Not a bad small aquarium. Some interesting exhibits. Infrastructure is a little in disrepair but…read moreanimals seem well cared for. Admission reasonable. You can get through entire facility in under an hour. Not a destination but if into aquariums, worth checking out.

This is a small aquarium on the edge of Parco Sempione. Being a 'land locked' city, I was surprised…read moreto find an aquarium here. The main level has a series of tanks containing different species and are great for very young children as the tanks sit on floor level. Outside, in the back, are a number of pools containing a variety of aquatic life including several turtles. There is a children's arts room on the upper level and a conference room where they were offering a slide show presentation in Italian. On the lower level was an art exhibit, based on sea life. Of course. It's a great day out with the kids and/or a good rainy day activity.

This is a decent sized museum with a few separate buildings in the same campus. From the street you…read morewalk thru the gate running thru what looks to be an administrative building street-side. This opens up to a smallish courtyard area facing the main museum building with a minimalist front facade. To the right are a couple adjacent buildings with separate entrances to temporary exhibits. Walking into the main building there's a museum cafe immediately to the left of the entrance, which looked to be cafeteria style, with seating for about 50. Past this is a spacious lobby with ticket counters and help desk to the right. Tickets are free to the main collection but each special exhibit requires a different ticket. I found this a little confusing as there are 4-5 special exhibits ongoing which compose the majority of what there is to view, so having not done any research prior and not being familiar with these artists and their work, I just stuck with the main collection. There's not much to see here and I was a little put off by the staff bc they insisted I coat check my back pack before entering even the main collection though the museum was pretty empty and I literally saw them allow someone with a slightly smaller back pack in right in front of me. They are also sticklers for going in the order if the exhibit, goodness forbid if you want to back track a few rooms they tell you that's not the right way and that you should be going the other direction. It just didn't make the experience enjoyable.

My impression of this "salvage operation" of an industrial archeological site remains unchanged…read more It's very minimalistic. Way too much. Raw cement, glass and steel make up this uncomfortable concept, unpleasant to the eye and uncomfortable for the visitor. As you might have noticed, I changed my profile picture to one of Frida's self-portraits because I went to see her exhibition last Saturday. Almost all pictures and photos of this magnificent Artist were there. This made my day. Regretfully, the lack of benches or resting stops made it very uncomfortable for my 5 hernias. By the time I got out, I had to gulp down a couple of painkillers to keep going. Shalom (but not so much to the architects) :))

#314-2016:…read more Inaugurated on May 20th 1930, the Milan Planetarium is the largest on Italian soil and it is sponsored by the Milan City Hall. It was originally commissioned by Ulrico Hoepli and designed by the architect Portaluppi, later on it was donated to the City of Milano. Octagonal in shape, it can host up to 300 people on extremely uncomfortable revolving wooden chairs (I believe they haven't been changed since). Little less than 20 meters in diameter, the dome has an octagonal base and features the Milano skyline as it was originally in the 1930s. The Planetarium is equipped with a Zeiss projector that was installed in 1968 and has been in service since. I have been to this Planetarium several times but it was only recently that I have discovered how far things have evolved. I guess, the place needs to lure new viewers (namely of the teenage format). The show (5€ per per person) gives you pointers on how to spot stars, constellations and recites the stories behind said constellations delivered in a contemporary way (WhatsApp, Facebook, InstaGram are mentioned in the stories). I guess things have changed quite a bit since I first came to spot the stars. Worth mentioning that the Planetarium also houses the oldest and most important Amateur Astronomy Club in the city. There are many cultural events held here and in the outskirts of Milan (namely to watch real stars in the field) that make this place a MUST-GO for geeks, nerds and stargazers. If you are interested in knowing a little bit more about the events and the structure, here is the direct web link to consult: https://www.comune.milano.it/dseserver/webcity/Documenti.nsf/webHomePage?OpenForm&settore=SVIY-5HNGA3_HP