South Georgia Museum
South Georgia Museum
4.5
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
112 reviews
Excellent
85
Very good
23
Average
3
Poor
1
Terrible
0
DuncanTCH
East Greenbush, NY1,183 contributions
Feb 2023
I'm not particularly wild about museums at historical sites. In general, they're not well presented, the items are interesting and it's just left over "stuff" that the historians didn't want to give away. But the South Georgia Museum is really terrific. The individual rooms each speak to a specific topic surrounding the island (the whaling room is particularly hard to get through). The items that they have are extremely interesting to view (including the old movie projector and the list of movies shown during Christmas!). And the descriptions of the items are well written and communicate effectively, even for someone like me who doesn't know the history well. After spending time viewing nature and animals, this makes a nice visit to wrap up your stay.
Written 17 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Florian254
Norddeutschland1,418 contributions
Jan 2023
Of course this is the place most people go to. It is a small nicely presented collection of the history but in the end, if the weather is fine for me it was more valuable, to enjoy the nature and the animals around
Written 9 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
sanddsheppard
University Heights, OH295 contributions
Jan 2023 • Solo
Take the time you have to let the history and scenery sink in. The museum and preservation of the whaling structure is fascinating. Wildlife everywhere. Shackleton grave and whalers church. I believe this is the only station you can walk around, without asbestos or debris.
Written 10 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
swoodruf
Muskegon, MI1,236 contributions
Nov 2022
What a fabulous little museum in this tiny little town. There was literally the museum and a post office plus a church in this town. The old whaling station is abandoned, but very interesting to walk around. The seals own the town and burp and fart at you as you walk through. The young ladies were great at the museum. They come for six months and work during the tourist season. There was a fabulous little gift shop where I bought several items. The museum itself is a must see. So many interesting items related to whaling and the environment.
Written 14 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Aldous D
Whenuapai, New Zealand182 contributions
Mar 2020
This museum is excellent, with well-presented displays and run by a small but very enthusiastic team. Having been a long-time fan of Shackleton it was great seeing the James Caird replica and the displays about the whaling history were extremely interesting. The place was much better than some of the big fancy museums I've been to around the world. Definitely worth a visit when you're in Grytviken!
Written 6 May 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
martinmolloy72
Manchester, UK796 contributions
Jan 2020
One of the highlights and a one stop information shop of South Georgia is the South Georgia Museum in Grytviken.
Its a small museum but it is packed with the geological and geographical history of the island, the fauna and flora, the birds and wild life and the ages of discovery.
It contains exhibits on the likes of Cook, Shackleton, Larsen with history of whaling in the island, modern history and life in Grytviken and South Georgia today.
There is a gift shop in which you can buy numerous souvenirs, items of clothing and even "Shackleton" whisky. Step outside the museum and you are afforded charming views of the harbour with Antarctic terns diving for food and the odd ship wreck scattered about.
Next to the museum is a small gallery called "The Carr Maritime Gallery". Inside you can find a life size replica of the James Caird, the small boat that Shackleton, Wild and crew sailed from Elephant Island to South Georgia during his doomed Antarctic expedition.
Its a small museum but it is packed with the geological and geographical history of the island, the fauna and flora, the birds and wild life and the ages of discovery.
It contains exhibits on the likes of Cook, Shackleton, Larsen with history of whaling in the island, modern history and life in Grytviken and South Georgia today.
There is a gift shop in which you can buy numerous souvenirs, items of clothing and even "Shackleton" whisky. Step outside the museum and you are afforded charming views of the harbour with Antarctic terns diving for food and the odd ship wreck scattered about.
Next to the museum is a small gallery called "The Carr Maritime Gallery". Inside you can find a life size replica of the James Caird, the small boat that Shackleton, Wild and crew sailed from Elephant Island to South Georgia during his doomed Antarctic expedition.
Written 9 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
scrumpylondon2018
London, UK42 contributions
Nov 2019
This small museum has a huge range of interesting items, broadly classified in separate rooms. The shop sells good quality items, and a range of books pertinent to the history of area.
Shore time is limited on most cruise ship visits, but a visit here is a must amongst the array of sights to take in at the small settlement of Grytviken
Shore time is limited on most cruise ship visits, but a visit here is a must amongst the array of sights to take in at the small settlement of Grytviken
Written 13 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
paul_doubler
Cardiff, UK206 contributions
Mar 2019 • Solo
Since a small child reading about the exploits of the 19th & early 20c explorers, Shackleton being buried here, also knowing about the whaling station being so well preserved and its amazing "strange" beauty I have wanted to visit.
Well this year achieved "Top Of Bucket List" item and during cruise of Falklands Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica arrived on the splendid small cruise ship MV Island Sky. We sailed in on a wonderfully warm and sunny day and had about six hours ashore. We (all 90 passengers) did the time honoured custom of Toasting the Boss at his graveside with a tot of whisky. Then it was a fabulous afternoon on my own looking at and into everything. The wildlife is of course amazing and to think that the very buildings and station I was in was designed to slaughter on such a huge scale. But now nature and wildlife have come back and it is a place of strange but wonderful beauty. The whalers church is so atmospheric, especially when the bell rings.
The excellent museum is splendid and covers so much in great detail, sadly there is so much to see and yet so little time. Then the Post Office which I send back a postcard home to my Grandson, the lady said abut six weeks to get back to Cardiff and so it was almost six weeks to the day.
This is a very special atmospheric wonderful place that is managed well for conservation of the islands and its wildlife. While I wonder what the ever growing numbers of tourists / Visitors will do to the whole area - which I was of course part of. I am none the less very grateful and proud that I did get to visit and all my expectations were surpassed.
I even went back to the small cemetery and all on my own had a quiet word with Sir Ernest. Bought for my Grandson One Hector of South Georgia for £90 in the hope that it will inspire his future interest (he's only three) in this area. Its good to know that all proceeds from this and all the tourist purchases etc will go to the continual upkeep and protection of this very wonderful very special place.
Well this year achieved "Top Of Bucket List" item and during cruise of Falklands Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica arrived on the splendid small cruise ship MV Island Sky. We sailed in on a wonderfully warm and sunny day and had about six hours ashore. We (all 90 passengers) did the time honoured custom of Toasting the Boss at his graveside with a tot of whisky. Then it was a fabulous afternoon on my own looking at and into everything. The wildlife is of course amazing and to think that the very buildings and station I was in was designed to slaughter on such a huge scale. But now nature and wildlife have come back and it is a place of strange but wonderful beauty. The whalers church is so atmospheric, especially when the bell rings.
The excellent museum is splendid and covers so much in great detail, sadly there is so much to see and yet so little time. Then the Post Office which I send back a postcard home to my Grandson, the lady said abut six weeks to get back to Cardiff and so it was almost six weeks to the day.
This is a very special atmospheric wonderful place that is managed well for conservation of the islands and its wildlife. While I wonder what the ever growing numbers of tourists / Visitors will do to the whole area - which I was of course part of. I am none the less very grateful and proud that I did get to visit and all my expectations were surpassed.
I even went back to the small cemetery and all on my own had a quiet word with Sir Ernest. Bought for my Grandson One Hector of South Georgia for £90 in the hope that it will inspire his future interest (he's only three) in this area. Its good to know that all proceeds from this and all the tourist purchases etc will go to the continual upkeep and protection of this very wonderful very special place.
Written 3 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Alaska23_Family
Eagle River, AK394 contributions
Mar 2019 • Couples
My wife and I recently this wonderful museum in South Georgia while on a cruise from Ushuaia to Cape Town. This remarkable museum had numerous whaling and Shackleton artifacts beautifully displayed in English. Well worth a visit when in the area.
Written 28 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Debra G
Coos Bay, OR314 contributions
Feb 2019 • Friends
I was on an Antarctica and South Georgia cruise. We were fortunate to come to Grytviken on a sunny day. The museum is loaded with historic relics of the old whaling days and the explorers of that time, including the Shackleton expedition. Very nice shop for such an isolated place. You can even get a postcard and mail it at the postal office out back of the museum.
Written 1 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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