Here is a compilation of notable whaling museums and institutions. Please note that some links may require the use of their search functions to locate specific topics, and many include additional links for further exploration.
New Bedford Whaling Museum/Kendall Institute
18 Johnny Cake Hill
New Bedford, MA 02740-6398
(508) 997-0046The New Bedford Whaling Museum has merged with the Kendall Whaling Museum, bringing the Kendall collections to New Bedford. The library and archives collection at New Bedford is now known as the Kendall Institute.
List of Museums in the UK, with descriptions and contact information
http://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/lib/museums.htm#ukHull City Museums
Ferens Art Gallery
Queen Victoria Square
Hull HU1 3RA
EnglandLynn Museum
Old Market Street
King's Lynn
Norfolk PE 30 1NL
England
http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/tourism/museums/charges.htm (List of museums)Montrose Museum
Panmure Place
Montrose, Angus DD10 8HE
e-mail: montrose.museum@angus.gov.ukPeterhead Maritime Heritage
South Road
Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
e-mail: general@abheritage.demon.co.ukScottish Fisheries Museum
St. Ayles, Harbourhead,Anstruther, Fife KY10 3AB
Scotland
e-mail: rgwp@st-andrews.ac.ukShetland Museum
Shetland Museum Service
Lower Hillhead, Lerwick, Shetland ZE1 0EL
England
e-mail: shetland.museum@zetnet.co.uk
http://www.shetland-museum.org.uk/museum/collections_and_history/sea/whalingStromness Museum
52 Alfred Street
Stromness, Orkney Islands KW16 3DF
Scotland
http://www.orkney.com/museums/stromness.htmWhitby Museum
Pannett Park
Whitby, North Yorkshire TO21 1RE
England
http://www.durain.demon.co.uk/index.htmNorthern College
Aberdeen and Dundee Scotland
http://www.norcol.ac.uk/ (Search for Whaling)Peabody Essex Museum
East India Square
Salem, MA 01970
http://www.pem.orgMuseum Nan Eilean
Francis Street
Stornoway
Isle of Lewis
Western Isles HS1 2NFThe American Museum in Britain
Claverton Manor
Bath, BA2 7BD
e-mail: amibbath@aol.comArbuthnot Museum
St. Peter Street
Aberdeenshire Heritage HQ
Aden County Park
Mintlaw
Peterhead Aberdeenshire AB42 5FQ
e-mail: general@abheritage.demon.co.ukBroughty Castle Museum
Broughty Ferry
Dundee DDS-2BE
(Angus,ex-Tayside)
Scotland
01382-776121
http://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/dcchtml/cofd/leisure.htmlHull Maritime Museum
Queen Victoria Square
Kingston-Upon-hull
HU1 3DX
(East Riding of yorkshire, ex- Humberside) England
http://www.hullcc.gov.uk/museumsCold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum
Main Street
P.O.Box 25
Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
(631) 367-3418
http://www.cshwhalingmuseum.orgSag Harbor Whaling Museum
Main and Garden Streets
Sag Harbor, NY
(516) 725-0770Butler Point Whaling Museum (New Zealand)
P.O. Box 195
Mangonui, NZ
http://www.butlerpoint.co.nzMaritime National Historical Park
San Francisco maritime NHP
Building E
Fort Mason Center
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 556-3002
http://www.nps.gov/safr/Mystic Seaport
P.O. Box 6000
75 Greenmanville Ave.
Mystic, CT 06355-0990
(860) 572-0711
http://www.mysticseaport.comNantucket Historical Society
2 Whaler's Lane
Nantucket, MA 02554
e-mail: nhainfo@nha.org
http://www.nha.org
Some Whaling Museums
Compiled by Klaus Barthelmess, Cologne, GermanyBremer Landesmuseum / Focke Museum
Schwachhauser Heerstr. 240
28213 Bremen
Germany
Whaling department
phone +49 - 421 -361 - 3575
fax +49 - 421 -361 - 3905
Schiffahrtsmuseum der oldenburgischen Weserhäfen
Breitestr. 9
26919 Brake
Germany
Good collection on German South sea whaling
phone +49 - 4401 - 6791
Altonaer Museum
Museumstr. 23
22765 Hamburg
Germany
The collection includes a significant array of whaling art but fewer whaling tools. A wooden model of a Kongsberg 90 mm gun was transferred to the German Maritime Museum, with the corresponding harpoon located at the Heimatmuseum Borkum.
Überseemuseum
Bahnhofsplatz 13
28195 Bremen
Germany
The museum possesses a Cordes double-barrel harpoon cannon from 1867, which Svend Foyn experimented with. This item may have been lost from the Focke Museum collection during WWII. One smooth-bore barrel was used to fire a gun harpoon, while the grooved barrel shot a bomb lance.
phone +49-421-361-9746
fax +49-421-361-9291Dethlefsen Museum
Am Fleth 43
25348 Glückstadt
Germany
+49 - 4124 - 3808 or -6448Haeberlin-Friesen-Museum
25938 Wyk auf Föhr
Germany
Some items represent both historical and modern whaling activities of the islanders.
Heimatmuseum
Roelof-Gerritsz-Meyer-Strasse
26757 Borkum
Germany
Traditional whaling gear on display is mostly replica; however, there is authentic modern gear donated by the late whaleman Hans Loose from the WILLEM BARENDSZ. Additionally, a wooden harpoon matching the Altona Kongsberg model serves as a lamp, and an 18th-century two-flued harpoon iron functions as a weathervane.
phone +49-4922-4860Deutsches Museum für Meereskunde und Fischerei
Katharinenberg 14 a
18438 Stralsund
Germany
i.a. a Greener gun from the Rostok whaleship NORDSTERN
phone +49 - 3831- 26 50 21
fax +49 - 3831- 29 22 17
Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum
Hans-Scharoun-Platz 1
27568 Bremerhaven
Germany
One of the top whaling collections globally, featuring the world's first museum whale catcher, RAU IX, which is still afloat.
phone +49 - 471 - 48207-0
postmaster@dsm.deNordfriesisches Museum
Herzog-Adolf-Str. 25
25813 Husum
Germany
Small whaling department
phone +49 - 4841 - 2545
Heimatmuseum Schloss Schönebeck
Im Dorfe 3-5
28757 Bremen - Vegesack
Germany
Nice whaling collection from German south sea whaling
phone +49 - 421 - 62 34 32Ishavsmuseet
6060 Hareid
Norway
Seal hunting museum, with walrus harpoons
also museum seal hunting ship AARVAK of 1912
phone +47 - 70 09 30 07
Kommandør Chr. Christensens Hval-fangstmuseet
Museumsgate 39
Postboks 2025
3201 Sandefjord
Norway
Possibly the finest whaling museum, housing a stunning collection of modern whalecraft and a fully operational museum whale catcher, SOUTHERN ACTOR (note: it does not engage in whaling).
phone +47 - 33 48 46 50
fax +47 - 33 46 31 38The Museum has got a new email adress.
http://www.sandefjord.kommune.no
E-mail: museene@sandefjord.kommune.no
Gamvik Museum
Mehavn
Norway
Svend Foyn exhibit
Vadsø Museum
Hvistendahlsgate 31
9800 Vadsø
Norway
Dedicated to the world’s first modern whaling station established by Svend Foyn, including the Svend Foyn archive and an extensive collection of modern whale gear, many of which are Foyn's original prototypes.
Vestfold Fylkesmuseum
Farmannveien 30
3111 Tønsberg
Norway
Svend Foyn archive and superb collection of modern whale gear, much of which Foyn's original prototypes from obsolete manufacturers, much from the local manufacturer Henriksens Mek Verksted.
phone +47- 33 31 24 18
fax +47 33 31 89 09
http://www.museumsnett.no/vestfoldfylkesmuseum
Larvik Sjøfartsmuseet
Kirkestredet 11
3280 Larvik
Norway
An exceptional provincial whaling collection in what was once the third-largest "capital" of modern Antarctic whaling.Oslo Sjøfartsmuseet
Bygdøynesveien 37
0286 Oslo 2
Norway
Features interesting harpoon cannons and whaling exhibits.
nsm@hiof.noPolarmuseet
Søndre Tollbudgate 11 B
Boks 900
9001 Tromsø
Norway
Primarily focused on sealing, it includes gear such as walrus harpoons and lances. & lances
phone +47 - 77 68 43 73
fax +47 - 77 61 17 20
polarmuseet@polar.museum.noSvalbardmuseum
9170 Longyearbyen, Svalbard
Norway
Has minimal whaling artifacts from both historical periods, mostly reproductions, and some archaeological finds.
phone +47- uuuu -21384
Sjóminjasafn Íslands
Hafnarfjörður
Iceland
Icelandic national maritime museum, a good study collection of harpoons for various marine prey.
Skógar
Iceland
A massive private folk museum with both indoor and open-air exhibits. It boasts an extensive collection of harpoons for all kinds of marine prey, essential for distinguishing between whale, seal, shark, and tunny harpoons, types used until the mid-1900s.Sjóminjasafn Austurlands
(East Icelandic Fisheries Museum)
Eskifjörður
Iceland
A small study collection features harpoons for various marine prey and early modern whaling equipment.
Isafjörður
Iceland
A local whaling museum is in the process of being established at a former station site.
Kommandørsgård
Juvrevej 60
6792 Rømø
Denmark
[17th century Arctic whaling captain's homestead]
phone +45 - 74 75 52 76Musée Océanographique
Avenue Saint-Martin
98000 Monaco
Monaco
The museum houses a complete Peterhead bottlenose whaleboat, along with extensive whale gear acquired and used by a prince around 1900.
phone +33 - 93 15 36 07
rela@oceano.orgMusée de la Marine
Marineland-Antibes
306, avenue Mozart
06600 Antibes
France
An eclectic whaling collection, comprising about 600 of 3000 items, is part of the private maritime collection of Marineland president Roland de la Poype. This collection includes some first-rate art and various whaling gear.
phone +33-4-93.33.55.77
fax +33-4-93.33.76.91
riddell@nicematin.frMusée de la Mer
Esplanade du Rocher-de-la-Vierge
64200 Biarritz
France
Exhibit on Basque whaling
Musée de la Pêche
Rue Vauban - Ville Close
B.P. 118
29181 Concarneau
France
A fisheries museum exhibits traditional French, Azorean, and modern Norwegian whaling equipment, compiled and donated by a former French elephant sealing entrepreneur and basking shark fisherman. It also features some intriguing experimental basking shark harpoons.
phone +uuu -98.97.10.20Museu das Caldeiras
Museu da Fabrica da Baleia
9970 Lajes das Flores
Flores, Açores
Portugal
A tryworks and whaling station has been converted into a museum.
Museu da Graciosa
Barracão das Canoas
Santa Cruz
Ilha Graciosa, Açores
Portugal
A local history and whaling museum is being developed in a former whaleboat shed (status: 1990).
Museu dos Baleeiros
Rua dos Baleeiros, 13
9930 Lajes do Pico
Pico, Açores
Portugal
[best Azorean whaling museum, many publications]
phone uuu - 92-67 22 76
fax uuu - 92-67 20 60Museu Municipal da Baleia
Largo da Praça
Caniçal
9200 Machico
Madeira
Portugal
Whaling museum at the former whaling station
phone: -uu - 96 14 07
Museo Oceanographico
Palacio del Mar
San Sebastián
Spain
Exhibit on Basque whaling
Museu Naval Massó
Industrias Massó, SA
Bueu
Pontevedra
Spain
A private maritime museum, run by the owners of the last Spanish whaling company, reportedly has a good whaling collection and is available by appointment.
Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum Naturalis
Postbus 9517
2300 RA Leiden
The Netherlands
The A.B. van Deinse whaling collection, which includes some whaling gear, is held in storage.
phone +31 - 71 - 568 76 11
Rijper Museum 'In 't Houten Huys'
Jan Boonplein 2
1883 BL De Rijp
The Netherlands
Whaling exhibit
+31-2997-1286
Fries Scheepvaartmuseum
Kleinzand 14
8601 BH Sneek
The Netherlands
Frisian whaling dept.
Nederlands Scheepvaart Museum
Kattenburgplein 1
1018 KK Amsterdam
The Netherlands
The Dutch national maritime museum features both old and modern whaling gear.
phone +31-20-523-2222
fax +31-20-523-2213
http://www.generali.nl/scheepvaartmuseumGem. Museum 't Behouden Huys
Postbus 60
8880 AB Terschelling
The Netherlands
Willem Barendsz memorabilia, whaling exhibit
Zuiderzeemuseum
Wierdijk 12-22
1601 LA Enkhuizen
The NetherlandsHolds the Thijs Mol whaling collection, i.a. a Bottemanne rocket harpoon
phone +31 -228 - 35 1111
fax +31 -228 - 35 1212
netpost@zuiderzeemuseum.nl
http://www.zuiderzeemuseum.nlRed Bay National Historic Site
Basque Whaling Station Information Centre
Box 103
Red Bay, Labrador A0K 4K0
Canada
The museum focuses on the archaeology of the local Basque whaling base from the 1530s to 1560s, showcasing an authentic excavated Basque whaling harpoon and processing gear. A superb website with lots of 16th-century whale gear is available at http://www.civilisations.ca/cmc/cmceng/ca04beng.html
redbay_info@pch.gc.ca
Vancouver Maritime Museum
1905 Ogden Street
Vancouver, B.C. V6J 1A3
Canada
Native, old & modern commercial whaling exhibit
South Dildo Whaling & Sealing Museum
South Dildo, Newfoundland
Canada
The museum also covers modern whaling from the local whaling station, which closed in 1972, and Newfoundland sealing.
Bequia Whaling & Sailing Museum
Port Elisabeth Post Office
Bequia
St. Vincent
West Indies
In phase of formation, c/o. Herman Belmar
phone +1 - 809 - 458 - 3514
fax +1 - 809 - 457 - 3134
Taiji Whaling Museum
Taiji-cho
Higashimuro-gun
Wakayama-ken 649-51
Japan
A superb collection of whaling art, culture, and technology, both old and modern, is housed here, along with the drydocked museum whale catcher KYO MARU #11. The museum is part of Taiji Kujirahama Park, or Taiji Whales Park, which includes a dolphinarium, whalewatching, and more.
phone +81 -739-59-2400
fax +81 -739-59-3823
http://www.town.taiji.wakayama.jp/museum/Ayukawa Whaling Museum & Whale Land
1 Kiyozaki
Ayukawa-hama
Ojika-machi
Ojika-gun
Miyagi-ken 986-25
Japan
The drydocked museum whale catcher TOSHI MARU #16 is part of a breathtaking museum complex with striking architecture.
phone +81 -225-45-3149
fax +81 -225-45-3514Kayoi Whaling Museum
Kayoi
Nagato-ken 671-17
Japan
phone +81 (0)837-28-0756
or +81 (0)837-23-1145
Town Docks Museum
Queen Victoria Square
Hull, HU1 3DX
England
Good whaling collection
phone +44 - 482- 222 737Port Natal Maritime Museum
Durban
South Africa
Dept. on the whaling industry at Durban, 1908-1972
Western Australian Maritime Museum
Cliff Street
Fremantle, W.A. 6160
Australia
phone + uuu - 9 - 431 - 8488
fax + uuu - 9 - 430 - 5120
Whaleworld Museum
Frenchman Bay
P.O. Box 64
Albany, WA 6330
Australia
Whaling museum at the former modern whaling station
whalewld@albanyis.com.auWhaler's Haven Museum
Victor Harbor
South Australia
Australia
Eden Killer Whale Museum
Imlay Street
Box 304
Eden, NSW 2551
Australiahttp://www.acr.net.au/~kwmuseum/
Maritime Museum of Tasmania
Box 1118 L
Hobart
Tasmania 7000
Australia
South Georgia Whaling Museum
Grytviken
South Georgia
Falkland Islands and Dependencies
The whaling museum at the former modern whaling station of Grytviken holds a superb collection.
Allan Forbes Whaling Collection
Hart Nautical Collections / Gallery
MIT Museum
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
USA
A private collection features around 3000 whaling prints and is available by appointment.
Suffolk County Whaling Museum
Box 1327
Sag Harbor
Long Island, N.Y. 11963
USA
Zaans Historisch Museum
Lagedijk 80
1544 BJ Zaandijk
The NetherlandsFormerly known as Zaanlandsche Oudheidkamer, this institution boasts one of the world's largest collections of Dutch whaling paintings, rivaling that of the Kendall, along with related applied arts and some whaling gear. This collection was established before collecting such items became popular.
phone +31 - 75 - 621 7626
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