Polaria – meet the Arctic

Address: Hjalmar Johansens gate 12 , 9008 Tromsø

In a distinctive building depicting ice blocks pushed on land by the rugged ocean in the Arctic, you find Polaria.

Polaria is a journey of discovery for the whole family. If you are curious about how
animals, people, fish and plants are living together side by side, Polaria is the perfect
place to meet and understand life in the Arctic.

Here you will experience, among other things, bearded seals and harbour seals, catfish and tiny sharks up close, and you will get to know and feel the different species that move across the ocean floor.

Seal Basin and Aquarium.
We have four playful seals living in our seal pool, which train several times a day. In the aquarium section you will find most of the animals, fish species and shellfish in our polar regions, along with specimens of Arctic underwater flora. We invite you to join in on daily training sessions and feeding of the seals.

Panorama Cinema.
Our unique Panoramic cinema shows films of some of the most spectacular phenomena in the wild north. Before and after the cinema visit, you can learn more about the Arctic in our exhibitions.

Exhibitions.
Through our exhibitions you will get an insight into what kind of man-made
challenges our region is facing, and how emissions of contaminants into the wild and
changes in our climate have horrendous consequences for Arctic animal and plant life.

Café and gift Shop.
Enjoy a fairtrade coffee and a local pastry in our café and a visit in our gift shop with merchandise of good craftsmanship and high quality from the North.

History and mission.
Polaria was established in connection with the move of the Norwegian Polar Institute to Tromsø. Through knowledge-based exhibitions made in collaboration with researchers from The Fram Centre, Polaria will mirror some of the climate and environmental research that takes place in the Arctic area.

Opening hours:
After being closed for a while due to the Corona outbreak, we now open again on 6. June - 23. August from 10:00AM (10:00) - 04:00PM (16:00).