Akwarium Gdyńskie

About the museum

The institution’s origins go back to 1921. In 1924 the collections of the Morskie Laboratorium Rybackie (Sea Fisheries Laboratory) from Hel were shown in display cases and aquariums. In the 1930s they were presented in the “Muzeum Bałtyckie” (Baltic Museum) in Hel, and in 1938–1939 the marine station moved to a new building in Gdynia. The outbreak of the Second World War interrupted the construction of the planned museum and aquarium section. In 1949 the institution was renamed the Morski Instytut Rybacki (Sea Fisheries Institute).

Construction and installation of the aquarium tanks began in 1969. In 1971, as part of the institute’s 50th anniversary celebrations, the “Muzeum Oceanograficzne i Akwarium Morskie” (Oceanographic Museum and Marine Aquarium) was opened. At that time the facility had 34 aquariums with marine and freshwater animals and plants.

In 2003 the glass rotunda was renovated and an exhibition on a coral reef was opened on the first floor; in July the name was changed to Akwarium Gdyńskie (Gdynia Aquarium). In 2005 green anacondas appeared and a new terrarium-aquarium hall was opened. Later a cinema and conference hall, laboratories and a room for pre-school children were added. Today the exhibition has eight halls, including the Amazon, the coral reef, the open Pacific Ocean, the Baltic and the cold waters of the North Atlantic. Its highlight is the “Morza Zimne” (Cold Seas), considered the largest exhibition of its kind in Poland.

Highlights

• Eight exhibition halls: Amazon, coral reef, Pacific, Baltic and the cold waters of the North Atlantic
• “Morza Zimne” (Cold Seas), the largest such exhibition in Poland
• Glass rotunda and new terrarium with green anacondas
• Free multimedia guide in the browser
• Quiet room with noise-cancelling headphones for people sensitive to noise

Permanent exhibition

• Ekspozycja stała Akwarium Gdyńskiego – Eight halls present aquatic life from various habitats, from the Amazon and the coral reef to the Baltic, the open Pacific Ocean and the “Morza Zimne”.

Founded

1971

Operated by

Morski Instytut Rybacki – Państwowy Instytut Badawczy

Admission & discounts

Free admission: From September to April, on the first and third Wednesday of the month, pensioners, disability pensioners and children from care and educational centres enter free (on presentation of a letter from the centre).

Prices depend on the season. From 1 May to 31 August a standard ticket costs PLN 48 and a concession ticket PLN 34; from 1 September to 30 April they are PLN 43 and PLN 30. Carers of groups and of people with disabilities, staff of zoos and PTTK guides also enter free. The Karta Przyjaciela (Friend Card) gives a 10% discount on the next purchase after a single purchase of tickets worth at least PLN 150. The packages with the Karta Turysty “Gdynia” and “Przygoda z Pomorskim” packages give free admission.

Accessibility

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

The aquarium has no wheelchairs of its own for visitors, and the stairs have no platform. All halls are served by two lifts, one of which is currently out of order, so the modified route should be used (a map is available). Two accessible toilets are on the ground floor, opposite the cloakroom at the ticket offices and in the education corridor. On the ground floor there is a quiet room with a sofa, a sea view, noise-cancelling headphones and blankets. Entry with an assistance dog or a guide dog requires a harness, a certificate of the dog’s status and proof of vaccination.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Baby changing facilities

Family tickets are available. The Centrum Edukacji (Education Centre) runs educational activities and the Klub Młodego Odkrywcy Mórz (Young Sea Explorer Club). There is a room for a parent with a child in the building, and children up to age 5 enter free.

Getting there & parking

The aquarium is on al. Jana Pawła II, on Skwer Kościuszki in Gdynia.

Amenities & dining

• Coat check

In summer a catering point operates on the terrace with a view of the bay; outside the season, meals are served by local restaurants. The cloakroom operates outside the summer season, but the aquarium does not store luggage. There is a room for a parent with a child, with a changing table, a bottle warmer and a high chair.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit