Baikal Museum
Байкальский музей
A limnology museum under the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, where you can see Baikal seals up close and learn how the lake formed and about its unique species.
The Baikal Museum sits at the entrance to the village of Listvyanka and belongs to the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It is the most comprehensive place to learn about Lake Baikal. The exhibition halls cover the lake's formation roughly 25 million years ago, its deep basin and water quality, and the many unique species among the lake's roughly 2,600 plants and animals, including omul fish, the live-bearing golomyanka (oil fish) and tiny amphipods. The most popular attraction is the Baikal seal aquarium, where you can watch the world's only freshwater seal swim. There is also a virtual experience simulating a dive to the lake bottom in the Mir submersible. Tickets must be purchased and include the seal aquarium. The museum is generally open about 09:00 to 19:00 in summer and somewhat shorter in winter. Peak season brings many tour groups, so it is best to arrive early. Getting there: minibuses from Irkutsk to Listvyanka stop at the Baikal Museum stop, and the visit can be combined with a half-day tour of Listvyanka.
Opening hours
Approx. 09:00–18:00 (extended in summer)
Nearby sights
- Port Baikal
- Listvyanka
- Taltsy Museum
- Bolshie Koty & Great Baikal Trail
- Bolshoye Goloustnoye
- Icebreaker Angara
- Sukachev Estate Museum
- Church of Our Lady of Kazan