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All Monaco Monaco Oceanographic Museum

Oceanographic Museum

Museum celebrating the ocean, with the largest wunderkammer dedicated to sea exploration.

Monaco, Monaco

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Octopus on the ceiling   Mathieu Marquer/Flickr
Mark Dion’s Curiosity Cabinet   oceano.mc
Mark Dion’s Curiosity Cabinet   oceano.mc
Polar expedition vehicle outside the museum   Allison / Atlas Obscura User
Oceanographic Museum   Wikimedia
Oceanographic Museum   Berthold Werner/Wikimedia
Nautilus   Mathieu Marquer/Flickr
Whale skeletons   NovoaR/Flickr
Whale skeleton   gωen/Flickr
Monaco - Oceanographic Museum   Drexl / Atlas Obscura User
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About

The Musée Océanographique (Oceanographic Museum) of Monaco is one of the largest scientific institutions dedicated to the study of the ocean. In its aquariums are around 6,000 species of sea creatures, and it also holds an incredible array of specimens collected during 20th century exploration. 

In 2011, the museum commissioned artist Mark Dion to create a new arrangement of the collection in the tradition of a cabinet of curiosity. Drawing from the archives, Dion resurrected many forgotten pieces of the vast collection founded by Prince Albert the 1st, thematically arranged in a 10-foot-high display. Between the polar bear, the antique diving suit, and the giant corals, Mark Dion's marine wunderkammer is spectacular  in size and variety, a breathtaking display that will arouse your thirst for science.

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Animals Wonder Cabinets Natural History

Know Before You Go

Please note that there is currently no giant octopus on the ceiling (as seen in the gallery) since it was solely part of a temporary exhibit. However, there are different interesting (and not quite as massive) sea creatures to find on various walls of the building, which makes for a fun treasure hunt.

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Added By

Laetitia Barbier

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Simpluree, Allison, Ursula, breaingram...

  • Simpluree
  • Allison
  • Ursula
  • breaingram
  • Drexl

Published

July 25, 2013

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Oceanographic Museum
Avenue Saint-Martin
Monaco, 98000
Monaco
43.730972, 7.425219
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