Civico acquario marino di Trieste

About the museum

The building of the former central fish market was erected in 1913 to a design by the architect Giorgio Polli. The tower rising on one side was originally a water tower, with an elevated tank of seawater for the fish stalls.

The aquarium was created in 1933 by adapting the installations in the part of the building that includes the clock tower. 25 tanks of varying capacity were built, together with a central tank of 17,000 litres; the water is drawn from the sea at the base of the nearby pier and pumped into the tower, from where it falls by gravity into the tanks, in an open circuit that continuously renews the water and keeps its plankton.

The exhibition occupies the ground floor and the first floor. On the ground floor about thirty tanks house species from the Adriatic and the Mediterranean, including five large tanks devoted to the habitats of the upper Adriatic and an octagonal tank with small sharks and rays; on the first floor the Vivarium displays amphibians and reptiles, especially from the fauna of Friuli Venezia Giulia, with a tank recreating the biotope of the karst ponds.

Highlights

• About thirty tanks with the fauna of the Gulf of Trieste
• Large tanks of the upper Adriatic habitats: mussels, submerged reefs, a wreck, the pier and the open-water environment
• Octagonal tank with small sharks and rays
• Vivarium with amphibians and reptiles of Friuli Venezia Giulia
• Liberty-style building of the former fish market, from 1913

Permanent exhibitions

• Aquario marino – About thirty tanks on the ground floor with Adriatic and Mediterranean species, including lobsters, gilthead seabream, sea bass, moray eels and small sharks and rays.
• Vivarium – Amphibians and reptiles of Friuli Venezia Giulia and neighbouring regions, with a tank recreating karst ponds.

Founded

1933

Operated by

Comune di Trieste – Musei Scientifici

Admission & discounts

Rates listed on the website before the closure: full price €4.50, reduced €3; the ticket office closed at 16:30.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The main entrance has 5 steps with no equipment to overcome them; a second entrance on the Riva Nazario Sauro side has a ramp. The museum is spread over two floors (ground and first floor) with stairs and a lift with Braille buttons and an acoustic signal; an accessible toilet on the ground floor and two reserved spaces on Riva Nazario Sauro. Guided visits for special needs are possible.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

Entrance at Molo Pescheria 2 / Riva Nazario Sauro 1.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check

According to the Trieste per Tutti listing: bar, bookshop and cloakroom.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit