Waukegan library hosts ‘Creepy Crawlies’ exhibit

Typically greeted with a swat or a curse, bugs of all varieties will enjoy a warm welcome when the Waukegan Public Library opens “Creepy Crawlies,” an all-new exhibit in its children’s department.

The library plans to unveil the exhibit, featuring 2,200 square feet of insect displays and interactive learning centers, at a grand opening reception, Dec. 4, from 1 to 3 p.m. The event is open to the public, free, and includes entertainment and refreshments.

“We have some ultra-creative staff here, and each year they manage to transform this space into a new spectacle that makes the kids ooh and aah,” said Elizabeth Stearns, assistant director of community services.

After the ribbon-cutting, students in grades 3 to 5 from Glen Flora and John Clark elementary schools will perform a concert featuring bug tunes at the Early Learning Center stage.

Families can participate in a “Wonderful World of Worms” workshop, create insect crafts, and taste-test a variety of honeys at the bee exhibit. An apiary with a mammoth bee, honeycomb and pollen sacs help explain the honey-making process.

Other exhibits include a giant ant farm and terrarium with live exotic critters, including a hissing cockroach, cobalt blue tarantula and emperor scorpion. A separate display area features creatures that can be found right in Lake County, on a prairie or in a yard, such as the praying mantis, millipedes and centipedes.

In tribute to children’s book illustrator Eric Carle, the Creepy Crawlies exhibit will showcase mural-size illustrations of such popular characters as “The Very Busy Spider” and “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.”

Young visitors can climb around a butterfly crawl space, play “I Spy” on a giant bug wall, learn to identify insects by their sound, and practice insect math in the math center.

Dora the Explorer will make an appearance at the grand opening, along with a six-foot tall walking roach. Any children who attend the ribbon-cutting in their own bug costumes will receive a prize.

The launch of Creepy Crawlies marks the third year of rotating exhibits in the children’s department at the Waukegan Public Library, following “Dig the Dinosaurs” and “Under the Sea.”

Each exhibit, including all displays and installation, is funded exclusively by donations from the exhibit sponsor, North Shore Gas, and other private contributors.

The library’s Early Learning Center is closed now until the grand opening while workers install the displays. For information about Creepy Crawlies, call Mitch Siegel, marketing coordinator at the library, at (847) 623-2041, ext. 231.