Meet the Arctic
Get up close to Arctic life through live animals, research-based exhibitions, and film experiences. Meet our bearded seals, discover species from Northern Norwegian waters, and explore how researchers work to understand a rapidly changing Arctic.
From the Arctic aquarium and seal pool to the panoramic cinema, exhibitions, and gift shop – here you’ll find everything you can experience during your visit to Polaria.
Arctic in Change
The Arctic has always changed with the seasons – from light to darkness, from open water to thick ice. But now it is changing beyond recognition and will never be the same again. Nowhere is changing as rapidly because of climate change as the Arctic.
But what is really happening – and what do these changes mean for the animals, ecosystems and people who depend on this unique region?
Arctic in Change is an interactive and research-based exhibition, developed in collaboration with researchers from FRAM – High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment. The exhibition presents current knowledge about climate change and environmental challenges in the northern regions.
Through powerful visual experiences, soundscapes, interactive installations, and a series of engaging games focused on learning, you can explore how rising temperatures and human activity affect nature in the Arctic. The exhibition makes complex topics accessible and exciting, offering new discoveries for both adults and children.
Here you will see the close connections between climate, wildlife, and ecosystems – and how changes in the Arctic can have consequences far beyond the region. The exhibition also invites reflection on our own relationship with nature and how our choices can affect the planet’s future.
The content is continuously updated in line with new research findings, ensuring the exhibition is always current and closely linked to the research taking place in the Arctic today.
The Science Behind the Knowledge
How do scientists know that the climate in the Arctic is changing? How do they study wildlife, monitor the environment, and turn observations into reliable knowledge?
How do we know? is an interactive and research-based exhibition that invites you to step into the role of an Arctic researcher and explore the science behind what we know about the northern regions.
Through practical activities, games, and a combination of digital and analog installations, you can explore the methods, tools, and technology researchers use to collect and analyze data. The exhibition provides insight into how researchers work both in the field and behind the scenes, and how measurements and observations help us understand changes in the climate, marine environment, and Arctic ecosystems.
The exhibition is designed to spark curiosity and create space for participation and discovery. Here, scientific research becomes accessible and engaging for visitors of all ages. At the same time, the exhibition shows why long-term research is crucial for understanding the bigger picture – and how our knowledge of the Arctic is built through thorough investigations, collaboration, and documentation, one observation at a time.
Here at Polaria, you will find three different seal species. The bearded seals Bella, Mai San, and Vlad belong to a purely Arctic species. Bella and Mai San came to us from Svalbard in 2003, while Vlad arrived from the Océanopolis Aquarium in France in 2024. They are accompanied by the harbor seals Loffen and Lyra, who were born at Lofotakvariet in 2010, their son Leo, born here at Polaria in 2023, and the ringed seal Junior, who came to Polaria with Vlad.
We have an aquarium featuring species from the northern regions. Here you’ll find fish, shellfish, and plants from the sea around Tromsø and Svalbard. A visit to Polaria offers a unique opportunity to study life beneath the Arctic ocean surface up close.
Get up close to the wolf fish and see the halibut splashing on the surface. Study the powerful claws of the king crab, learn the difference between cod and saithe, and greet the small sharks resting on the sandy bottom. But watch your fingers! Here at Polaria, you get so close to marine life that you can lean over the edge. Therefore, the safest way is to sit behind one of the glass panels and observe the ocean’s diversity in all its glory.
If you’re lucky, you might even get a closer look at starfish, sea urchins, and small crustaceans when one of our aquarium staff is “At the Shore,” meaning by the classroom tank at the very back of the building. Check our calendar to see when this happens!
Experience our three unique films on a 21-meter-wide panoramic screen!
Here at Polaria, you get to know the Arctic in a close and unique way. But life and natural phenomena offer so much more than what we have space for inside the building. That’s why we have specially commissioned three fantastic films from Northern Norway and Svalbard that draw you into the landscape, life, and the Northern Lights – thanks to five projectors and a 21-meter-wide and 3-meter-high screen. The films are shown several times daily and are included in your admission ticket to Polaria.
Svalbard – Arctic Wilderness
In “Svalbard – Arctic Wilderness,” we follow a little little auk on an aerial journey through the spectacular landscape on the west coast of Spitsbergen. Along the way, we meet several of the animals that live on Svalbard.
Behind the Scenes
“Behind the Scenes” takes you behind the scenes at Polaria. Learn how we work with our animals, dive underwater with both wolf fish and seals, and experience our Arctic species up close. The film was financed with funds from Innovation Norway and produced by Prosit Productions.
Northern lights
“Northern Lights – a wondrous experience” showcases the fantastic Northern Lights in and around Tromsø, and was filmed and produced by the award-winning photographer Ole C. Salomonsen. The film also features unique Northern Lights footage captured from space by NASA.
10:10 AM Behind the scenes
11:00 AM Northern Lights
11:20 AM Svalbard
11:40 AM Behind the scenes
12:00 PM Northern Lights
1:00 PM Svalbard
1:20 PM Behind the scenes
1:40 PM Northern Lights
2:00 PM Svalbard
2:20 PM Northern Lights
2:40 PM Behind the scenes
3:00 PM Svalbard
3:30 PM Seal training
4:00 PM Northern Lights
4:20 PM Svalbard
4:40 PM Behind the scenes
At the exit, you enter our gift shop, Smelt. The name is about giving you the good feeling of melting over sustainable goods with a low carbon footprint. Here you will find quality products, made with sustainable and ethical production in Europe.
Tilgjengelighet
Varighet
Inkludert
NB! Inngangsbilletter til Polaria er ikke inkludert, og må kjøpes separat.
Vi fôrer og trener selene kl 10:30 og 12:30 hver dag, og anbefaler deg å møte opp tidlig slik at du får sett selfôringen før du kommer inn og møter selene.
Beskrivelse
Få et nært møte med Storkobbene våre.
Dette er en unik sjanse til å komme tett på mens selene nyter sin favorittsnacks – isbiter.
Bli kjent med Bella og Mai San, våre to Storkobbejenter. Når trenerne har tatt fram isen, er du hjertelig velkommen til å observere, ta bilder og videoer, mens Bella og Mai San slurper i seg isen. Noen ganger hopper de opp på land for å spise, mens andre ganger foretrekker de å bli i vannet. Denne opplevelsen er et eksklusivt møte for maks 4 personer.
Ikke gå glipp av sjansen til å møte denne unike selarten!
Få fri tilgang til Polaria i 12 måneder og opplev Arktis så ofte du vil. Perfekt for både familier og lokale som vil besøke oss igjen og igjen.
Dette er inkludert: