The Polar Museum: Scott Polar Research Institute
A small but impressively comprehensive collection from early polar explorations, including those of Shackleton and Scott.
The Polar Museum
Address: Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EP
Visitor centre opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10 - 4
Entry prices: Free admission
Parking: No, closest parking is Queen Anne car park
Toilets: Yes
Refreshments: No, museum has a shop
Photographs and journal pages belonging to explorers are are among the artifacts included in the collections, which also document the lives of indigenous inhabitants of the polar regions.
It’s another of Cambridge University’s amazing free collections that add to the wealth of things to do in the city, and the exhibitions do change so it’s well worth dropping in if you haven’t visited for a while.
On top of the Arctic and Antarctic collections there is also the largest public collection of Inuit art; the people indigenous to Canada, Greenland and Alaska, including prints and sculptures dating from the late 1940s. There’s also the Scrimshaw collection, being composed of ivory and baleen (whale bone) carvings made by those employed in the whaling industry.
It’s just around the corner from Parker’s Piece and busy Regent Street, so it’s an easy addition to a busy day in the city.
For more information visit The Polar Museum’s website.
