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    Whaling Museum

    4.6 (58 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Whaling Museum Photos

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    Eric C.

    It's that thing you do when you go to Nantucket. The museum is a pleasant surprise. It has a clean bathroom. It has a great view of the city. If possible start your visit with the Rik Burns documentary - it makes Nantucket an allegory for America. Go ahead and enjoy the visits and of course take a photo of the whale skeleton. You'll be happy.

    Alexandra L.

    The Quick: super interesting and fun museum in the heart of Nantucket! Crazy artifacts and amazing stories. Plus... A great view from the roof! Overall a great visit during colder weather or on a rainy day. Enjoy

    Christa S.

    ***MUST DO**** while on NANTUCKET! Honestly, this was such a highlight for the trip this late summer. I have been to Nantucket several times and shame on me for not going before this. I honestly think this place is such a true gem! I could have spent HOURS in here. I honestly think this is the absolute perfect addition to a trip on a rainy, hot, or just need a break from the beach kinda day. (Who ever needs a break from the beach, though!) Regardless, ABSOLUTE must visit. You will not be disappointed!

    Whale skeleton
    Glenn G.

    This attraction was part of our tour package, and did not disappoint. You could spend a few hours here (we did) if you enjoy history and culture. There was also a special, temporary exhibit of Asian art in one of the halls. There is a lot to see in the various exhibits and floors, not to mention a nice view from the roof. They have talks in the main hall area if you want to learn more about what it was like to be a whaler in New England. A nice little gem of a museum, especially on a drizzly day like when we visited. There's a little gift shop on the way out, and we found some nice candles to take back with us.

    Exterior
    jennifer b.

    A must do on my husbands wishlist while visiting Nantucket last week! It is centrally located near the ferry and Main Street- making it walkable from most hotels /inns in the area. The ladies working the reception desk were extremely nice and informative! There is so much amazing history packed into one building . Be sure to check out the short film about Nantucket and the whaling industry. It was very informative! The roof top deck offered amazing views so be sure to go up there too! We enjoyed our visit and recommend it to anyone visiting Nantucket for the first time.

    Alisa J.

    Cool museum about the history of whaling and NT. I enjoyed looking at and learning about everything. I enjoyed the views from the rooftop and it's a good sized museum. It's convenient in the main area of shopping and dining. I highly recommend if you need a day activity in NT.

    Scrimshaw Swift-Note the hand symbol which is common site in town
    Gary H.

    This museum is packed full of stuff to see. Sad history with the Whales, but they put every once of the whale to use from oil and candles which were necessary for day to day living. There is a scrimshaw section which is incredible. The basket making, candle making sections were also very interesting. The local history is well told from the early days, the gold rush, civil war and the fires that destroyed part of the town. They did offer a small Veterans discount, so make sure you ask if you are a veteran. We spent just over 2 hours at the museum and then we went to the Quaker Building and a home which was included in the ticket price.

    Whaling museum
    Tara W.

    Three floors of super interesting artifacts, portraits and views from the observation deck. The museum itself is a lovely structure. For the price of admission, you get a sticker and can come and go as you please.

    Sperm Whale Skeleton. IMPRESSIVE - A large whale skeleton is displayed inside a museum, hanging from the ceiling with its skull and jaw prominent in the foreground. The skeleton extends across the space, with a ship model and digital screens showing maritime scenes in the background. The exhibit is part of a maritime or natural history museum, with informational panels and artifacts visible around the display.
    Michael S.

    Very interesting and educational. Not only did they have exhibits about whaling and the products made from them (oil, candles, scrimshaw art), they also had an art gallery of a local artist who painted scenes of Nantucket and a suffragette exhibit on the fight for women's right to vote. An enjoyable alternative to shopping and eating. The sperm whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling is most impressive. $23 for adult admission.

    Whale vertebrae
    Amy J.

    Expect to learn a LOT! We visited Nantucket for our honeymoon a couple weeks ago & the whaling museum was on every recommendation list we heard, so we quickly added it to our agenda. We were not disappointed! Although a little pricey , it was well worth it! From the history of the town & surrounding region to looking at the actual boats & equipment used, this entire immersive experience opened our Okie eyes to something brand new & intriguing. We had heard of whaling, but didn't know the half. From the scrimshaw to the baskets and story of the Essex, it was all fascinating. Climb the stairs to Tucker's Roofwalk for an amazing view of the area! Be sure to make time for the gift shop, LOTS of interesting things to support a GREAT cause.

    Melanie B.

    This was my first time on Nantucket over Memorial Day Weekend. I was hoping for sunny and warm weather, but unfortunately we got stuck with cold, wet, and rainy. We were looking for things to do inside and The Whaling museum was highly recommended to us, so we decided to check it out! The location of it is great, right in town, so close to our hotel and tons of restaurants. I haven't been a fan of museums and would rather be doing anything else, but when I came here, that all changed! This is such a perfect, rainy day activity to do for all ages. Tons of kids and families. They have so much stuff. The museum is bigger than I thought! They have a kids play area, a gift shop, holograms of the real women in history who were part of the Whaling community, and a self guided audio tour. This is a must if you visit Nantucket!!

    Roof deck
    Nanci P.

    Small museum with lots to see and there's even a toddlers discovery section! We easily spent an hour here just casually strolling through. There's a nice view on the roof deck. The kids discovery center had staff there helping kids make their own bracelets. Worth the visit!

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    1 year ago

    Great day at the museum! Went in November so it was nice that it was open . We went up to the roof deck , which was lovely.

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    Review Highlights - Whaling Museum

    The scrimshaw is cool to look at and the candle factory was neat because there were some interactive things to do.

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    Sankaty Lighthouse

    Sankaty Lighthouse

    (15 reviews)

    Always a great spot to come to visit. Sankaty Head is a part of Siasconset, aka 'Sconset, proper,…read moreand located on the east side of the island. The views are really incredible! You are up high, and there is a downward view of the Sankaty Head Golf Club which borders the station. A nice view and of Nantucket - just beautiful. If you look north, you can make out Great Point Light too if there is no fog or haze. This location is a great for amateur radio too; with a hand-held walkie, you can easily reach the Dennis and Barnstable 2 meter/VHF repeaters. The Nantucket Amateur Radio Association holds their International Lighthouse Lightship weekend special event station at this location. There is a couple of benches, foot traffic, bicycles, and cars; this is a heavily visited site. Parking area for cars. The area has fencing around it. Watch for ticks! Bring a chair if able. Enjoy the views!

    About a 20-minute drive from the Nantucket Downtown District area…read more If you have access to a car while visiting Nantucket, stop by the Sankaty Lighthouse. It was nice that it wasn't crowded, and the walking path is easy to traverse. There's a fenced area over by the bluffs that has nice views of the beach and ocean. There's signage indicating some facts and history. You can't go inside the lighthouse, as expected, but you can't walk right up to the front door, which is kinda neat. Expect to spend about 30 minutes here, mostly with a smooth drive. AT&T cell service is limited so screenshot and directions in case you're out of range of internet coverage!

    Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum - Hawden House, the new home of the NHA

    Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum

    (1 review)

    Why has no one made a review of the Hadwen House, home of the Nantucket Historical Association, and…read moremore importantly, the Basket Museum?! OK - a few years ago, '22 I believe, we got the Nantucket Official Guide at the Hyline terminal and looked up the address of the museum; in Town, so that was cool an easy walk! My wife likes those baskets, and my mother had one as well, so it was a destination/thing to do when we spent our week on-island. The Official Guide was out of date, as we walked from Town up through neighborhoods only to find that the building was empty... they moved. So we went to the Whaling Museum to inquire, and they really had no clue, but sent us to Hadwen House where other NHA folks were working. Well, in fact, it was the new location of the Basket Museum. It was free then, now ('25) it costs 10 or 20 dollars to get a pass enabling you to visit all of the NHA sites. When you enter there is a little desk area, you turn right and there are lovely paintings, antique furniture, and displays along the way from the front right parlor to the rear. The baskets, even I have to admit, are pretty cool. The front left parlor has some incredible furniture as well, and I mean like Antiques Roadshow quality. Upstairs, they have a display area where local crafters demonstrate on how to make a basket. We all joke about that basket weaving course in college, you know, the gimme, but really, there is an art to making those things! I highly recommend visiting the Basket Museum at Hadwen House, upper Main Street, across from the Three Bricks. Lovely area. Beautiful house too. They have a bathroom on the first floor, in the back, kind of all stark white, antique style, and kind of creepy... if you look in the mirror you will see someone standing behind you! Just kidding... sort of. A very nice place to sit on the front steps or the benches on the porch, and catch your breath and take in ACK.

    Cisco Brewers - Try their scotch!

    Cisco Brewers

    (407 reviews)

    $$

    My husband and I went to Nantucket for a long weekend and stayed with a friend of ours. He had told…read moreus how much fun Cisco Brewery was, and that they have great bands...so we Ubered up there on a Saturday. We got there fairly early but the first band had already started, and the area under the tent was already full. We got some drinks, checked out the space and eventually we were able to snag some chairs under the tent. The outside beer area had alcohol drinks as well. 2 of us had tequila drinks, and 2 tried the beers. We were all really happy with our choices. All of the food there came from food trucks, and there were a lot of random vendors, which made it a fun, unique experience! All of our food and drinks were great. I also bought a few hats- the hat selection was really good from the band and the brewery. They also had a shop along with the other vendors who were set up. We stayed longer than expected- the first band (Grateful Dead cover band) was amazing, so we stayed to check out the second band (who were really good also). We eventually gave up our seats under the tent to some very happy people! We will definitely go back to the Cisco brewery the next time we're in Nantucket- it was a great experience all around! Everyone we encountered- whether they worked there, or weee there for fun were very nice and friendly. There was a dance area in front of the stage and people definitely used it - so there was great people watching in a super fun setting!

    We did a day trip from Chatham to Nantucket during our honeymoon and had a great time. The beer,…read morecocktails and ambiance was fantastic. Had we not just eaten lunch in town we would have tried one of the food trucks. I had the blueberry cocktail which was very refreshing on a hot day. The grey lady beer was recommended by a friend and it was great. We are from CLT, NC so when we saw the hurricane relief beer on the menu it made us very happy to see other breweries supporting the ones that were destroyed in the storm. Giving a 4/5 because the seats at the tables were very difficult and kept getting in the way of everything. They should just have benches

    Whaling Museum - museums - Updated May 2026

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