At some point during the coming school holidays, the one millionth visitor will cross the threshold of the Polar Mission at Monaco’s Musée Océanographique. Will it be you?
For over a year now, the Polar Mission has been wowing visitors at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. Now the vast exhibition, which covers five spaces within the iconic museum, is set to welcome its one millionth visitor, a major landmark for this immersive and utterly fascinating experience.
That one luck visitor, who is expected to enter through the grand doors of the establishment sometime between 21st October and 5th November, will gain VIP entry to the museum, get a free guided tour and be offered ”numerous” gifts to take home.
The museum is marking the occasion with the installation of a digitised petition-type system that will allow willing visitors to back the creation of three protected marine zones in the Antarctic: one in the east near Adelie Land, another in the west along the Antarctic peninsula and a third In the Weddell Sea. It will remain in place until the end of 2024.
If accepted, the three zones will add to two others already in operation, including the protected area in the Ross Sea, which covers 2.09km2 and received the support of Prince Albert II in 2016.
SCHOOL HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES
The museum has a packed programme planned for the upcoming holidays, from a special Polar Mission-theme games booklet that will turn kids into mini reporters to the virtual reality Immerseave 360º experience that features the journey of a sperm whale through the Tubbataha National Park.
For the price of €38, families can get up close and personal with animals of the Mediterranean coastline, learning what they eat, how they fit into the overall ecosystem and how they get around. This attraction runs every day between 10.30am and 5pm from the entry hall.
For the adventurous, there is also a fun escape room set-up taking visitors back in time to the laboratory boat of Prince Albert I, the Princess Alice II. Players must solve a puzzle, decipher codes and plan a strategy to avoid a shipwreck. The escape room is open from 11am to 5pm.
Finally, there’s the collaborative photography exhibition by Greg Lecoeur and Océano Monaco entitled ‘Poles: Fragile Worlds’, which highlights the beauty and fragility of the polar regions. The exhibit only runs until 5th November, so make sure to check it out before it ends.
For tickets and more information, visit the website here.
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Photo credit: Musée Océanographique