History of the Creepy Crawly Zoo

The Gateway Science Project, Inc. began in 1995 as Tony’s Creepy Crawly Zoo, built around intimate, fun, exciting, and unforgettable encounters with live insects and other small creatures. The goal was simple: Excite, educate, and inspire. This simple formula lit wildfires of scientific curiosity. Students would always leave wanting more. They would run home and tear apart their own yards looking for more or run to the library and find all the books on insects that they could. This is what scientific curiosity is! Over the years, those experiences reached more than 1.5 million students nationwide.

“The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.” – Dorthy Parker

For over a decade, I was unaware of my own impact and contribution to science. Then I would meet parents that chastised me about the day I came to their child’s school. They would jovially complain about how they could not go anywhere without packing nets and jars for years after. I would hear about how their children went into fields related to insects because of my visits. Eventually, I started meeting parents who brought their kids to my show, that were kids that I had seen when they were in school and they would tell me how they never forgot that day.

This inspired a swelling of pride that I could have hung my hat on. Every educator dreams of the day a child will come back as an adult and tell them how something they taught them inspired their life. These encounters filled me with an emotional humbling awe, but I wasn’t done yet. I saw a pattern of what insects could do and just how perfect a tool they were.

“Science begins with curiosity. Insects are weird, exciting, mysterious, and awe‑inspiring. They are the roller coaster in the theme park. They are everywhere and affect everything! No child has to go anywhere to observe insects. By using insects to inspire curiosity in children, their questions may lead to chemistry, evolution, biology, zoology, physics, botany, history, etymology, agriculture, horticulture, pathology, medicine, Latin, Greek, genetics, math, statistics, food science, and even astronomy. Entomology is a gateway science!”
— Antonio Gustin

As the organization evolved into a nonprofit, our focus sharpened on what those encounters consistently ignited: questions, investigation, and a desire to learn more. Today, we no longer run live animal programs. The pandemic brought the live shows to an end, but from the ashes of defeat, a new idea was born. I could not bring insects to audiences, but what if I could put my audience in with the insects?

This led to the invention of a proprietary 8K macro virtual reality camera that would allow you to see the world as if you were only 2” tall! You could actually experience the animals of the Creepy Crawly Zoo from inside their habitats. Before the pandemic, I had envisioned a permanent location where families could come and have adventures hunting for insects and reptiles themselves and actively science as a verb. So, I created that vision in virtual reality based around our new ability to put you inside the terrariums. I partnered with my old friend, Dan Capps to bring his stunning collection to virtual reality as well. Six years later, that project is a reality and today we bring you that vision in Tony’s Creepy Crawly Zoo 2.0!

Today, with the launch of Tony’s Creepy Crawly Zoo 2.0, that journey enters a new era. What began as a live insect show in a school gym has evolved into an immersive scientific gateway that students can step inside—literally. This VR experience is more than a replacement for the live shows; it’s the next evolution of our mission to ignite curiosity. For the first time, anyone anywhere can experience the wonder, mystery, and excitement of the Creepy Crawly Zoo as if they were part of the tiny world themselves. This is not the end of the story—it’s the beginning of a new one.

Mission

EXCITE! EDUCATE! INSPIRE! To take fear and malice for the misunderstood and change that to curiosity and respect. Empowering youth with a science that is as accessible as their own backyards. A science that leads to all other sciences.  Entomology is a gateway science!

The Problem

Let’s be honest and point out the obvious, most of us don’t even know what science is. We hear about science; We hear that these science people do research and tell us things that we might need to know. We know that science has to do with math, stars, nuclear energy, math and things, but WHAT IS IT? At the same time, pseudoscience (aka misinformation) spreads faster than ever, making it harder for young people and adults to separate evidence from opinion and develop durable critical thinking habits.

Carl Sagan said it best: “Science is a way of thinking.” What we think of as science is better described as the “sciences.” These are subjects that we have applied science to. We got our information in those subjects by running our observations through a process known as science. Science is a verb! We question everything. We question ourselves to avoid prejudice or leniency. We test our ideas, and we follow the evidence those tests produce. How we test those ideas, or “hypothesis,” is what we know today as the scientific method. We also keep in mind that we could be wrong. New evidence or better science can change our understanding. It isn’t about being right, it is about being accurate and following the evidence.

Our Solution

Every great scientist who has made a discovery that elevated humanity began as a curious and inspired child. We begin with an experience that lights the fires of curiosity. We still use insects as instruments of awe, and we have evolved to make those experiences available on demand, with a reach that is now global.

Our virtual reality experience is only the beginning of a larger journey, a tool that opens the door. We know what curiosity does to our patrons, and our goal is to harness that curiosity one step further. As these adventures inspire new questions, we created a science activity book to help learners record their observations. Scientific observation is the fundamental skill of every scientist. It is the foundation of all scientific journeys, and anyone can do it.

“The only difference between screwing around and science is writing it down.”
 — Adam Savage

Recording observations in our activity book is the beginning of sciencing as a verb. It is a core habit that has the potential to change the world one day, and it is simple to do. Our book includes links to our instructional video to support basic understanding.

If we can accomplish only this, we can help create generations of children who grow up with a real understanding of science. It does not matter if they do not become professional scientists. What matters is that they develop a connection to what it means to science and learn to see clearly what science is not. In today’s world, that understanding alone would be a major contribution to humanity.

Who We Are

We are a nonprofit science education organization that uses curiosity as the entry point into real scientific thinking. We believe science becomes accessible when learners first experience wonder and then receive tools that help them explore, question, and understand what they discover.

What We Offer

Immersive Virtual Reality Science Exploration
Tony’s Creepy Crawly Zoo 2.0 is an immersive VR experience built for extended, self‑guided discovery. Learners can step inside intricate environments, examine details up close, and follow their curiosity as often as they wish.

My Science Diary
My Science Diary is a guided workbook that helps learners develop the core habits behind scientific literacy: careful observation, accurate recording, thoughtful questioning, and recognizing patterns. It transforms curiosity into a repeatable and meaningful scientific process.

How It Works

Our approach begins with wonder. VR sparks the initial curiosity through immersive exploration, while My Science Diary provides the structure that helps learners capture what they notice, think critically about it, and build long‑term evidence‑based reasoning skills.

Who We Serve

We support educators, schools, families, and lifelong learners who want science to feel accessible, engaging, and relevant.

Mission Support

Proceeds from Tony’s Creepy Crawly Zoo 2.0 and My Science Diary directly support our attendance at public events, conventions, and community programs. At these events, we demonstrate the virtual reality experience and give away copies of My Science Diary to attendees. These outreach efforts help us advance our mission to inspire curiosity, promote real scientific thinking, and encourage the next generation to answer the call to science.