Musée Océanographique de Monaco

With its location right on the Mediterranean Sea it’s no surprise there is considerable interest in the ocean in Monaco. However, the Oceanographic Museum is worth visiting not just for the content, which is fascinating to explore, but also because the building that houses the museum is in itself quite a sight to behold. Towering over the cliffs looking out to sea, it took more than a decade to build and 100,000 tons of stone taken from the Alpes-Maritimes area of southeastern France. It’s one of Monaco’s most striking buildings so even if you don’t go inside take some time to look around.

If you do venture inside the museum, you’ll find a number of aquariums with more than 6,000 species to see, all of whom have been represented in their natural habitats as far as possible. Sharks, eel, turtles, stunning tropical fish and a huge range of corals are waiting to be explored and the museum also has a number of exciting temporary exhibitions that change periodically. You can also see the historical collection and the ‘Curiosity Cabinet,’ which contains a fascinating mix of models, skeletons and samples.

Activities available to try during a visit to the museum include fish feeding and exploring ‘Turtle Island’ which is located on the museum’s terrace, which also has an incredible 360 degree panoramic view. Then of course there’s the Touch Tank which offers the unique opportunity to really get hands on with the underwater species here.

Prices for the museum are as follows:

Adults € 14.00
Children (4 - 12 years) € 7.00
Teenagers / Students (13 - 18 years) € 10.00
People with reduced mobility (adults and children) € 7.00
Children under 4 Free

The Museum is open every day
(Except for the week-end of the Formula One Grand Prix and the 25th December). Opening times are:

January to March 10 am to 6 pm
April to June 10 am to 7 pm
July and August 9:30 am to 8 pm
September 10 am to 7 pm
October to December 10 am to 6 pm

Photo Musée Océanographique de Monaco https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremy-couture/3754904742/in/photolist-eg5rEU-6GpLKN-6Gvgij-6Gvw6j-6GrsV2-8cBW7s-6GvuMd-6GrrLT-8cyAup-8cyzQT-6GR8mE-ctws8s-7QNELE-9zXrVc-6HJNXH-6HNUoo-6HJNmV-6GkFRM-6GkGot-6HJMtK-6HNUVW-6HNT11-6HJPpV-6HNSmW-6HNSFY-eahHhz-5dorYC-ovzdmb-a5ibaa-oenHCx-644srN-644trN-63ZeoH-oxzyRM-6HNVuL-6HJN1c-6HNVHA-6GkEMn-6HJMLF-6GpHHG-644rLU-63Ze2B-644qN9-644tKy-644ra1-644rt7-644u4N-644s6U-63ZfCX-63ZbMF  Author Jeremy Couture Licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/