About the Museum

The Nantucket Whaling Museum is a museum located in Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States. It is run by the Nantucket Historical Association. The Whaling Museum is the flagship site of the Nantucket Historical Association’s fleet of properties. Restored in 2005, the Nantucket Whaling Museum has an expanded exhibit and program space that connects the 1847 Hadwen & Barney Oil and Candle Factory and the 1971 Peter Foulger Museum. The new structure includes the Gosnell Hall Whale Hunt Gallery, where a 46 foot (14 meter) long sperm whale skeleton is suspended from the ceiling. The Hadwen & Barney Oil and Candle Factory, featuring the massive lever press, is interpreted as an industrial site where the complicated process of refining oil and making spermaceti candles is explained, along with the other Nantucket industries that arose from the whaling era. Eleven galleries and exhibit spaces featuring artifacts and art pertaining to Nantucket life, art, and ideas are on display. In 2008, the Whaling Museum received accreditation from the American Association of Museums. The museum was reaccredited in 2017.