Whaling Museum and Education Center

Mission:

Our mission is to explore the ever-changing relationship between humans and whales through inquiry-based education and interpretation of artifacts that emphasize the cultural, scientific and environmental significance of Long Island and the Sea.

We help members and visitors make informed decisions about our marine environment.

History:

The Whaling Museum has served three generations of Long Islanders, having opened its doors to the public in 1942. We currently serve 20,000 individuals each year.

The Whaling Museum is the only facility on Long Island and in New York State open year-round which focuses primarily on the whaling history of the region. Its collection provides the community and its constituents with a significant link to the understanding of one of Long Island's earliest major industries- whaling. The collection was formed by the local community who recognized the need for a repository to preserve the region's local maritime history and Cold Spring Harbor's whaling past.

The Museum's object and archival holdings of 6,000 artifacts document the whaling and general maritime history both of Cold Spring Harbor and Long Island in general. Highlights of the collection include New York State's only fully-equipped 19th century whaleboat with original gear and one of the notable scrimshaw collections in the northeast. Additional objects include whaling implements, ship's gear, navigational aids, ship models and maritime art. The library and archival collection contains 2,800 primary and secondary volumes and manuscript material from the Cold Spring whaling fleet, ship's logs, journals and business correspondence of the Cold Spring Whaling Company, family documents dealing with maritime commerce on Long Island, records of the Long Island coastwise trade under sail and records from the Cold Spring Harbor Customs House (1798-1908).

Through a combination of permanent and changing exhibitions, special events and educational programs, the Museum uses its resources to the fullest to provide services to the public. The Museum provides innovative Museum education programs on Long Island, including school programs for 12,000 students annually, birthday parties, scout programs and overnights, family events, senior days and camp programs - not to mention our extensive outreach program which reaches 3600 children and teens each year.