About Constanța Dolphinarium
The dolphinarium is part of the Constanța Natural Sciences Museum Complex, which stretches along the west side of Soveja Square on Mamaia Boulevard, in the north of the city. It welcomed its first visitors on 1 June 1972 and was the first dolphinarium in the country and, at the time, the first in south-eastern Europe. The complex was built in 1972–1973 and modernised in 2006–2007; the same grounds hold the Planetarium, the Micro-reserve and an exhibition of exotic birds.
Over the years its pools have housed all three dolphin species of the Black Sea: the harbour porpoise, the common dolphin and the bottlenose dolphin. The hall around the show pool was rebuilt with county, ministry and European funding and now seats 1,300, up from 600, so shows run in summer and winter alike. According to the announcement of the shows' return in June 2026, five dolphins perform in the pool.
What you can see
The main event is the dolphin show, about 25 minutes of leaps, ball games and routines with the trainers, watched from the stands of the covered arena. The ticket also covers the Micro-reserve, a park of some 12 hectares around a stretch of water fringed with willows and reeds, home to pelicans, swans, wild ducks and geese, peacocks, pheasants, mouflon, fallow deer and roe deer, plus the exotic bird pavilion. The Planetarium, opened in 1969, holds half-hour shows beneath its dome, with a separate ticket.
Good to know
The sea lion shows are temporarily suspended. The Constanța Aquarium, in the seafront building next to the Casino, has been closed since February 2023, after part of its ceiling collapsed, and in 2026 the building passed to Constanța City Hall. The fish are moving to a temporary space fitted out at the entrance to the Dolphinarium, which the museum's management has said should open in October 2026; on the official website the aquarium is still listed as "temporarily closed", so check its hours and ticket there. In the longer term a new aquarium is being planned within the complex, with European funding.
- The dolphin show in the 1,300-seat covered arena, with leaps and ball games.
- The Micro-reserve lake, where colonies of pelicans and swans float in summer.
- The mouflon and fallow deer in the Micro-reserve enclosures.
- The exotic bird pavilion, included in the same ticket.
- A show beneath the dome of the Planetarium, the country's first, with a separate ticket.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: from Bucharest it is ~225 km on the A2, about two and a half hours. The complex is on Mamaia Boulevard in the north of Constanța, at the corner with Soveja Street, on the way to Mamaia resort; from the old town peninsula it is ~5 km.
Public transport: the "Delfinariu" stop is right on Mamaia Boulevard, in front of the complex; CT Bus route 102 (Pescărie – Mamaia Blvd – Industrial Zone) passes here, and in summer so does the CiTy Tour sightseeing bus, which stops at the Dolphinarium. Constanța railway station is about 4 km away.
- Where to park
The complex has its own paid car park; parking tickets are bought online from the museum's ticket page: 36.30 lei from 1 May to 30 September, 22.99 lei the rest of the year. Three spaces are reserved free of charge for people with disabilities, also booked online.
- Fees & discounts
A single ticket covers the dolphin show, the Micro-reserve and the exotic bird pavilion. In season (1 May – 30 September): 74.37 lei for adults, 17.76 lei for pupils, students and children over 7. Off season (1 October – 30 April): 36.63 lei and 8.88 lei respectively. Children under 7 go free, as do children with disabilities and their companions; the Micro-reserve on its own has a separate ticket, as does the Planetarium (14.43 lei off season, 28.86 lei in summer). Tickets are sold at the ticket office while places last or online, with the operator's fee; no bookings by phone or email. A ticket is valid only for the show time printed on it.
- Rules
Pushchairs are not allowed in the show arena; they stay in the entrance hall. Pets are not allowed in the complex (guide dogs excepted), nor is food, and feeding the animals is forbidden. Bicycles, scooters and skates stay in the racks outside the museum. Photos and video without flash for personal use are allowed; staff may not be photographed or filmed, and professional shoots require a contract. Children under 14 must be accompanied.
- Facilities
Own paid car park · online tickets · children's play areas · park with paths and benches · free parking spaces for people with disabilities · Planetarium on the same grounds
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