Entry No. 59 — the Colorado Springs file — filed under: giant-beetle

May Natural History Museum & Herkimer the Giant Beetle

A 16-foot bronze Hercules beetle guards a retro 1950s roadside museum holding one of the world's largest private collections of preserved tropical insects — 7,000+ beetles, spiders, and scorpions in a single-subject cabinet of curiosities.

The move: Pose for a photo under the giant beetle, then wander the oddly organized display cases and rank the most disturbing specimen you each find.

📍 Before you go It is a rural drive south of the city on Highway 115 past Fort Carson, and Herkimer himself is the signage — the giant beetle stands right at the Rock Creek Canyon turnoff, so when you see him, turn. The museum sits on the grounds of the Golden Eagle Ranch campground and runs seasonally, roughly May through early October; it is closed the rest of the year. The same property holds a small space-exploration collection and miles of hiking trails, so it pairs naturally into a half-day out of town.

• 📍 Rock Creek Canyon, Colorado Springs
• 💸 $
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: 710 Rock Creek Canyon Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80926

Hours: Added 2026-06-09 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3

last checked: 2026-06-09