ABOUT US

ABOUT

YOU'RE INVITED TO THE AMAZING WORLD OF INSECTS, ARACHNIDS, AND THEIR MANY-LEGGED RELATIVES

What is The Victoria Bug Zoo?


The Victoria Bug Zoo is a mini-zoo in the heart of downtown Victoria, BC. Bugs and other Arthropods tend to be small so we are too! Don't be fooled by our size though. We have LOTS to offer. With over 50 different species of animals in our zoo, you will spend anywhere from 15minutes to 2 hours in here! There will be an Educator in the zoo at all times to help you learn as much as you can during your visit. They can even take out some bugs for you to hold! Please keep in mind that not all bugs like being held. This is especially true for arachnids. Some days they don't mind, other days are a big no.


The Victoria Bug Zoo opened its doors in 1997 on Wharf St. It soon made a big move over to its current location, 631 Courtney St. In 2014, it was purchase by Xing Chen and Chunli Wang. After the change in owners, new enclosures were added, some fresh paint was put up, and the Victoria Bug Zoo became what you see today.


The Victoria Bug Zoo is currently managed by Jaymie Chudiak and Karlee Friesen. To learn a bit more about these two, scroll a little further down this page!



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WHY A BUG ZOO?

We get that question a lot. The simple answer is because bugs are awesome!


The Victoria Bug Zoo is an educational facility focused on the following goals:


  • Display some of the incredible diversity of invertebrates from around the world, many of which are unknown to the average person
  • Combat the vast amount of misinformation and negative stereotypes about bugs with facts and enthusiasm
  • Assist visitors in overcoming phobias in a safe, controlled environment
  • Provide a unique, hands-on experience for all ages with some of the most under-appreciated animals
  • Promote the appreciation and conservation of all living things, no matter how different from us they are
  • Create a safe space for the younger crowd to develop and foster a lifelong passion for insects


Live Laugh Larva

Our team

The best of the best to create a safe and education arthropod experience for you and your family.

Calyn

The Ant King

Learn more

Grey

The Librarian

Learn more

Management

Jaymie Chudiak

General Manager

Pronouns: No preferred Pronouns

Jaymie, pictured on the left, has been the General Manager for more than 7 years. She has a BCs in Biology and a love for bugs! With years of animal care under their belt, they are true Bug Royalty. In her spare time, Jaymie loves to play tabletop games as well as go for hike with the Bug Zoo Mascot, Todd the Dog. Jaymie strives to make the Victoria Bug Zoo a place of wonder and education in order to teach children and adults that Arthropods are just as important as other animals in our world.


Jaymie can be reached at jaymie@victoriabugzoo.ca


Karlee Friesen

Outreach Manager

Pronouns: She/They

Karlee, pictured on the right, is our Outreach Manager. They have been here since 2018 and has been slowly curating our social media presence. We are taking a break from social media but if we bring it back, we will let you know! Karlee has BSc in Zoology from UBC Okanagan. In their spare time they enjoy gardening with their wife and playing with their cat Sophie. Karlee does most of the pinned arthropods available in our giftshop, as well!


Karlee can be reached at karlee@victoriabugzoo.ca


Common Questions

See some common questions and answers below, or call us at 250-384-2847

  • What are your business hours?

    Due to Victoria being such a tourism based city, our hours changes throughout the year. For the most up to date hours, please check out our instagram! @victoriabugzoo

  • How big is the Bug Zoo and how long does it take to go through?

    The Victoria Bug Zoo is truly a "Mini Zoo". It is comprised of a small Giftshop, and a Zoo that is just about twice the size. 


    Depending on your's or your family members' intrest and attention span, you can spend anywhere between 20 minutes to 2 hours inside the Zoo! If you need to take a break, let the front desk know and we will give you a handstamp that will allow you to visit us again and again throughout the day.

  • Do you have annual memberships?

    Yes! You can purchase them online or in store. For an adult, if you visit us two and a half times, you will have paid for your  annual pass! 


    It last for one full year from the date of purchase.

  • What do you do to make your Zoo accessible?

    Our Zoo is accesible for wheelchair, power chair, and walker users. There are no big bumps or ledges to get over. Due to us sharing a washroom with Nootka Court, our washrooms are not accesible to full time wheelchair or powerchair users, unforunately. The Mens washroom has the most amount of room to move around in so if you need extra space, please feel free to use the men's washroom. 


    For the first our of opeing, we mandate masks so that folks who require folks to mask up around them can still visit us and feel safe. 


    If you have any suggestions on how to make our zoo more accessible, please email us at bugs@victoriabugzoo.ca

  • What is your return policy?

    You may return items purchased in the Gift Shop if they are unopened and appear to be unused. You must have your reciept in order to do this. You may not return something past three months after purchase date.

  • Can I get a full refund on admission?

    You may recieve a full refund on admission if you booked online and let us know 48 hours in advance. 


    You may not receive a full refund on admission if you went into the Zoo. If you went into the Zoo a full refund cannot be given, however if you were in for less than 5 minutes, you may qualify to recieve a free "2 for 1" to use in the future.

  • Do you have any other locations?

    Nope! Just here in Victoria. Our dream is to one day have mulitple Zoos but for the time being, we are located at 631 Courtney Street.

  • Is there a Family Pass?

    We do not offer family passes as familys range is size. Instead, we offer different rates for different ages. Please see our Admissions page for more details.

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