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Zoological Museum, St Petersburg

The main hall of the Zoological Museum in St Petersburg with whale skeletons hanging from the ceiling
Photo: Natalia Semenova, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Ticket office
11:00–18:00, short break 14:00–14:15
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Opening hours
11:00–19:00, last entry 18:00
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
1 h 30 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Address
Universitetskaya Embankment 1, Vasilyevsky Island
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Coordinates
59.94260, 30.30560YesGo MapGoogleAppleYandex
Adults
700 ₽
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Students, schoolchildren, pensioners
400 ₽ (bring ID)
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Children 3–6
200 ₽
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Under 3
Free
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Closed
Tuesdays; second Wednesday of the month, 1 Sep–1 May
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Entry
Timed sessions
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Photos
Phone and camera photos allowed with a regular ticket
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Metro
Admiralteyskaya, 15–20 min walk; Vasileostrovskaya, 20–25 min
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.

Key facts

27 mthe blue whale skeleton that fills the first hall
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia, Zoological Museum (Saint Petersburg)
1832the museum was founded from the Kunstkamera’s natural history collections
2 sourcesEnglish and Russian WikipediaTonkosti Turizma guide
≈ 30,000specimens on display
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaTonkosti Turizma guide
1977baby mammoth Dima was found in the Magadan region, in Russia’s Far East
2 sourcesScientific RussiaRussian Wikipedia
1900the Berezovka mammoth was found by the Berezovka river, a tributary of the Kolyma
2 sourcesAtlas Obscura, Berezovsky MammothRussian Wikipedia
1901the displays opened in today’s building, the former southern warehouse of the Stock Exchange
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaEnglish Wikipedia (move to the former Bourse warehouse)
1714Peter the Great founded the Kunstkamera, where the collection began
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
3 hallsmarine mammals; invertebrates, fish, birds and reptiles; land mammals
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
A horse and two dogsthat belonged to Peter the Great, among the oldest mounts in the museum
2 sourcesSt Petersburg Scientific Centre RAS news on the restorationSputnik8 guide

Zoological Museum tickets and prices

An adult ticket is 700 ₽. Students, schoolchildren and pensioners pay 400 ₽, children aged 3–6 pay 200 ₽, and under-3s go free. The museum’s official price list has no separate rate for foreigners, which is unusual for St Petersburg, so this is one of the cheapest big museums in town.

Entry works on timed sessions. You can buy at the ticket desk or online on the Zoological Institute’s official website — handy on weekends and school holidays, when sessions fill up. Online sales need a Russian bank card: Visa and Mastercard cards issued abroad have not worked in Russia since March 2022, so bring roubles in cash for the desk.

Discounts need proof — staff check documents at the desk and again at the door. The free third Thursday of the month is for children under 18, students of Russian colleges and members of large families, with documents, so most foreign adults pay the normal fare that day too.

Is the Zoological Museum worth visiting?

Yes, if you travel with kids or like natural history — it’s one of the best-value museums in the city. The blue whale skeleton overhead and the frozen baby mammoths are genuinely world-class, and you can see everything in under two hours.

It’s an old-school museum: tall glass cases, mounted animals, early-20th-century dioramas and labels mostly in Russian and Latin. There are almost no screens or hands-on displays. If you have only one or two days in St Petersburg and no particular interest in animals, put the Hermitage and St Isaac’s Cathedral first and come here only if you’re already at the Spit.

What to see inside

  • The 27-metre blue whale skeleton — the centrepiece of Hall 1, hung with skeletons of other whales and dolphins; seals and walruses sit below.
  • Baby mammoth Dima — a mummified calf found in 1977 in the Kolyma region and estimated to be around 40,000 years old.
  • The Berezovka mammoth — found in Yakutia in 1900. Hall 3 shows its mounted body in the pose it was found in, next to its skeleton.
  • Baby mammoth Masha from the Yamal peninsula, part of the Ice Age display.
  • Peter the Great’s horse and dogs — some of the oldest mounted animals in the collection, recently restored.
  • The dioramas in Halls 2 and 3 — seabird cliffs, African savannah, tigers and bears.
  • The insect gallery above Hall 1 — butterflies and beetles from around the world, and the best view of the whale. Many visitors miss the stairs.

How to get to the Zoological Museum

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On foot

More tips

  1. From Palace Square, walk across the Palace Bridge to Vasilyevsky Island — about 1 km, 12–15 minutes. The museum stands right at the far end of the bridge, on the corner of Universitetskaya Embankment, next to the Kunstkamera.
  2. Metro Admiralteyskaya (Line 5, purple): head out to Palace Square and over the bridge — 15–20 minutes on foot.
  3. Metro Nevsky Prospekt (Line 2, blue) or Gostiny Dvor (Line 3, green): walk up Nevsky Prospect to Palace Square and cross the bridge — about 25 minutes.
  4. Metro Vasileostrovskaya (Line 3, green): walk down 6th–7th Line to the river, then right along Universitetskaya Embankment — 20–25 minutes.
  5. Metro Sportivnaya (Line 5): cross the Birzhevoy Bridge to the Spit — around 20 minutes.
  6. The official address is Universitetskaya Embankment 1; some maps list the same building as Birzhevaya Square 2.

Opening hours and the best time to go

The museum is open 11:00–19:00 every day except Tuesday, with last entry at 18:00. From September to May it also closes on the second Wednesday of the month. The ticket desk takes a 15-minute break at 14:00.

Come at opening on a weekday: at 11:00 the whale hall is quiet and you get the mammoths to yourself. Weekend afternoons and Russian school holidays bring families and school groups, and the busiest day of all is the free third Thursday.

Is it good for kids?

Very. Children from about four upwards love the whale and the mammoths, the halls are spacious and the visit fits a young attention span. The museum runs interactive tours for kids from age four, though in Russian. With small children, start upstairs at the insect gallery, then go down to Hall 3 for the mammoths before energy runs out.

Photos are allowed with an ordinary ticket — phones and cameras both. Skip the flash on the mammoth cases; the glass reflects it.

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Zoological Museum vs Kunstkamera vs Cruiser Aurora

Zoological Museumyou are hereAnimals of the world: whale, mammoths, dioramasSpit of Vasilyevsky IslandKids from 4, nature lovers1.5–2 h
KunstkameraWorld cultures and Peter the Great’s anatomy collectionNext door on the embankmentOlder kids and adults; anatomy hall isn’t for little ones1.5–2 h
Cruiser AuroraHistoric warship turned museumPetrogradskaya EmbankmentSchool-age kids who like ships1–1.5 h

With young children, YesGo picks the Zoological Museum: the whale and the mammoths need no explanation. Save the Kunstkamera for older kids, and add the Cruiser Aurora if they’re more into machines than animals.

St Petersburg’s museums and historic sights compared

Every historic place in St Petersburg rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

State Hermitage Museum763 h500–1,200 ₽9 min walk
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood7545 min700 ₽, under 7 free23 min walk
Peter and Paul Fortress742 hGrounds free, cathedral 1,000 ₽18 min walk
Kazan Cathedral7230 minFree24 min walk
Bronze Horseman7220 minFree12 min walk
Palace Square7130 minFree12 min walk
St Isaac's Cathedral691 h700 ₽, colonnade 700 ₽16 min walk
Cruiser Aurora671 h1,000 ₽ for foreign visitors40 min walk
Nevsky Prospekt651 h 30 minFree15 min walk
Mikhailovsky Castle541 h 30 min≈ 700 ₽31 min walk
Kunstkamera501 h 30 min500 ₽3 min walk
Peterhof504 hLower Park from 2,000 ₽ for foreign visitors22.9 km
Kronstadt494 hFree29.9 km
New Holland Island481 hFree30 min walk
Alexander Nevsky Lavra481 hFree5.2 km
Griboyedov Canal4830 minFree27 min walk
Yusupov Palace on the Moika471 h 30 minfrom 950 ₽26 min walk
Mariinsky Theatre463 hPrice depends on the show34 min walk
Summer Garden461 hFree29 min walk
State Russian Museum442 h 30 minfrom 700 ₽27 min walk
Catherine Palace373 h2,200 ₽ for foreign visitors25.7 km
Zoological Museumyou are here361 h 30 min700 ₽—
Fabergé Museum361 h 30 min700 ₽39 min walk
Oranienbaum283 hPark 1,100 ₽, palace 1,800 ₽31.0 km
Pavlovsk Palace and Park203 hPalace 800 ₽, park 300 ₽29.7 km

The Spit of Vasilyevsky Island in half a day

Cross the Palace Bridge from Palace Square, be at the Zoological Museum for opening, pop into the Kunstkamera next door, then cross the Birzhevoy Bridge to the Peter and Paul Fortress. Add them to your route — YesGo works out the timing and walks.

  1. Palace Square30 min · Free
  2. 8 min walk from the previous stopPalace Bridge and the bridge openings45 min · Free from the embankment
  3. 4 min walk from the previous stopZoological Museumyou are here1 h 30 min · 700 ₽
  4. 3 min walk from the previous stopKunstkamera1 h 30 min · 500 ₽
  5. 20 min walk from the previous stopPeter and Paul Fortress2 h · Grounds free, cathedral 1,000 ₽

5 places · about 6 h 50 min with walks · 35 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Kunstkamera

St Petersburg, Russia

1 h 30 min · 500 ₽ · 3 min walk

State Hermitage Museum

St Petersburg, Russia

3 h · 500–1,200 ₽ · 9 min walk

Palace Square

St Petersburg, Russia

30 min · Free · 12 min walk

How to do it right

  • Arrive at 11:00 on a weekday — the first session is the quietest.
  • Bring roubles in cash: tickets are cheap, and foreign cards won’t work at the desk.
  • The Kunstkamera is two minutes away; doing both takes 3–4 hours.
  • Afterwards, walk out to the Rostral Columns on the Spit for the classic view of the Neva, the Winter Palace and the Peter and Paul Fortress.
  • From spring to autumn the Palace Bridge opens at night for ships — it’s five minutes from the museum if you want to come back and watch.

Questions

How much is a ticket to the Zoological Museum in St Petersburg?

700 ₽ for adults, 400 ₽ for students, schoolchildren and pensioners, 200 ₽ for children aged 3–6, and free for under-3s. There is no separate foreigner rate.

What are the Zoological Museum’s opening hours?

11:00–19:00, last entry at 18:00. It’s closed on Tuesdays and, from September to May, on the second Wednesday of the month.

Is the Zoological Museum open on Monday?

Yes. The weekly closing day is Tuesday, not Monday — unlike many St Petersburg museums.

Where is the Zoological Museum?

At Universitetskaya Embankment 1 on the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, next door to the Kunstkamera and a short walk over the Palace Bridge from Palace Square.

Which metro station is closest?

Admiralteyskaya (Line 5), 15–20 minutes on foot, or Vasileostrovskaya (Line 3), 20–25 minutes. From Admiralteyskaya the walk goes past Palace Square and over the Palace Bridge.

Is the Zoological Museum worth visiting?

Yes for families and anyone into natural history: the 27 m blue whale and the frozen baby mammoths are world-class and the ticket is cheap. With only a day or two in town and no interest in animals, prioritise the Hermitage.

How long do you need at the Zoological Museum?

About 1.5–2 hours for all three halls.

Can I buy Zoological Museum tickets online?

Yes, on the Zoological Institute’s official website, for timed sessions — but online payment needs a Russian bank card. Otherwise, pay in cash at the desk.

Can you take photos inside?

Yes, phone and camera photos are allowed with a regular ticket at no extra charge. Professional shoots need the museum’s approval.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • Official website of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Museum section: visitor information, tickets, opening hours, 29.10.2026
  • English Wikipedia: Zoological Museum (Saint Petersburg); Russian Wikipedia: Zoological Museum of the Zoological Institute RAS; Wikidata Q2025062
  • Scientific Russia: the discovery of baby mammoth Dima, 23 June 1977
  • Atlas Obscura: Berezovsky Mammoth
  • St Petersburg Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences: news on restoring Peter the Great’s animals
  • Visa and Mastercard statements on suspending operations in Russia, March 2022
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 29.10.2026 ·
How we checkedPrices, hours, the Tuesday closure, the sanitary day, the ticket-desk break, concessions, the free third Thursday, photo rules and metro stations come from the Zoological Institute’s official website, checked on 29.10.2026. Map listings show other prices (1,000 ₽, or 300–600 ₽) and some guides give an 18:00 closing time; we follow the official site, where 18:00 is the last entry and closing is 19:00. Sources give 25,000 or 30,000 specimens on display; we use 30,000 from Wikipedia. Dates for the transfer of the building differ (1890, 1893, 1896), so we give 1901, when the displays opened there. We found no independent confirmation of where the blue whale came from, so we don’t say. Walking times from the metro are our estimate from the map.

Top YesGo picks: St Petersburg

Peter and Paul Fortress

St Petersburg, Russia

2 h · Grounds free, cathedral 1,000 ₽

Kazan Cathedral

St Petersburg, Russia

30 min · Free

Bronze Horseman

St Petersburg, Russia

20 min · Free

St Isaac's Cathedral

St Petersburg, Russia

1 h · 700 ₽, colonnade 700 ₽

Cruiser Aurora

St Petersburg, Russia

1 h · 1,000 ₽ for foreign visitors

Nevsky Prospekt

St Petersburg, Russia

1 h 30 min · Free

Mikhailovsky Castle

St Petersburg, Russia

1 h 30 min · ≈ 700 ₽

All places: St Petersburg →