Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium in Monaco-Ville – Monaco

Monaco-Ville is the old part of the town of Monaco surrounded by fortifications. Today, it is one of the must-see attractions in Monaco. Within its walls are several tourist hot spots.

If you are visiting with kids in tow, the perfect place to take them to is Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium in Monaco-Ville – Monaco.

Location

Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium in Monaco-Ville – Monaco is located at Avenue Saint-Martin, close to the Cathedral and the Prince’s Palace.

Getting There

The Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium can be easily reached by bus or on foot. From Monaco proper, take bus no. 1 or 2, marked “Palais-Musée” going towards Monaco-Ville.

If you are up to it, you can also take the uphill climb towards Monaco-Ville on foot and then enter the walls to visit the museum and aquarium.

Another option is to take the elevator located at the car park. The elevator will take you to the op floor upon which you will see an escalator that directly leads to the side of the Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium in Monaco-Ville – Monaco.

What to See

On the ground floor is the museum where you can see various displays of sea creatures from starfishes to different crustaceans, seahorses, rays, turtles, sea cucumbers and a lot more.

The displays are either skeletons of the species or are stuffed to maintain their original form. You can also find various seafaring tools in the museum.

The basement is the most exciting part of your visit here. Down at the basement is a large aquarium that houses some 4,000 various sea creatures.

There is also a special tank designated for sharks where you can see several of these creatures swimming about.

Brief History

The Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium in Monaco-Ville – Monaco was established in 1910 and was opened to the public by Monaco’s modern-day prince, Prince Albert I.

The museum and aquarium’s façade was built at two hundred and seventy-nine feet or roughly eighty-five meters above the sea.

It took eleven years to complete this project and a special kind of stone was used to build it; about one hundred thousand tons of it.

Cost

The cost to visit the Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium in Monaco-Ville – Monaco is €12.50 for adults and €6 for children and students. For kids under six years of age, admission is free.

Other Information

The Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium in Monaco-Ville – Monaco is open everyday except on the day of the Grand Prix.

During the months of April, May, June and September; it is open from 9:30 in the morning up to 7 in the evening. For the months of July and August, it is open from 9:30 in the morning up to 7:30 in the evening.

From October all the way to March, it is open from 9 in the morning up to 6 in the evening.