Wonders of the Sea, Les Merveilles de la Mer

Lovely old homes like this one are becoming ever more rare in Beirut. This is one of the few that I've seen that still has a garden, just as it would have years ago when this style was the standard here in Lebanon. And, as you might have already guessed, this is not just any historic house in Beirut.

Well, first of all, it's not actually in Beirut. It's in Jdiedeh, which is just about 10 minutes north of here.

But as I was saying, it isn't just a nice old house. Inside there's a fantastic museum of marine life. It's called Wonders of the Sea, Les Merveilles de la Mer.

They have a website, which is nice and includes lots of information about the thousands of specimens you'll find on display and the species you'll find in their aquariums. Also on display is a very fun movie that shows various sea creatures eating, molting, giving birth (daddy seahorse!). The kids loved it.

The museum has parking, which you can get to from the road running along the north side of it. City Mall is a good point of reference to help you understand how to find it.

They're open year-round on weekdays 8:30-1:30. September-June they're also open Saturday/Sunday 3-7. Admission for adults is 8,000 LL, kids 5,000 LL.  Well worth the trip.