Whitby Museum facts for kids
Whitby Museum is a special place in Whitby, North Yorkshire, England. It is run by a group called the Whitby Literary and Philosophical Society. This group started way back in 1823! The museum building opened in 1931 in Pannett Park. It also has a library and an archive for old documents.
The museum shows many interesting things about Whitby's past. It has amazing collections about:
- Old Jurassic fossils, like swirly ammonites and huge sea reptiles.
- Shiny black jet from Whitby.
- Famous explorer Captain James Cook and his ship, the HM Bark Endeavour.
- Whitby's history with whaling, which is hunting whales.
- The plants and animals of the North Yorkshire coast and moors.
- Old clothes and fabrics.
The museum also has a library and archive. This is where people can look at old records and learn about the town's history and industries. It's a great place for research!
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What interesting things can you find at Whitby Museum?
The museum is packed with cool stuff! You can see real fossils from millions of years ago. Imagine finding a creature that swam in the sea when dinosaurs were alive! You can also learn about Whitby jet, which is a shiny black stone used to make jewelry. It was very popular in Victorian times.
Exploring the Whaling History of Whitby
Whitby was once a big center for whaling. The museum shows what life was like for the whalers. You can see tools they used and learn about their dangerous journeys. This part of the museum helps us understand a big piece of Whitby's past.
Captain Cook's Adventures and His Ship
One of the most famous people connected to Whitby is Captain James Cook. He was a great explorer. His famous ship, the Endeavour, was built in Whitby. The museum has items that tell the story of his amazing voyages around the world. You can learn about his discoveries and how he mapped new lands.
A Look Back at the Museum's Past
Between the 1890s and 1930, the museum had a very unusual item: an Egyptian mummy! This mummy was of a man who lived around 300 BC. A man named Sir George Elliot, 1st Baronet, owned the mummy before it came to the museum. In 1930, the mummy was bought by another museum in Hull for £15. It is now at the Hands On History Museum in Kingston upon Hull.
