Entry No. 15 — the Chicago file — filed under: oddities
The Insect Asylum
Founder Nina Salem turned a lifetime of collecting into this Avondale specimen museum, which opened a brick-and-mortar space in 2022 after starting as a traveling exhibit. The collection runs to thousands of pinned insects and taxidermy mounts, including a giraffe named Long John, alongside more than 40 live sanctuary animals and insects. Weekend workshops cover butterfly pinning, owl pellet dissection, wet-specimen work, and bone jewelry, each with a take-home piece.
The story
Before setting down roots on Milwaukee Avenue in 2022, founder Nina Salem ran her obsession out of a mobile setup, hauling thousands of pinned beetles, mounted heads, and preserved oddities across the city. The permanent storefront in Avondale operates as a dense, floor-to-ceiling cabinet of curiosities—part specimen hall, part living sanctuary.
Look up from the glass cases packed with exotic insects and you'll find Long John, a taxidermy giraffe looming over thousands of mounted specimens. But the museum refuses to keep a clinical distance from its collection. Alongside the preserved dead are more than 40 living sanctuary animals—including Tortie, a resident tortoise ambassador—rescued and housed directly among the display cases.
What elevates the space from a mere gallery of the dead is its workshop culture. Rather than just staring at dead things behind acrylic, you can book a table, strap on an apron, and learn the mechanics of wet preservation, owl pellet dissection, bone jewelry fabrication, or butterfly pinning, leaving with a hand-preserved specimen of your own.
What it's like
Stepping inside from Milwaukee Avenue, you enter a tightly packed room that smells faintly of dried wood, taxidermy mounts, and animal bedding. Staff members guide you around live rescue enclosures and pinned bug walls without preachiness, but space is tight and the layout is dense. If sound and crowd stimuli wear on you, drop by on a Friday, when hours are kept sensory-friendly with dimmed lighting and low noise levels. If you want to do a workshop, book weeks ahead; walk-in crafting spots do not exist.
The move: Take a wet-specimen or bone-jewelry workshop together so you each leave with a strange little keepsake.
📍 Before you go Closed Monday and Tuesday; workshops require advance booking and Friday hours are sensory-friendly.
- 📍 Avondale
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 2870 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Covet Oddities & Macabre Gallery — Walk half a mile down Milwaukee Avenue to double down on taxidermy, dark art, and unusual natural history at this Logan Square shop.
- Occult Bookstore — Located just three blocks away, this 1918-founded shop makes a natural next stop for browsing rare esoteric texts and ritual supplies.
- Busy Beaver Button Museum — Swap pinned bugs for pinned metal at this free, single-obsession space housing over 25,000 historical pin-back buttons a mile south.
Good to know
When is it open?
The Insect Asylum is closed Monday and Tuesday. Public entry runs Wednesday through Sunday, though hours can flex for private events, so check before heading out.
Do I need to book workshops in advance?
Yes. Weekend workshops covering butterfly pinning, owl pellet dissection, wet-specimen work, and bone jewelry require advance registration.
Are all the specimens inside dead?
No. In addition to thousands of pinned insects and taxidermy mounts, the space houses a live sanctuary for over 40 rescue animals and insects.
What are sensory-friendly Fridays?
On Fridays, the museum adjusts its lighting and acoustic levels to provide a lower-stimulation experience for neurodivergent or sensory-sensitive visitors.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · abc7chicago.com · wbez.org · blockclubchicago.org
last checked: 2026-06-23