The Nantucket Whaling Museum wasn’t originally on my itinerary, but after a few cold and rainy days on our trip, I needed to find fun family-friendly indoor activities in Nantucket that would keep my three-year-old occupied.

We visited Nantucket in mid-June. I hadn’t planned a very full itinerary because I thought we’d be spending lots of days at the beach and pool.

Because of the temperatures and rain, I had to get creative finding indoor activities that my whole family would enjoy. As it turns out, my three-year-old didn’t like relaxing with a glass of wine as much as my husband and I did.

The Nantucket Whaling Museum delivered! It has exhibits about Nantucket’s history which honestly were interesting for both my history buff husband and rambunctious toddler.

From the giant whale skeleton to models of 1800s whaling ships and even a Discovery Center with toys and activities for little kids, it was a great rainy day family activity. We spent a couple hours there and the time flew by.

If you’re visiting Nantucket with kids and need a rainy day backup plan, the Nantucket Whaling Museum is worth knowing about.

In this post, I’ll share what’s inside, which parts were the biggest hits with my toddler and husband, and everything else you need to know before you go.

Going On The Whale artwork on exterior of Nantucket Whaling Museum — Nantucket has a very rich whaling history, so there was a lot to explore in the museum!

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Guide to Visiting the Nantucket Whaling Museum

Logistics and Where to Buy Tickets

The Nantucket Whaling Museum is located at 13 Broad Street in the heart of Town. It’s open daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. starting in late May through mid-October.

You can either reserve tickets online in advance, or purchase them when you arrive.

We purchased our tickets when we arrived and had zero issues. This also allows you to be flexible with timing for your visit. I recommend saving it for a rainy day or when you need a beach break!

Adult tickets are $25, kids 6 and older are $10 and under 6 is free (making it a great affordable activity in Nantucket for families with little kids!).

Whaling history information at Nantucket Whaling Museum — My history buff husband loved exploring the exhibits at this museum

How to Get to the Nantucket Whaling Museum

The Nantucket Whaling Museum is located in the heart of Town at 13 Broad Street.

It’s centrally located and steps away from great Nantucket restaurants, shopping and other activities like the Critter Cruise.

If you’re staying in Town, plan to walk there. And if you’re staying outside of Town, an Uber or The Wave (Nantucket’s public transportation system) would be good options.

On our trip, we stayed at The Nantucket Inn, which is about a 5-minute drive from Town, and offers a complimentary hourly shuttle.

The shuttle drop-off location is very close to the Whaling Museum, so that was the method of transportation we chose for our visit!

Nantucket and the World exhibit with painting and information at Nantucket Whaling Museum

The Experience Inside the Nantucket Whaling Museum

If you buy your tickets when you arrive at the Whaling Museum, the lobby will be your first stop when you arrive.

Food and drinks aren’t allowed inside the museum (I overheard this information being shared with many guests!), so plan for a snack break or meal before you visit.

Stop 1: Whale Skeleton

The Whaling Museum’s main attraction is a 46-foot whale skeleton. It’s located directly behind the lobby area, so is a great first stop.

When we visited, there was an education session happening in the room where the skeleton is located, so we decided to come back at the end of our visit so we wouldn’t be disruptive.

My son was three when we visited, so while he was a little too young to appreciate the true whaling history, he loved getting to see the whaling ships, maps, spears and other tools on display.

Boy standing in front of whale skeleton at Nantucket Whaling Museum — I’m not sure if my son liked the skeleton or boats more!

Stop 2: Maritime Nantucket

Next, we headed to the second floor, which is where a majority of the exhibits are located.

One of my three-year-old son’s favorite areas was the Maritime Nantucket space, which had gorgeous model ships of all different sizes.

They were so detailed, and it was fun to watch my son study them so closely from all angles. I think we stayed in this space admiring these ship replicas for at least 45 minutes!

Young boy holding wooden railing and looking at model ship replica at Nantucket Whaling Museum — We stayed in exactly this spot for quite a while!

Stop 3: Fine Art Gallery

We also loved an interactive exhibit inside the first floor fine art gallery where holographic actresses depicted the first women who lived in Nantucket and shared their stories.

It was such a creative and engaging way for us to learn about the early days of Nantucket without simply reading museum placards or looking at more artifacts.

I got the sense this exhibit might not have been permanent, so may no longer be there, but was definitely a cool part of our experience!

Holographic woman and digital screen at Nantucket Whaling Museum

Stop 4: Rooftop Deck

The Nantucket Whaling Museum has a rooftop deck that has amazing views of the island and harbor.

Unfortunately, it was raining the day we visited, so we skipped it, but I honestly wish we would have gotten to experience those views!

It’s accessible via a circular staircase or elevator, which could come in handy if little legs are starting to get tired.

Young boy looking at sailboat replica at Nantucket Whaling Museum — Instead of the rooftop deck, we used this time to admire more ship replicas

Final Stop: Discovery Center

We visited the Whaling Museum on one of our last days in Nantucket, so my son was in need of some serious play time.

The Discovery Center is a huge Nantucket-themed play space for kids (particularly great for toddlers!).

It had tons of Nantucket-inspired toys, like ship flag magnets, a play table that recreates the historic Nantucket railroad, and coloring and book options.

I’d highly recommend visiting this space last. I think my son could have stayed here all day if we would have let him!

Young boy with ship signal flag magnets at Nantucket Whaling Museum Discovery Center — Practicing writing words with signal flag magnets

Activities to Pair with a Trip to the Nantucket Whaling Museum

Since the Whaling Museum is right in the center of Town, it’s close to a lot of other great family-friendly activities to add to your itinerary for the day you visit.

I’d plan for 1-2 hours at the Whaling Museum, with the majority of your time spent in the Discovery Center if you’re visiting with kids.

If the weather allows, the Critter Cruise, which departs from Straight Wharf, is about a 5-minute walk from the Whaling Museum.

The Critter Cruise is a kid-focused, hour-long fishing charter that we loved!

Kids get a close up look at Nantucket’s sea life and get to fish off the boat (we caught a couple fish!).

Young boy holding large crab with mom standing behind him on Critter Cruise boat in Nantucket Massachusetts — My son really worked up his bravery to hold this crab!

If you’re looking to build a full rainy day itinerary, we also loved the Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium.

It’s also about a 5-minute walk from the Whaling Museum, and is a small aquarium with over 50 species of fish and critters from right off the coast of Nantucket.

Gray shingle exterior of building at Maria Mitchell Aquarium in Nantucket — Of course an aquarium in Nantucket would look like this!

Since the Whaling Museum is so centrally located in Town, there are tons of great family-friendly Nantucket restaurants just steps away.

Two of our favorites are literally both a block or two away. First, The Rose & Crown, which has amazing burgers and fries (topped with olive oil, sea salt and parm!).

And second, Brotherhood of Thieves, which is set in an 1840s whaling bar. Seems like a fitting stop after the Whaling Museum!

Young boy standing in front of old ship wheel at Nantucket Whaling Museum

Would I Visit the Nantucket Whaling Museum with Kids Again?

Would I plan a good portion of my trip around the Whaling Museum? Probably not.

But would I go again if it was a cool and rainy day in Nantucket? Absolutely!

We’ve been to plenty of history museums, but this one felt so niche and had lots of information about a part of history I didn’t know much about.

We all found the exhibits educational and engaging, and so many of them were even interesting for kids (which isn’t always the case in history museums!).