Whaling Museum

Whaling Museum Review

With exhibits that include a fully rigged whaleboat and a skeleton of a 46-foot sperm whale, this museum—a complex that includes a restored 1846 spermaceti candle factory—is a must-see attraction that offers a crash course in the island's colorful history. Items on display include harpoons and other whale-hunting implements; portraits of whaling captains and their wives (a few of whom went whaling as well); the South Seas curiosities they brought home; a large collection of sailors' crafts, a full-size tryworks once used to process whale oil; and the original 16-foot-high 1850 lens from Sankaty Head Lighthouse. The Children's Discovery Room provides interactive-learning opportunities. Be sure to climb—or take the elevator—up to the observation deck for a view of the harbor.