Arachnophilia

One of the most unusual attractions in Victoria, BC, is the Victoria Bug Zoo. Inconspicuously located in the heart of the city, the Bug Zoo is not for the squeamish. It features an elaborate ant farm with tubes running through several rooms; many displays of giant, odd, and even dangerous creepy-crawlies. Guides even let visitors handle some of the bugs including a foot-long black millipede.

The crowning attraction, however, has to be the giant spider exhibit. Protected by thick panes of safety glass, even the arachnophobic can enjoy the antics of the mammoth birdeater spider, which in its native habitat of Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela actually catches and dines on birds. (Oh, they can live for up to 25 years.) I love this image of a father and son fascinated by the spiders.