Sea Life - Aquarium in Munich
March 25th, 2007 by 
Deanne
Sea Life Munich opened in Spring of 2006. It is part of a group of Sea Life centers in the UK, Ireland, Germany, and other parts of Europe. There are currently 9 Sea Life centers in Germany, of which the Munich center is the largest.
Sea Life Munich covers over 2000 square meters and holds over 30 aquariums. One of the highlights is a 400,000 liter, 7m deep ‘Sea Life’ aquarium. You can view this giant aquarium at two levels - from the lower level, as you walk through a tunnel, with the aquarium above you, and from the top level, where you can get eye to eye with sharks and other sea life. A giant shipwreck in the shape of a Trojan Horse adds to the whole aura of being under water. It really is quite amazing.
A primary mission of of the Sea Life center is to provide visitors with insight into local and regional aquatic ecosystems. The center is set up so that you must follow it from one end to the other. As you wind along the passages and tunnels, you pass through aquatic exhibits on the Isar and Danube rivers, through to the Black Sea and the Mediterraenean Ocean.
There are small interactive learning stops, throughout. Learning stops and information placards are printed in English and German.
A few words to parents with young children: 1) Much of the center is darkly lit and has a close feeling about it, so young children might be frightened of the dark, claustrophobic feeling of these areas; 2) There is no coatroom or lockers to hang coats, and it’s warm inside, so you may be carrying around a lot of coats; 3) The only bathrooms, as fas as I can tell, are at the entrance to the center. Once you have entered the center, you must go all the way through it, in one direction, to exit. So have the kids use the toilet before you go in.
They do have plenty of space for strollers, and an elevator is available for when you step down to the underground level.
Lines can be very long, on weekends and holidays. I recommend going during the week, if at all possible.
Entrance is somewhat expensive - 12,50 EUR for adults and 8,50 EUR for children ages 3 -14. Discounts are available for groups, seniors, students, and persons with disabilities. There are also several places where you can pick up 2-for-the-price-of-1 coupons. I picked up my coupon at Pizza Hut.
Address: Willi-Daume-Platz 1, 80809 München (in the Olympic Park)
Telephone: 089/ 45 00 00
Email: muenchen@sealife.de
Website: http://www.sealifeeurope.com/
Nearest Public Transportation: U3 to Olympic Zentrum, follow the signs to Sea Life, about 5-10 minutes on foot
Posted in City Sights & Attractions | 