
Photo by Lee Vilenski / CC BY-SA 4.0
🏛️ Unusual MuseumsKlaipėdaEasy access
Lithuanian Sea Museum and Dolphinarium
Klaipėda, Klaipėda3-4 hoursBest: Year-round
Housed in a 19th-century sea fortress on the Curonian Spit, this marine museum features aquariums, seal rehabilitation, and the only dolphin shows in the Baltic states.
The Lithuanian Sea Museum occupies a striking 19th-century Kopgalis sea fortress at the northern tip of the Curonian Spit, where the lagoon meets the Baltic Sea. The circular fort — built during the Prussian era to defend the Klaipėda harbor entrance — provides a dramatic and unique setting for one of the Baltic region's finest marine museums.
The museum's aquariums showcase Baltic and tropical marine life, while outdoor pools house rescued seals and sea lions undergoing rehabilitation. The dolphinarium — controversial but popular — presents the only dolphin shows in the Baltic states. The fortress architecture itself is fascinating, with its vaulted casemates and circular layout adding atmospheric character to the exhibits.
Why Visit
A unique combination of marine heritage, sea fortress architecture, and marine life. The Kopgalis fortress setting alone makes this unlike any other aquarium in Europe.
Address
Smiltynės g. 3, Klaipėda
Admission
€8 adults, €4 children
55.7167, 21.1000
Visitor Tips
- 1Accessible by ferry from Klaipėda — this is part of the experience
- 2Dolphin shows have set times — check schedule
- 3The fortress architecture is worth exploring
- 4Allow time for the seal rehabilitation center