Whitby Museum

This was a real suprise how much I enjoyed this little museum. It was very interesting with lots of artifacts and items to look at. The museums art gallery is free to enter but a charge for the museum. The costs is around £8.00 but if you have Blue light discount it is considerably lower. Your entry fee gives you a years pass to go back which is good value if you live close or regulary return. Visited here on Tuesday and the lady on the desk was very helpful and friendly. There is a little gifts shops to get all your usual souvenirs and the beloved fridge magnet. There is also a cafe and toilets on site. Give yourself a good hour to look around.

Whitby Museum is a hidden gem! The collections are incredibly interesting – from fascinating fossils and maritime history to beautiful local artifacts. Unfortunately, we only had about 2 hours to visit, but I’m sure you could easily spend much longer here exploring everything. The museum is in a lovely location, close to a park and a playground, so it’s perfect for a family day out. Only adults pay for entry, and the ticket is valid for a whole year, which is amazing value. There’s so much to see and learn – I can’t wait to come back!

This is such a lovely place to spend a few hours - we recently visited for the first time and it's kooky and charming and just a treat for anybody who wants to learn more about Whitby and the surrounding area. A huge variety of exhibits to enjoy (including the legendary hand of glory!) and a stunning collection of ship models, fossils, jet, vintage photos and animal displays. And it's all set in beautiful Pannett Park.

A very interesting museum, set in the lovely Whitby Park—perfect for a walk before or after your visit. There’s plenty to see, with most of the items generously donated. Tickets are great value and include free return visits for a whole year, which is a real bonus. There’s also a small tea room inside, ideal for a quick break.

This is a wonderful informative visit that’s needs time to be able to review everything the museum has to offer. It has disabled access at the back very friendly staff lots of clean toilets and disabled facilities the museum contents oh my goodness you couldn’t ask get lost in the history that this museum offers. You really do need more than half a day to look round the many sections that are packed with historical events local history events and all of the many items to review ………… it’s very warm and welcoming one price gets everyone in and your admission allows a whopping 12 months come back as many times as you want or can. The grounds outside are spectacular even at the end of September when we visited there were a host of beautiful welcoming colourful blooms to invite you to invest your time walking round or sitting in one of the many seats available to sit and look around at the most spectacular sites that Whitby has to offer.

Really wonderful museum packed full of history of whitby, Natural history and key time period discoveries. Admission covers you for a whole 12 months from your first visit too which is a lovely touch. 😊

Was great! Canny little museum with a nice little cafe. Mega friendly staff. Lots to see

Love this museum, theres so much to see and so eclectic. Annual ticket is £8.50. Worth it because I was here 4hrs and probably only had a good look at 60% You enter through a terrific art gallery (free). Big collections of maritime, Jet, fossils, weaponry, medievals

An unusual museum in many ways reminiscent of Victorian style. Whitby Museum is an independent Museum founded in 1823 and run by Whitby Literary & Philosophical Society. The main hall retains the atmosphere of a Victorian/Edwardian Museum and has sometimes been called a 'Museum within a Museum'. It is also remarkable for the variety of its collections. An amazing collection of local fossils, natural history, model ships, carved jet, toys, costumes and social history. There are relics of the Scoresbys - famous whalers - and Captain Cook. Ships captains of the past brought back to the Museum unusual things from all the seven seas. The fossil collection with the wall mounted saurians and the wonderful jet collection are of international importance. Other very important collections are the Samplers, Ethnography, Ship Models and the Scoresby (2 whaling captains). If you are interested in natural history, James Cook, archaeology, ceramics, paintings, bygones, Whitby Abbey, toys and dolls or militaria you are bound to find something of interest. A large varied and ever growing collection of toys, dolls, books and games ranging from Elizabethan wooden dolls to the Pelham puppets along with an early Punch and Judy set. A host of other toys includes a furnished dolls house plus a selection of tin toys and wind up vehicles. There is also a varied selection of wax-headed, bisque and composition dolls, most in beautiful costumes. The really interesting part ..a MUST SEE! Whitby Museum is the home of the 'Hand of Glory' (used in many a novel) The Hand of Glory is the dried and pickled hand of a man who has been hanged, often specified as being the left (Latin: sinister) hand, or else, if the man were hanged for murder, the hand that did the deed. According to old European beliefs, a candle made of the fat from a malefactor who died on the gallows, virgin wax, and Lapland sesame oil (the candle could only be put out with milk), and the hand having come from the said hanged criminal, lighted and placed in the Hand of Glory (as in a candlestick) would have rendered motionless all persons to whom it was presented. (In another version the hair of the dead man is used as a wick, also the candle is said to give light only to the holder.) The Hand of Glory also purportedly had the power to unlock any door it came across. The other wonderful item is the 'Tempest Prognosticator'.a 19th century invention by George Merryweather in which leeches are used in a barometer. The twelve leeches are kept in small bottles inside the device; when they become agitated by an approaching storm they attempt to climb out of the bottles and trigger a small hammer which strikes a bell. The likelihood of a storm is indicated by the number of times the bell is struck. The Society also runs a library, an archives and lectures. A new wing has been recently added to the Museum and contains temporary exhibitions and costume galleries as well as displays on ship building, herbaria and the Growth of Whitby. The Library and Archives: Contains books and other resources on the history of the Whitby area. Members of the public are welcome Tuesdays to Fridays 10am to 1pm and the first Sunday afternoon of each month 2pm-4pm. Prices Adult £3.00 Child £1.00 Family £7.00 Concession £2.50

This museum boast some 70,000 items and it's all packed in very densely. You'll find a complete list of their collection on the website but it includes such curiosities as dinosaur fossils, taxidermy birds and fish, an entire room a antique model ships (a few made of bones!), a petrified human hand, antique clothes and shoes. It was impressive, fascinating, and a little grotesque.