Nothing the Nantucket Historical Association does nothing bad; everything they do is for the good of the preservation of the island's history, story, and beauty. If you are heading to the island, I highly recommend you check out their website. Stop at the Visitor's Center and grab a brochure of all of the NHQ sites to see - most within walking distance from Town. www.nha.org Two thumbs up, err, I mean 5-Stars. read more

Nantucket Historical Association - Museums Near Me

This is a great museum for the whaling industry in Nantucket. Their displays are amazing. We did a guided tour of their temporary exhibit of clothing in Nantucket. It was very informative and fun. Do not miss the scrimshaw exhibit in the museum, it is amazing. Go to the top of the building to see views of the town. The gift shop has many interesting and unusual products that you can buy. read more

Nantucket Historical Association - Whale skeleton and whaling boat. - Museums Near Me

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Go back in time A cool museum about whaling. Of course whaling is a touchy subject these days but the museum is necessary because Nantucket was built on whaling. Everything from the ballast stone streets to the elegant old houses were constructed because of the Nantucket whaling industry. The building is an old factory and it still smells and feels old and wooden. It's not particular large but they manage to cram a lot of interesting things in the available space. Of course the obvious thing that hits you is the huge whale skeleton hanging form the ceiling. Not one of the largest whales but still pretty damn impressive considering it's hanging above your head. The rest of the museum is full of artifacts, pictures, movies and lectures. The staff are obviously really into the history of the island because they literally jump on any questions you have. They really know the history of the whaling industry and just about anything else about the island, past or present. The 15 bucks admission is a bit high but if you want to get away from the tourist stuff and learn about the real Nantucket it is money well spent. read more

This place was great. I wasn't keen on going to a Whaling Museum while I was in Nantucket, but my friend dragged me in. I was really impressed by the enthusiasm of the staff. All sorts of talks and events going on at all time, and all the staff are really enthusiastic about the history and want you to know everything (and not in an annoying way). There's a big 'ol whale hanging from the ceiling inside and all sorts of cool things to look at. They also have a bunch of really interesting movies to watch. It was really worth the $15 to me. There is also a roof deck you can go up to and take pictures of Nantucket from above. The guy running the front desk was really sad to see my friend and I go and invited us to come back for the rest of the day if we wanted until they closed. I thought that was nice of him and left Nantucket with warm fuzzies even though it was, about 40 degrees out at the time :P read more

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Loved this museum! For a cloudy/rainy Sunday, this was the perfect way to spend an hour and a half. My friend and I first watched a short 45-minute movie about the history of Nantucket, which was very well done, and offered up a lot of fun tidbits that helped to make the rest of the museum experience more enjoyable. The giant whale skeleton is absolutely breath-taking. I couldn't take enough pictures. We missed a short lecture about the whaling industry, but I appreciated that the offered that program daily. It is a bit costly at $17 for each adult, but it's one of those things you HAVE to do when you visit Nantucket. read more

This is better known as the "Nantucket Whaling Museum." Not as big nor as grand as its counterpart in New Bedford, the Nantucket Museum nevertheless has some really good exhibits covering the development of the island from its first native settlers to the first European settlement, its Quaker heritage, the development of whaling, and modern day Nantucket as a well-known summer resort. The centerpiece of the museum is the 40-ft sperm whale skeleton hung in the main gallery over the whaleboat. There's also a small gallery on the second floor dedicated to the sinking of the whaleship Essex, of "In the Heart of the Sea" fame. The second half of the museum is a look at the process that the whale oil goes through once it came back to Nantucket and was processed for making into candles and lamp oil. The building is actually an old spermaceti candle factory, so it's a fairly appropriate area for the exhibit. Upstairs, they have examples of scrimshaw and needlework, and then at the very top of the building they have a widow's walk-like area with a nice view of the harbor. I didn't go to any of the other historical building tours offered by the Association, so I can't comment on them. But if they are anything like the museum proper, I don't think I'd be disappointed. If you're looking for the end-all and be-all of whaling history and museums, go to New Bedford. But if you just happen to be on Nantucket and feel like getting a glimpse of what the island used to be in the glory days of Yankee whaling, check this museum out. read more

Nantucket Historical Association - Museums Near Me

Perfect for a rainy day. The Whale Museum covers all things whaling and boasts a complete Sperm Whale skeleton. The telling of the Whaleship Essex is NOT to be missed. Incredible story and well told from the docent I saw. Don't forget to check out the scrimshaw gallery upstairs either as it's well worth a look. Overall a great museum experience. read more

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We loved this museum. Its $17 for an adult to get in (off season...not sure if it goes up in the summer) Initially, I thought that was a little steep, but at the end of my visit, I was totally satisfied. This is a beautiful museum - apparently renovated somewhat recently. Its just a gorgeous space to be in. The museum is obviously focused on the whaling history on Nantucket, but its a really an entire history of the island. A documentary placed throughout our visit which we could hear and catch glimpses of as we toured through the various rooms. Learned a lot, fascinating stories and wonderful things to look at. Don't only go here on a rainy day - its really worth a visit! Its also not huge- its manageable in about 90 mins plus a trip to the gift shop. read more

I went on a walking tour that the Historical Society offers about the local houses in town. While it was somewhat informative, the woman running the tour kind of jumped from time period to time period so I kind of got lost. The houses were interesting, but one of them that has been under construction for two years (where she ends the tour, abruptly) was somewhere we couldn't go in, which they don't tell you at the beginning of the tour. The whaling museum was really expensive for my family to want to go into, being 4 of us all over the age of 18. And the parking situation in downtown Nantucket didn't allow for us to do both things within the two hour parking we so luckily found. I don't know about the museum, from what I could see it looked somewhat interesting, but the tour I would skip until at least July 6th 2011 when they open the last house on the tour again. read more

This was one of the biggest wastes of times I had on my recent New England vacation. Their big showcase is a giant set of suspended whale bones, which is cool but you get a whole lot more at the NE Aquarium for example. It seems to be a museum that catered to the very old, so I would suggest anyone over the age of 55 to visit. Keep the kids away because they will be bored to tears. read more

The Nantucket Whaling Museum is a beautiful building, and has some interesting collections, but it also feels a bit empty. They have an impressive collection of scrimshaw and a lovely roof deck but not much else. The staff and the programming are what makes this museum worth visiting. When we arrived, a woman was giving a talk about the history of the whaling industry in the main hall, and the talk lasted easily an hour. The woman knew her stuff, though, and it did not seem that long at all. They also had a scrimshaw talk going on later and at the same time, a smaller show-and-tell type program for kids. It seems rather clear that this is less of a museum and more of an ornate event space because their hours are really limited: 11-4, but they have events there frequently at night. In the museum, it explains that many of the older artifacts of the whaling history of Nantucket were lost in the great fire, so that could be a big part of the reason that the collection seems so spare, but it's still worth a visit. Admission is a bit steep--$20 for adults, but that also lets you into several other historic sites around town, so it's good value if you plan to do all of them anyway. read more

There is a wonderful walking tour of downtown that starts at the whaling museum each morning at 11:15. Get your tickets early! We heard that the tour sells out so we stopped by the museum when it opened (10 am) to get our tickets for that day's tour. Unfortunately, you can't buy tickets in advance or online. The tour covers the history of the island - including stories of the families that made Nantucket what it is today, architecture and whaling industry overviews, an inside look at a Quaker church and a stop into a historic home. Great tour for first time visitors! read more

Nantucket Historical Association - The homes on Main Street - Museums Near Me

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Really, how much time can you spend in a whaling museum and what can you possibly learn about whales that you don't see on Whale Wars? Well, 3 hours later, I can say the $17 was well worth it! They have a 46' baby sperm whale skeleton that looks like a dinosaur and the whale hunt movies and presentations were riveting! On the one hand I felt bad for the whales after seeing they have 5 fingers on their front flippers. On the other, I also felt bad for the whalers who lived such dangerous lives going out in 6 man rowboats to hunt whales. I have a newfound respect for the old whaling industry (at least the whales stood a chance) but not for modern whale hunters who kill and torture whales. read more

I live in New Bedford, where I have a whaling museum (world-class, as noted by Ger) that I can visit anytime, so I skipped the $15 admission for this museum. Several of my friends went and enjoyed it, however. Instead, I spent $10 on a walking tour of the downtown area and learned a lot about Nantucket's history including its involvement in whaling and the founding families on the island. I also learned how Macy's got its red star logo -- from tattoos that Mr. Macy had done on the back of his hands while in the South Pacific! Our guide was very informative and happy to answer all our questions. read more

One of the highlights of our trip to Nantucket. I am referring specifically to the walking tour of the town. Our leader, Susan Berman, had an in-depth knowledge of Nantucket history. I would very highly recommend this tour, which originates at the Whaling Museum. read more

Great talks, Thursdays at noon during the off season....bring a bag lunch and join the rest of us and reduce the stress in your life....thank you NHA! read more

I really appreciate the NHA's efforts to offer free events. The museum is small, but what's there is nicely presented. I highly recommend the museum gift shop next door for buying prints as compared to other places on the island it has the best prices. Staff here are exceptionally nice. read more