About Captain Cook Memorial Museum
About Us
Founded in 1985, the Museum opened in 1987 in the historic building in the heart of Whitby where the young Cook served his apprenticeship. In 2001-02 the site expanded to take in the harbourside courtyard and cottage wing. In 2016 we acquired a room in the adjoining building to use as an Education Centre.
The collections continue to grow through purchases, donations and loans from other museums. We now have a very significant collection of original material relating to Cook and his associates. We have benefitted from collaboration over the past three decades with the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin, comprising loans of ethnographic material not previously seen in Britain.
Entirely independent, the Museum is self-financing through income from admission tickets, retail sales and occasional project grants. A dedicated team of unpaid volunteers, Trustees and Management team support a very small staff in caring for the house, the collections and welcoming our visitors.
Who we are
Day to day management is devolved to the locally based Management Committee. Close contact is maintained with the Trustees, who are hands-on and contribute directly in many ways.
We have many wonderful Volunteers! Some 60 people undertake a great variety of roles including guiding and welcoming visitors, room attendance, working with the education team, gardening, library and indexing, and helping with special activities. We are enormously grateful for their many different contributions.
Awards and Achievements
We have much to be proud about - here are just a few: Partnerships with national museums, including joint purchase of Parry painting with National Portrait Gallery and National Museums & Galleries of Wales; chosen by National Maritime Museum to display Stubbs’ painting of a kangaroo with four other museums in ‘Travellers Tails’ project.
We brought back to this country original Cook voyage drawings of Kamchatka by John Webber which had been sold abroad in 1932.
We won the Yorkshire White Rose Award 2005, 2012, and were Winner of national VisitEngland Gold Award 2013. The Judges’ Overall Summary read: ‘A unique and delightful experience when visiting this little ‘gem’.
Find Us
Our Address: Grape Lane, Whitby YO22 4BA
Whitby is on the coast of Yorkshire 250 miles (400 kms) from London and just under 50 miles from York. Lat: 54°29'13.0"N 0°36'43.3"W
By car
From York - A64 and A169 north-east to Whitby
From Scarborough - A171 north to Whitby
From Teesside - A171 east to Whitby
Park & Ride
On A171 on west side the town, just past junction with A169. Operates from the start of the Easter school holiday to the end of October.
See https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/whitby-park-and-ride for times and fares.
Town centre car parks - see http://en.parkopedia.co.uk/parking/whitby. The Museum is on the east side across the Swing Bridge over the River Esk, take immediate right turn onto Grape Lane. Museum is on the right at the end.
Nearest Railway stations
The North York Moors Railway runs steam trains from Pickering into Whitby. See http://www.nymr.co.uk/ for current trains and timetable.
York, Northallerton, Darlington. (East Coast and Grand Central main lines).
If you have time, try the Esk Valley Railway line which runs between Middlesbrough and Whitby Station. The journey takes a very pleasant 1½ hours through lovely countryside.
Nearest Airports
Durham and Tees Valley, Newcastle, Leeds Bradford.
Nearest Seaports
Hull (from the Netherlands), Newcastle/North Shields (from Scandinavia)
Contact Details
If there is a problem with your tickets, or have any questions or complaints please contact us by telephoning 01947 601900
or by writing to us at info@cookmuseumwhitby.co.uk
or Captain Cook Memorial Museum,
Grape Lane,
Whitby,
YO22 4BA .