The Oceanographic Museum of Monaco

Monaco’s Oceanographic Museum is not only about a large aquarium with beautiful fish. Here you can also stroke a live shark, enter the replica of a bathyscaphe, and see the fantastic Monaco and Monte-Carlo panorama from the roof of the building.

The Oceanographic Museum of Monaco is located on the Monaco Rock, just behind Monaco’s Old Town. This monumental building standing on the rock is visible, above all, from the Fontvieille district. It’s easy to get there. The best way is to visit the Monaco Rock first, coming up the steep path from the very center of Monaco. The road to the museum leads through the Old Town, which is small; or you can choose a route through the gardens on the rock.

I have deliberately avoided giving exact descriptions for getting to the museum because the Monaco Rock is not big and sooner or later everyone ends up at the huge museum building.

The admission ticket to the museum costs €14 for adults. At the ticket counter it is worth noting that for €19 you can buy a combined ticket that entitles you to visit the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco and the Prince’s Palace of Monaco. I know that tourists sometimes buy the more expensive ticket without knowing about the possibility of seeing the interior of the palace.

Oceanographic museum of Monaco

It is worth spending about 2 hours visiting the museum itself, but you can spend much more there – it all depends on what exhibits you find interesting.

What to see at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco

Above all, you must see the shark lagoon – at 6 meters high, holding 450,000 liters of seawater, with 30 cm thick glass, and containing a coral reef (since 1989); it is probably the museum’s main attraction and the first one you see after entering the building’s basement. Sharks swim in the aquarium, but also many other aquatic creatures. It’s worth seeing this wonder from every side!

The remaining aquariums are divided into zones: Mediterranean and tropical seas.

Oceanographic museum of Monaco

Above there is a great attraction to see. In a dark room, which is also the way out of the museum, there is a huge bowl with small sharks that can be petted. You only need to wash your hands beforehand and follow the guide’s instructions. Just try not to lose your hand ;).

In the same place there are elevators that go up to the roof of the building. From here, of course, there is a beautiful view across all of Monaco and Monte Carlo. There is also an area where large turtles live, and also a restaurant, a playground for children, and free toilets.

On the first floor you will find a more typical museum, which is located in three large rooms:

• an exhibition presenting the history of oceanic scientific research and the expeditions of Prince Albert I, the founder of the museum,
• a 10-meter high “shelf” with specimens from the oceans and oceanography,
• an exhibition about sharks and a large amount of information about life in the oceans.

Oceanographic museum of Monaco

One of the goals of the shark exhibition is to remove the fear of these animals. The senselessness of this fear is best illustrated by the fact that sharks kill less than 10 people a year, while jellyfish kill 50, and mosquitoes (indirectly) kill 800 thousand people a year!

You can find more information at oceano.mc website.