The Whale Museum

An interactive museum, well-equipped and educational. Excellent for taking small children, as it has a children's area. I liked that, despite having two floors, it has a wheelchair for guests to climb if needed. It's a quick tour; I highly recommend visiting.

Amazing! This is a must see whenever you are in Friday Harbor! Kids & adults, so much to learn, experience and explore. The gift shop has something for everyone 💙💚💙

My partner and I came here for our third anniversary. We both thought this was one of the best museums we’ve ever been to. The staff are clearly enthusiastic and well-informed about marine life. The exhibits upstairs are curated with extraordinary care for the animals that they depict. In particular, the interactive phone booth in the corner was clever. It was a wonderful way to hear the animals through a “filter” — the phone’s antiquated crackle and sense of distance — as a simulation, perhaps, of the underwater transmittance of that information. We had a lovely time. Thank you for having us!

We went in on a Saturday. It wasn't crowded. Good collection in the display and an audio tour we can listen along as we move through the exhibits.

The museum was very informative and have really cool exhibits. The woman working there was very nice and friendly as well. I also really liked the unique finds in the giftshop that had many items from local artists

Really well done exhibits with lots of information about the orcas and other whales, and very moving stories of some of the individual Southern Resident Killer Whales. Employees were kind and knowledgeable, and I attended a fantastic free talk at the museum by Brad Hanson about the status and health of the Southern Resident Killer Whale pods. If you’re planning a trip to San Juan Island the Whale Museum is whale worth a visit.

The Whale Museum is awesome! So much to look at. The staff were very friendly and the gift shop is great! A wonderful way to spend the day!

GOOD AT EDUCATION BUT MUSEUM NEEDS AN UPGRADE The people here are passionate about educating humans on these wonderful creatures and what can be done to protect them. However, the museum itself looks like it's from 1992 with very little interactivity and, in this day and age, that's expected. I hope they receive funding to update, as this is the perfect spot to learn about whales and then go out and see them in their natural habitat. On the plus side, the gift shop was good with a nice range of products.

It was quite a small museum. When you enter, you are in the gift shop. From there you purchase admissions which I believe was $12 then head up the stairs to the museum. There were some interesting things to look at but I expected more. We spent about 20-30 minutes in the museum.

Fantastic... just fantastic! We visited Friday Harbor on a Sunday and walked the town. We were not sure what to do and the visitor guy recommended this spot. The adults had fun reading all the facts while the kiddos had fun seeing all the bones, size graphics and videos. The museum was just the right size to get a glimpse into the research of the whales of the San Juan islands as well as the right amount of respect and gratitude regarding the importance of caring for the Lords majestic creation. They have a beautiful book from a local photographer highlighting all the life of the San Juan islands, the perfect souvenir to share this beautiful place with friends and family back home!

This is posted in July 2025: I am fascinated with Orca, and there are two ecotypes in this area now. The museum has not kept up-to-date and I did not find one singular mention of the Biggs killer whales that also thrive here. There are lots of reasons that Biggs killer whale populations are increasing and lots of reasons that J,K, and L pods are likely functionally extinct. The museum is amazing and there is so much money invested in it and YOU NEED TO GO THERE, but understand that they are not telling you the whole story and they are not up-to-date. Fish-eating orca are now more rare up here. Mammal-eating orca are more common. Since we can identify each individual, we know who is who. The museum is absolutely epic, but go ahead and get it up to date. To not mention the orca who you will likely see on a local whale watch is behind the times. Embrace the current ecosystem, please.

So...I for a tourist attraction $10 for adults and $5 for kids isn't a lot but it wasn't worth it. Took less than 30 min to run through. Tried watching old videos on a tiny screen downstairs about a whale rescue but it just wasn't good. Upstairs was a bit better but the most fascinating thing was the skeleton of the conjoined twin seal lions. Friday Harbor is such a beautiful place so it's not worth the visit for us.

Had a lot of fun here! Typically not too interested in museums since we are very much outdoorsy people, but with the weather we decided to give it a shot. Cost friendly, easy to navigate, and it was great to read up on the whales and research!

This is my second visit. I learned about Springer, a lost young orca that was rescued and returned to its family pod. Sweet. And the documentary film SONIC SEA was a shocking revelation of how the noise from ships' engines propellers & sonar can kill sealife. Oil exploration using explosives kills Every living thing. Sad. Preventable.

You know... I'm just going to be honest...I get what they want to do, and I realize this is more of a working research exhibit... but a lot of the information is outdated and expressed too formally. I feel like there has to be more grants out there to help them reach their goals better than charging $10/ person... this is a 30-minute kind of exhibit considering the exhibit space and dated videos. $5 would be a fair price for everyone... the only interesting thing here was the conjoined twin harbor seals... that's worth $5 at any circus side show! I'm glad my money will help further research in the future...I just hope it helps improve the interactivity of this museum so that it becomes exciting and engaging!

Must visit - if you go to one place in Friday Harbor, this should be it. Such an important place. VERY interesting, with lots of amazing exhibits. They do incredible research in the field, too. I'm not affiliated, but I would strongly encourage anyone to visit and support the important work.

Admission was $9, & we spent an hour here. We could adopt an orca as well, they have been on the endangered list since 2005. A lot of whale information pics, videos, totems, hands-on interactive exhibits & even calls & sounds of orcas. Discovered that orcas are baleen whales have baleen instead of teeth which they use to collect shrimp-like krill, plankton & small fish from the sea. These bristly baleen plates filter, sift, sieve or trap the whales' prey from seawater inside their mouths. Baleen is made out of keratin, the same protein that makes up our fingernails and hair. Yes, it was here to see and touch. We exited through a colorful gift shop. Lots of tee shirts, books, photographs, trinkets ....

Though there were many whale tooths on display, I would say that the museum overall is very long in the tooth. Everything is in desperate need of an update. The displays are looking old and shabby but worst of all the information needs updating. There was lots of sad news here but nothing about the biggest success story of all...the humpbacks have returned to the Salish Sea in ever growing numbers! I think I heard that there are now over 800 of them in the summer months. Up from zero!!! Yes, they had totally decimated a vibrant humpback population down to zero but through conservation efforts that started back in the '60s, the humpbacks have returned! I would also like to see more innovative and interactive displays especially for the kiddos!

My friends and I were visiting Friday Harbor, and on the top of our list was The Whale Museum. We are very interested in marine mammal conservation and heard about the mission of the Museum: not only to curate and display artifacts related to whales in the Salish Sea area, but also education and research to promote the growth and sustainability of the ecosystem. The Museum itself is in a lovely historic building in downtown Friday Harbor; it covers two floors and can easily be toured within 90 minutes to 2 hours. There's a swell little gift shop on the ground floor, and you'll have the opportunity to Adopt an Orca-how cool! Special thanks to Casey in the gift shop/admission area; we spoke with her when we arrived about our love of whales and desire to do some whale-watching while we were on San Juan Island. As we finished our tour of the museum, she found us and let us know that there was a group of orcas sighted off Lime Kiln Point, and we were able to dash across the island and catch several sightings of the last three members of the group! It was a great start to our whale-watching adventures! We really appreciate Casey taking the time and effort to find us and let us know the whales were there. It made our day! We're so grateful for the work of the Whale Museum and will spread the word: The Museum is the best first stop for any visit to the islands!

This small museum is full of plaques, signs, pictures and skeletons. We learned quite a bit, even though it's on the small side. The big skeletons are the best part, putting them into scale. They have a room dedicated to learning the different calls of the different resedent orca pods. (They have different patterns and pitches!)

This place in rare because I never been to a Whale museum. Everyone is super nice in this place. It's cheap $12 for entry. However if you have a student id it's 50% off, and if you attend any of the "sing sings" at the Lime Kiln Park then it's free. If you sign up for an annual membership for $30 some then you receive unlimited entries for FREE for 12 months. The museum offers a lot of history on the whales. It has very interesting videos on the whales. This is a place that I was very interested in and I'm not a big whale person but it changed my ways. Check it out worth it. I promise. We go here every time we are on the island. Love this place. :)

Small and dated museum located off Spring Street dedicated to different species of whales that abound the waters of the San Juans. The exhibit is housed on two floors with most displays on the second floor. The stairscase is steep, but they have a stairlift available. We were most entertained by the video showing the orcas at play at Lime Kiln State Park. We visited the park the day before, but did not see any whales so it was nice to see what it was like when the orcas are so close to shore. The gift shop offers many unique souvenirs like postcards, magnets, keychains, jewelry and clothing. We purchased a few items to bring back as gifts for friends. Aside from a little updating and housekeeping issues, the lady at the gift shop could be a bit more friendly. We asked a few questions about the island, asked to see some merchandise in the glass case and the entire time she gave a curt response.

My mom and I went to the Whale Museum yesterday and really liked it. It is a self guided tour so you can go at your own pace. I am a member, and my mom got the senior discount so it was only $5 for both of us. I appreciate all the work they do keeping track of the genealogy of all the pods of orcas. Nice gift shop. If you like orcas this is a very cool place!

My girlfriend and I went whale watching at Port Townsend which made a small stop at the San Juan Islands - which is the Friday Harbor. For a small town at Friday Harbor, this whale museum is good way to wind down and learn a bit more of different kinds of whales. Pricing is below $10 and you do feel like your are helping the local museum run. Some of their equipment is out dated, especially their TV. The highlight of the museum is definitely how they keep track all the orcas in the area with specific names. They identify orcas by their fins which is quite amazing. Its a one stop visit for me. Come by if you are in the area. You will spend a good 45 minutes here atleast.

Just OK as far as museums go. I'd have watched some of the videos but one was a bit long for the grandkids. Interesting facts and such. One time will be enough. We won't visit again.

Come here to "geek out" on all things to do with whales. For $6 admission to this small, island community, research/hobby museum you can find a little bit of something for everyone. Although it is presented in a somewhat outdated and disjointed way, you will walk away more educated about these amazing cetacea. Those who just want to scrape the surface and pickup a little bit of education might enjoy sitting through a documentary in the mini theater and asking the docent questions about the actual whale bones and teeth on display. You can even touch and hold these items to get a feel for their size, weight and purpose. There is also a children's area and a gift shop. For those of you who want to delve deeper into the science, you can see a geneology chart, read in-depth about the pods' family history, learn to recognize markings on each orca's saddle and fin, and familiarize yourself with the personal story of each whale in the different pods. There is even a sound studio where you can listen to whale vocalizations. For me, the major thing I took away from my experience here is that we need to help protect the whales. We are losing them to these three factors: 1) Lack of food source - The southern residents rely on Chinook salmon which have become increasingly scarce. This is partly due to climate change and the warming waters and destruction or damming of salmon habitat. 2) Pollution - Toxins in the water and food source that build up in an orcas body fat make it increasingly difficult for them to fight off disease such as the common cold. 3) Disturbance of natural habitat from sea vessels (military, commercial and recreational). Sadly, even the whale watching excursions are making a negative impact. The little museum is in walking distance of the ferry terminal. You can also find free street parking out front, but make sure you read the parking signs, because some limit the parking time to 15 minutes whereas others allow as much as 2 hours. I highly recommend visiting the museum before booking a whale excursion or going to the lighthouse to see if you can see the orcas from land. You will learn some valuable information about recognizing the different mammals which will make your sight-seeing excursion so much more enjoyable.

I walked in with my little brother and looked at some things. we sat down when Jennifer who worked there started accusing me of stealing, and being 'fishy' because i walked in "cocky". My mother went to talk to her and she said my mother was "saving my ass" and "you're going to harass me?". I asked why she thought I was stealing and all she said because i was acting fishy and cocky. We have the whole thing on video and plan to bring it to her manager because we were paying customers who were wrongfully accused of being "fishy" and kicked out for no reason. my mother came to say sorry then she told my mom to leave and didn't want to be "harassed". very classless and seemed to be looking for any reason to be upset

Very educational and totally worth the stop! They have a few movies that play as well as a kids coloring area with sheets and an area to hang their artwork out of all the gift shops in the area they have the more unique items!

This is a small and slightly dated museum right near the Friday Harbor waterfront. Admission is $6 for adults, which seems a little high considering the size of the museum, but I was happy to pay the fee to support their cause. They had some pretty interesting facts and things to see - my favorite was probably the extensive information on local orca pods, with photos, names, birth dates, and other details. They also have some very neat skeletons of whales and otters, as well as some actual examples of bacteria and other creatures that plague a whale's health. A few things were kind of creepy - like the seal fetuses and the dolphin and human brains (especially since the fluid in the containers is clearly evaporating and you can see the top of the brains out of the water and they are black and gross!). A few things could use some small repairs (signs, etc). Otherwise the museum was in good shape. The museum store is probably the best part of the entire museum. There is an amazing collection of items - everything from stuffed animals to glass figurines to mugs to clothing. Glad I visited this museum, but I don't think I'd ever need to come back.

Really enjoyed this museum. Docked a star because it's easy to miss the upstairs, and staff does not mention it. Almost missed it entirely. The downstairs is pretty full. However, skeletons and art are incredible. Definitely enjoyed the educational features about Sea World dangers, whaling, and human intervention. Fairly small museum, especially for the price.

This quaint museum sits atop a steep hill overlooking the harbor. Admission costs about $6, (varies with age). Several whale skeletons and bones are displayed throughout the exhibit as well as replicas and neat little facts about similar marine animals. A family tree showcasing the local whale pods is sprawled out against one wall. A short documentary plays on a large flat screen television, it was interesting and engaging, (although I am a sucker for a good documentary). All in all this was a lovely little exhibit, I recommend taking children considering there isn't a whole lot of fine-print reading and "do not touch" signs. =]

We've been to several whale museums, and this was one of the better ones. They cram a lot of info into a very small space. We were going anyway, but a Groupon Now! became available for two-for-one admission. Tons of info on not only the resident orca pods but on other whales in the area and around the world. I would love to go through here with kids, as I think its interactive exhibits and easy-to-digest info would do a lot to teach them about the fragility of our seas. The only reason - the ONLY reason - I'm not throwing that fifth star on this review is because you could keep ice cream in the place. It was positively frigid. A few space heaters would go a long way. For the conservation-minded, a trek to the nearby Sea Shepherd's newly opened gallery would be a nice cap to a save-the-whales experience.

I just took a week long educational program offered by the museum - the Marine Naturalist Training Program. The staff from the museum put together an exceptional course for the time and money. Tracie Merrill is an excellent coordinator who shared a wealth of knowledge the entire week. If you take the course she's known for providing abundant, yummy snacks. We learned all about the Salish Sea ecosystem. All of the speakers were locals and experts in their field. Everyone was passionate and totally inspiring. Our days in the field were magnificent! We went to Lime Kiln State Park for a geology lecture, Jakle's Lagoon, Cattle Point for a intertidal talk and a whale watching tour on the Western Prince II. We learned an incredible amount of information, met amazing people and had a fantastic time. If you wish to learn about the beautiful, diverse Salish Sea I highly recommend taking this course! A shout out to ALL the Whale Museum staff for their dedication, hard work and love for the Southern Resident Orca whales. Your work is vital to the survival of these awe inspiring animals. Keep the faith and keep on fighting the good fight! Big hugs to y'all!

There wasn't a lot to see and do but what they did have was very interesting. The stories about the whales were quite sad and heartbreaking. The movie they had was hard to hear because of other visitors being noisy but it was very interesting and we learned a lot.

I had received one of their whale adoption kits as a gift at Christmas, knowing I was going to visit their museum that summer, and it was a perfect introduction to the information they provide. I visited The Whale Museum back in July of 2014, and it's still left a very vivid and fun impression on me. First off, if you don't like orcas, whales, or sea life, this museum is absolutely not for you. These reasons happened to be why I came to Friday Harbor, so I still remember it clearly. While the museum is small, it will amaze you how much information and visual items they can fit in the space. It may be small, but it packs a lot of punch. First, to get into the museum you walked up these well painted stares that looked like you were rising from the ocean. From there the museum was separated into groups of animals: the genealogy of the Salish Sea orca whales, gray whale migration, etc. There were so many visuals from bones to sculptures, and they had plenty of places to interact (like you were in an observation booth or listening to animal sounds in a phone booth). The last section included local history and a popular story there with large illustrations brought to life. Upon exiting, you leave the best gift shop on the island in regards to whale memorabilia and information about the island. They have everything from shirts to guides about the wildlife and shells on the islands. It was fantastic. Again, if it's information you're interested in, then I highly recommend it.

From watching the short video on their website, I expected much less but was pleasantly surprised by the sheer amount of information and creative uses of different kinds of media in this museum. There was a lot to see and read, a lot to hear, a lot to touch. One of my favorite things was that they had baleen you could touch, I've always wondered what that felt like. The skeletons were really cool because they helped put into perspective what is difficult to get from pictures and videos. Also I mean it's not every day you see whale bones. Another thing notable about this museum was the ART. Oh my gosh. The stained glass and paintings were so beautiful. I really appreciated the educational new exhibit about the threats to the endangered resident orca population as well as other whales in the area. We were there for a little more than two hours and went through the exhibits pretty thoroughly. However there is a lot of cool stuff here and next time I'm around I will definitely come back.

Well if you're in Friday Harbor And you missed the Whale Museum Then you missed a whale of a time quite informative

This museum didn't really hold our attention. We had a much better time walking up and down the pier and seeing what the fisherman hauled in that day -- for FREE.

Great way to top off a fabulous weekend on San Juan Island. While compact, this museum does a great job not only educating about Orcas and other types of whales, but also showing how big a part of the area's culture they are. I have to admit to tearing up at least a few times when reading about and seeing pictures of Sea World's round up and capture of many of the area's beloved whales in the 1970s. Although, visiting this place wasn't sad. It left me hopeful for a brighter future for all the world's whales. Time and money well spent. Loved the orca adoption program! What a great gift for someone. The gift shop was the the best on the island. Love that the profits go back to whale education and research. Got quite a nice reversible logo coat for only $29.99!

My kind of museum . . . small, topical and veeeeeery informative. The staff is extremely friendly, and I loved the building . . . the perfect setting for telling the story of the San Juan whales. We were a party of seven adults and five children ages 6 to 13. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience and had much to say afterward. The whale museum is recommended, for sure.

Of course I had to go down and visit this one! Being a fan of orcas, it was the least I could do after enjoying their presence around our boat for more than one hour. This museum is a small presentation, but has a lot of information on the pods they study and keep track in WA. I had a discount coupon from the clipper tour I took, so it was worth to pay the $3.

This is a small museum that would take you about a half hour to get through. The location is very close to several restaurants and the ferry dock, so it's very convenient. I stumbled upon this place through Groupon, and would probably not have noticed it if I was just in town visiting. There was quite a bit of information considering the size; however, it seems pretty dated. The video definitely needs to be updated! I'm sure there is more information about whales to add to that video. There is a small room for kids, which is nice, but it is way too small. There isn't enough space for kids to actually play or do anything. It's basically a walk-through type of kid room with activity sheets and crayons. If you've never been, I would check it out, but I do not think I'll be back. It's too far to travel for a second visit, as I am in the Seattle area.

A small, but decent museum. My kids, ages just turned 7 and about to turn 5, were pretty bored, though. I think this is a great place for ages 10 and up. There are multiple skeletons. Not much hands-on or interactive -- mostly looking at info and reading. In the center room upstairs is a dress-up and coloring spot which will appeal to younger kids, but otherwise, we were done within 15 minutes.

This museum is a great addition to Friday Harbor

I wasn't expecting much from a museum island but was pleasantly surprised by this small but informative museum. The exhibits were informative both for adults and children. You probably wouldn't spend more than an hour here, but given that you are on an island with great whale watching, it is certainly worth visiting and learning more about these majestic mammals.

$6 admission for adults ; $3 for students. All of the proceeds go into research and education programs and at the same time you get to learn a lot about whales in the Pacific Northwest. It is a small museum, but definitely worth a trip if you're in Friday Harbor. There is posted information about sightings of local orca populations and sometimes, naming opportunities of the newborns in the pods! We ended up buying sweaters from the gift store and we were given a glass water bottle for all our purchases! They have a great selection of t-shirts, sweaters, and souvenirs.

Although it's a smaller museum, it was incredibly informative and very well laid out. We bought our tickets off Groupon and it was a great value. The museum had several interactive exhibits, more bones on display than I thought possible and even some brains and fetuses. It was such a learning experience and a place I would recommend for anyone visiting Friday Harbor.

We were encouraged to go see this museum while in Friday harbor and we ended up have an interesting time there. It is a small but fascinating museum. All of the proceeds go into research and education about the whales, which I think is a noble effort.The staff were very informative about the whales in the area and we learned so much about the different Ocra pods that swim in the waters there. Plus the museum, even though small had very interesting artifacts and whale bones. They even have a full skeleton of a young orca from one of the pods that was found dead, washed up on one of the beaches a few years back. Through the whole experience I came away with the sense of how the orcas of the San Juans, are intrinsically woven into their culture, pass the present. I highly recommend it. It is an easy stroll from the public boat dock where we docked for the day and explored Friday harbor, and plus the gift shop rocks!

Stopping at the Whale Museum was a great decision. I always enjoy the educational aspects of museums and while this museum was small, there was a lot of great information here. We learned all about the resident Orca pods and their history. There is a heavy emphasis on conservation here, which very important to me. I found this place to be both fun and educational, I would definitely recommend stopping by here, I believe that it truly enhances the experience of visiting these islands, especially if you plan on doing any whale watching.

Not worth the money. $9 adults, $4 kids (they must have had a recent price hike, because it's no longer $6). Old, dated, worn, museum of whale artifacts. Desperately needs a facelift and update! To access the exhibits, you must climb a very long flight of stairs. Your only alternative is to ask an employee to set up and operate the single-person chair lift for you. Most exhibits are text-heavy and probably interesting to an adult who's really into whales. Didn't hold more than about 20 min of interest for our grandkids ages 7, 13 and 14 - or me, for that matter. The gift shop looked more interesting than the actual museum. The cards you're given as your ticket were a hit with our 7 year old, so that was good.

This is a very educational experience that will add some inspiration to your San Juan Island trip.

Get the history of the resident pods, the newest arrivals, and know what to look for before you go out on the boats! I'm glad we did as our tour guide from Maya Whale watching tours has many photos and videos at this museum. We all knew what she was talking about and made our whale tour even more exciting. The price is right and the it has a cute little gift shop too! Best whale gift shop on the island, this is our 3rd trip here and we will stop in every time we come!

Appropriately price for what it is. Lots of great information and an interactive phone booth with whale noises that was great for photos.

Wow. What a waste of time. Five minutes on Wikipedia would give you enough info and is free.

This would be 3 1/2 stars Cute little museum in a cute little touristy town. I had some time to kill last summer before my whale watching cruise, so a friend and I popped into this tiny little museum. For how small the building is there is actually quite a bit going on. Depending on your interest you could easily spend an hour or 2 here looking over things. I think I managed to go through in about 45 minutes --but I did avoid the more children centric areas of the museum. A lot to learn here about "local" orca pods, whale physiology, etc. The dolphin fetus was slightly disturbing, and I also could have gone through life without seeing what an Orca penis looks like. They let you take pictures though! Which is neat, especially with the big whale skeleton they have hanging from the ceiling! Cost is not that much at all, and it is a great way to support the local community! Also--the view is pretty killer too. Give it looksie if you have some time out in the San Juans.

Excellent museum to learn about whales and the history. Also learned how to protect whales in future. Great way to spend an afternoon.

This is a small museum with a somewhat unclear focus. For every age group there is some good material but not enough to keep you interested for long. On the other hand, it's not very expensive ($3 to $6). I liked the video and some of the exhibits were cool, such as the sampled whale and orca sounds and the room that was a pretty authentic scientist "studio". The kids thought the seal fetuses were gross. We "adopted" an orca (Riptide) and had some material waiting for us when we got home, and I just got a big monthly email with updates on the pods. (If you think you might want to do that, do it on arrival, or online before your trip, as at least the family version gives you free entry to the museum.) The kids liked the adoption part a lot. Good bathrooms.