and more. Established in 1963, the museum’s 10 permanent exhibitions are anchored by its state-of-the-art collections and research facilities containing more than 2 million objects. These collections are used in studies on geological, biological, and cultural diversity, and the history of living systems and human cultures within the Utah region. The museum hosts approximately 300,000 general visitors a year and provides one of the most spectacular private event settings in the Salt Lake City area. NHMU also broadens the reach of its mission through a variety of science-based outreach programs to communities and schools throughout Utah, reaching every school district in the state every other year.

About Te Papa

Te Papa is the national museum of New Zealand, combining science, art, history and the culture of New Zealand’s indigenous Māori people. Since opening in 1998, it has been recognized as a world leader in innovative museum experiences, attracting over 1.5 million visitors a year, in a country of only 4 million people. Te Papa’s previous co-creation with Wēta Workshop, Gallipoli: The scale of our war has smashed records for exhibition attendance, and its touring exhibition Whales | Tohora has attracted more than 2 million visitors at venues throughout the United States. See more at tepapa.govt.nz.

About Wēta Workshop

For more than 20 years, five-time Academy Award-winning Wēta Workshop has applied creativity and craftsmanship to blockbuster films and hit television series including “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies, “King Kong,” “Avatar,” “District 9,” “Thunderbirds Are Go” and “Ghost in the Shell.” This diverse, innovative company is also a tourist destination, producer of consumer products, interactive studio in collaboration with Magic Leap, behind-the-scenes facility, and creator of public sculptures and exhibitions, including Te Papa’s record-breaking Gallipoli: The scale of our war. CEO Richard Taylor is involved in all projects, from concept to completion. See more at wetanz.com.