The largest aquarium in Moscow

1. The largest aquarium in Moscow is the Moskvarium at VDNH
   • Where is it located and how to get there
   • How much does it cost to swim with dolphins
   • What to see
   • Additional entertainment
2. Oceanarium of the RIO shopping center
   • Where it is located and how to get there
   • How much does it cost
   • What can I see
   • Additional entertainment
3. Crocus City Aquarium
   • Where is the Crocus City Aquarium and how to get there
   • How much does it cost
   • What can I see
   • Additional entertainment
4. Other equally interesting aquariums in Moscow are the Moscow Aquarium on Chistye Prudy
   • The exotarium of the Moscow Zoo
   • Aquarium in Oceania shopping center
   • Aquarium in Aviapark shopping center

Fish and marine mammals are part of the amazing and stunning natural world, which people of any age dream of getting to know. Not everyone has the opportunity to see animals firsthand in their natural habitat, so special parks are being created, visiting which you can experience the uniqueness of our nature and the planet.

It will be interesting for everyone to visit the artificially created underwater world inhabited by various fish and other marine inhabitants. A lot of informative excursions and unforgettable moments alone with rare and unique marine life — that's what visiting the aquarium with the whole family is all about.

What is the name of the largest aquarium in Moscow, how much do tickets to the new dolphinarium in Crocus City Hall cost, how to buy tickets to the aquarium, how to drive or take the subway, the opening hours of the aquarium… How many questions do residents and guests of the capital have who have decided to visit the artificial aquarium world! In this article, we will answer all of them.

The largest aquarium in Moscow is the Moskvarium at VDNH

The aquarium-Moskvarium is located in the far zone of VDNH, at a distance of about two kilometers from the main entrance. But it's not a big deal: free minibuses run to it from the southern entrance of the VDNKh metro station.

• Address: 119 Mira Avenue, building 23, Moscow
• Metro station: VDNKH
• Prices: 750 rubles for children and 1100 rubles for adults from Monday to Thursday. 900 rubles for children and 1300 rubles for adults from Friday to Sunday, as well as on holidays, weekends and non-working days.
• Opening hours: from 10.00 to 22.00

This is without exaggeration the largest and best aquarium in Moscow. It was opened in 2015 and has become the largest not only in the country, but also in Europe. The total area of the complex is 12,000 square meters, and the aquariums contain about 8,000 representatives of aquatic flora and fauna. In addition to viewing the exposition in this aquarium, you can watch shows with killer whales, fur seals, belugas and dolphins, and even swim with these amazing creatures.

Where is it located and how to get there

It is not necessary to know the exact address of the Oceanography Center. You just need to get to the territory of VDNH, and the main entrance to VDNH is located near the metro station of the same name.

Then it's even easier to walk straight all the time, past both fountains (Friendship of Peoples and Stone Flower), all the way to the Cosmos pavilion. It's easy to recognize him, there's a rocket in front of him. So the aquarium in Moscow at VDNH is located to the left of this pavilion. It is a huge modern rectangular building that is simply impossible to pass by. A private car can be driven to the territory of VDNKh for a fee, and a large parking lot is located to the right of the building.

A great option to stay near the aquarium is the Maxima Slavia Hotel, which is located near the VDNKh metro station. In this case, not only the Moskvarium, but also other interesting sights of the capital will be within walking distance. There are not only comfortable single and double rooms at your disposal, but also self-catering apartments. To get to the aquarium, you will only need to cross the Main Tsitsin Botanical Garden and enjoy its beauties, which will undoubtedly only improve your day.

How much does it cost to swim with dolphins

Swimming with dolphins is not a cheap pleasure. If you are alone, you will pay 11,000 rubles in 10 minutes. And if you dive together, the cost will increase to 18,000 in 20 minutes.

What to see

The aquarium at VDNKh consists of 80 large and small aquariums, which are connected into a single 600-meter-long exposition. It is very easy to get lost in the complex, so it is better to pay attention to the "Continue inspection" signs. Otherwise, you risk taking a wrong turn and missing something interesting.

The most exotic inhabitants of the seas, rivers and oceans are gathered here. For example, you can see a sea dragon, moray eels, crocodile fish, stingrays, caiman turtles, unusual jellyfish and much more. Some aquariums are open and you can even touch various animals. Believe me, your children will be absolutely delighted!

But most of the visitors are always near the huge aquarium in which the killer whales live. These majestic animals are like huge submarines sailing in front of the audience, causing delight every time. It will be no less interesting near aquariums with belugas, dolphins and seals.

It is best to visit the aquarium in the morning on a weekend or weekday – there will be very few people and you can fully enjoy all the beauties of each exposition. Remember that the aquarium gets very crowded starting at noon, especially on weekends.

Additional entertainment

There are many places where you can have a snack on the territory of the aquarium. The main restaurants are Narnia, Deck and Amazonia. From the windows of most restaurants and cafes, you can watch the sharks in the main aquarium. And, of course, there is a souvenir shop where you can buy a child a toy or an illustrated book to remember this wonderful place.

Feel free to pose for staff photographers. After taking a photo, they will give you a plastic card. Show your card every time you are photographed. At the exit, by inserting the card into the terminal, you and your children can choose the most successful photos and send them to your email or print them out for an additional fee. Professional photos, believe me, are worth it.

Well, if you don't have enough impressions from watching the water exhibition, then don't forget – you are on the territory of VDNH. There are plenty more pavilions and entertainment waiting for you.

RIO Shopping Center Aquarium

• Address: 163a Dmitrovskoe shosse, Moscow
• Metro stations: Medvedkovo, Petrovsko-Razumovskaya, Altufevo
• Prices: 450 rubles for children and 850 rubles for adults on weekdays
• Opening hours: from 10.00 to 22.00

This Aquarium was the first in Moscow, and therefore aroused great interest among residents and guests of the capital. It was opened in 2011 and since then there have always been a lot of visitors. The area of this structure is 3,500 square meters and almost all of this space is filled with aquariums, which are home to the most bizarre representatives of aquatic fauna.

Where is it located and how to get there

RIO Shopping Center is located in the northeast of Moscow at 163a Dmitrovskoe Shosse. It can be reached by private transport or by special minibuses that run from the Khovrino and Altufevo metro stations. In the mall itself, the aquarium is located on the minus ground floor. You will take the escalator directly down to the ticket offices.

How much does it cost

Visiting the Aquarium on Dmitrovka is relatively inexpensive. 450 rubles for children and 850 for adults. These are prices on weekdays, and on weekends they rise slightly to 500 and 950 rubles, respectively. But kids under 5 years old are allowed to pass for free, there are discounts for students, pensioners and veterans.

The RIO Aquarium in Moscow is open daily from 10.00 to 22.00 hours. The ticket offices are open until 21.00.

What can be seen

Inside, the exhibition is divided into several thematic zones:

• polar;
• the jungle;
• lagoon;
• amazon;
• cave;
• seals;
• the ocean;
• the tropics;
• the hold of a pirate ship.

Immediately after passing through the turnstiles, visitors are greeted by the funniest creatures on the planet – penguins. In a large aviary, they are constantly frolicking, swimming and playing with each other. Many birds are so used to people that they come close to the glass to "say hello."

And then the fish, the fish, and the fish again. Thousands of different marine life swim in dozens of aquariums. There are very tiny ones who prefer to move in whole shoals. And there are simply huge ones weighing up to 100 kilograms, they sedately parade through their possessions, not paying attention to what is happening around them. You can also see a lot of dangerous animals - these are stingrays, piranhas, moray eels, sharks. But the main highlight of this aquarium is the underwater tunnels that visitors can walk through. And the inhabitants of the aquarium will circle around, creating an indescribable atmosphere.

Additional entertainment

If you don't have enough impressions of the fish kingdom, then you can visit the "Exopark", the entrance to it is located next to the aquarium and the entrance fee is the same. There are dozens of different species of mammals, including very exotic ones. Most of the enclosures are given over to monkeys and parrots, but visitors always freeze near cages with a red panda, kangaroo, meerkats and a leopard. These amazing creatures almost never sleep during the day, as if they understand that people have come for them. And watching their behavior is very exciting.

And if you have a desire to have a snack, there is a cozy cafe "Jungle Land" on the same floor. Its interior is designed in the style of the Jurassic period, that is, the era of dinosaurs. There are statues of stegosaurs and tyrannosaurs next to the tables, and the family tables themselves are made in the form of huge eggs – everything creates a special atmosphere. And next to the restaurant there is a children's playroom, where you can send the kids for a while, and where they will be looked after by the staff of the fan zone. And another opportunity to have fun is the 7D cinema, which will be interesting for both children and adults.

The aquarium in the RIO Shopping Center in Moscow is a great place to spend the whole day with the whole family. There is an opportunity to celebrate children's birthdays on the territory of the complex. And importantly, after other aquariums appeared in Moscow, the number of visitors to Dmitrovka decreased slightly, and now it has become more comfortable and less crowded.

Crocus City Aquarium

• Address: Krasnogorsk, Mezhdunarodnaya str., 10, 66 km of the Moscow Ring Road, Crocus City territory
• Metro: Myakinino
• Prices: 700 rubles for children and 1000 rubles for adults from Monday to Thursday
• Opening hours: from 10.00 to 22.00

The Crocus City Aquarium in Moscow opened very recently, in December 2016. It has become part of an already existing giant shopping and exhibition complex. In terms of the volume of aquariums, it is three times larger than the one in the RIO shopping center. The total area of the exhibition is 10,000 square meters. Although the superiority in the content of the exposition is not so obvious. It's just that fish and marine animals have more space, and visitors have the opportunity to get to know each species more closely.

Where is it located and how to get there

Most often people go to this aquarium in Moscow by car, it is located on the 66th kilometer of the MKAD behind the Crocus City Mall shopping complex and the Vegas shopping center on the banks of the Moskva River. There are huge street and underground parking lots in front of the exhibition center and under the shopping complex, so drivers never have any problems. The aquarium is also easy to get to by public transport: the Myakinino metro station has access to the Vegas shopping center, and you can walk through the shopping complex as well as along the street. The walk from the metro station to the aquarium will take just under 5 minutes.

How much doesit

cost

The official website of the complex states that entrance tickets will cost 1300 rubles for adults, and 900 for children on weekends or holidays. At the same time, it must be remembered that kids under 4 years old are allowed to pass for free. However, these prices apply only to weekends and holidays, when the aquarium has a major influx of visitors. If it is possible to come on weekdays, an adult ticket will cost only 1,000 rubles for an exhibition for adults and 700 rubles for children.

The Crocus City Aquarium in Moscow is open daily from 10.00 to 22.00 hours. The ticket offices are open until 21.00.

What can be seen

In total, the Crocus City Aquarium is home to about 5,000 different fish and animals. As we have already said, the entire exhibition is divided into three sections:

• seas and oceans
• rivers and lakes
• jungle

The marine section is the richest and most colorful. Immediately upon entering, visitors are greeted by flocks of tropical fish, which are painted in all the colors of the rainbow. You can also see sea urchins, starfish, octopuses and spotted moray eels here.

This is followed by aquariums with larger inhabitants – stingrays, sea turtles, and barracudas. And a little further away is the real shark kingdom. Of course, you won't see the biggest predators like the great white or tiger shark here. But there are plenty of other varieties. And interestingly, all these animals can be observed from all sides. Some aquariums are made in the form of a ship's hold with portholes, there are glass tunnels where fish and sharks swim around people and overhead.

Well, at the end of this zone you will have a date with penguins and terrestrial exotics such as parrots, monkeys and even bats.

The freshwater section "Rivers and Lakes" is not so colorful, but it has its own peculiarities. There are a lot of fish that live in Russia, for example, huge sturgeons and salmon. In addition, there are exotics from the rivers of South America, Asia and Africa. So, it will be interesting to find out that stingrays are found not only in the seas. But visitors are most excited about the aquarium with seals. These seals don't sit still for a second and seem to be putting on a real water show in front of the audience.

Finally, the last section, "Jungle," contains land animals, birds, and insects. Of particular interest here should be the butterfly garden, which captures the spirit of the variety of colors around.

Additional entertainment

If you have a desire to have a snack, there is a cozy cafe on the territory of the aquarium. It is decorated in the style of a jungle – palm trees surround it, vines hang from the ceiling, and giraffes stare at visitors from behind the trees. Meals are served according to the food court system. For the more discerning public, there are cafes and restaurants for every taste in the Crocus City building and the Vegas shopping center. There is a cafe with a specialized children's menu.

The Crocus City Aquarium in Moscow is so large that it may take more than one day to fully inspect it. But it's a great pastime, especially if the weather is bad outside and you want something warm, unusual and interesting. In the summer, crossing from the aquarium across the street, you will find yourself in the restaurant and yacht club "Shore House", which has an outdoor swimming pool to the delight of young visitors, who are welcomed with pleasure.

Other equally interesting aquariums in Moscow

Moscow Aquarium on Chistye Prudy

• Address: Moscow, Chistoprudny b-r, 14 c3.
• Prices: weekdays – 500 rubles, weekends – 600 rubles.
• Opening hours: 10.00 – 20.00 (Mon-Sun).
• Phone: +7 (909) 943-53-57, +7 (917) 576-62-54

This aquarium is the oldest in Moscow, it is located in its very center. Over the past ten years, they have been able to grow a real coral reef in it, simply amazing for its natural beauty. It has become a cozy home for rays and sharks, octopuses and various fish. The hall is styled like a deep-sea bathyscaphe, and visitors find themselves almost one-on-one with sharks.

The exotarium of the Moscow Zoo

• Address: Moscow, B. Gruzinskaya St., 1.
• Price: from 800 rub.
• Opening hours: 07.30 – 22.00 (Mon-Sun).
• Phone: +7 (499) 252-29-51.

An exotarium is located on the New territory of the zoo, where you can meet not only inhabitants of the underwater world, but also inhabitants of various exotic countries. In a large number of aquariums you can see the most amazing creatures from Australia, South America, Indonesia and other countries. Visitors will find more than 100 species of fish, black sharks and moray eels, as well as much more.

To visit not only the aquarium, but also the most important sights of the heart of the capital, you need to choose a comfortable location near these locations. Maxim Panorama hotelright at Avtozavodskaya metro station combines comfortable distance from the center, quality and optimal price of accommodation. The 4-star hotel offers both standard and superior rooms, family rooms, as well as Business and Junior Suites.

Aquarium in Oceania shopping center

• Address: 57 Kutuzovsky ave., Moscow.
• Price: Free of charge.
• Opening hours: 10.15 – 23.00 (Mon-Sun).
• Phone: +7 (495) 783-54-33.

A new Oceania shopping mall opened on Kutuzovsky Prospekt in 2016. It has the tallest aquarium, which became the reason for the name and stylization. Inside the aquarium there is an elevator in which visitors can immerse themselves in the underwater world. A lot of fish, including formidable sharks, is impressive and leaves maximum impressions. The aquarium features inhabitants of the Indian and Pacific Oceans and the Red Sea.

Aquarium in Aviapark shopping center

• Phone: +7 (495) 644-45-44.
• Address: Moscow, Khodynsky Boulevard, 4.
• Price: Free of charge.
• Opening hours: 10.00 – 22.00 (Mon-Thu, Sun), 10.00 – 23.00 (Fri-Sat).

In 2015, a vertical aquarium with a height of 23 meters and a diameter of 6 meters was opened. In its center is a coral, in which more than 1,500 fish of various lengths have found a home. In the future, there is a prospect of increasing the number of inhabitants. The size of the aquarium makes it possible to bring the number of inhabitants of the depths of the sea up to 3,000. Now, aquarium residents eat more than 8 kg of food every day.

The source of the cover photo, published unchanged - Authorship: Frieze. Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

The source of the cover photo