Set sail at the Whydah Pirate Museum
Whydah Gally History
The story of the Whydah Gally is also about the explorers, divers, researchers, and archaeologists who raised this adventure from beneath the seafloor and brought it back into the light.
The discovery and excavation of the Whydah involves years of persistent searching, historical research, and sustained scientific efforts by dedicated professionals.
Museum Memberships
Whydah Pirate Museum members are essential to everything we do—from supporting our core operations, to sharing the Whydah’s story with family and friends and providing valuable feedback that helps us improve our efforts. Our members are part of the team.
Join our team and help us bring history to life!
Educational Offerings
Whydah Pirate Museum offers curriculum guides and lesson plans to help educators utilize the history and science behind the Whydah’s discovery in their classrooms. The museum has crafted a multidisciplinary Unit Plan that uses the true story of the Whydah to teach upper-elementary school students skills and standards in history, science, and language arts.
Join our crew on a voyage of discovery
When the Whydah Gally was discovered in 1984 by Barry Clifford and his team, the world gained an unprecedented and invaluable resource to study the pirates of the “Golden Age”—one of the most secretive and, consequently, misunderstood societies of the colonial period.
The Whydah Pirate Museum and its affiliated facilities house the largest collection of pirate artifacts ever recovered from a single shipwreck. In addition to recovering and preserving these artifacts, the museum’s mission is to provide educational content that not only engages and teaches students, but also passes on a story that is an important piece of local Cape Cod history.
Join our crew on a voyage of discovery
When the Whydah Gally was discovered in 1984, the world gained an unprecedented and invaluable resource to study the pirates of the “Golden Age”—one of the most secretive and, consequently, misunderstood societies of the colonial period.
The Whydah Pirate Museum and its affiliated facilities house the largest collection of pirate artifacts ever recovered from a single shipwreck. In addition to recovering and preserving these artifacts, the museum’s mission is to provide educational content that not only engages and teaches students, but also passes on a story that is an important piece of local Cape Cod history.
Rated #1 on Tripadvisor's things to do in West Yarmouth
We were pleasantly surprised and amazed at how wonderful this museum is! We found it while looking for fun things to do in the area- and that’s exactly what it was! A fun experience with lots of historical artifacts and information- it was so cool to read true pirate stories! If you’ve ever been interested in pirates, ships, etc- I 1000% recommend a stop by this awesome TREASURE ARRGGHH! Pricing is great and affordable, parking is easy, and staff super friendly and nice!
– Hannah van Houten., Google Reviews
The Whydah Pirate Museum is a great experience for fans of history and pirate tales. Hundreds of artifacts have been cleaned and restored, giving a glimpse into pirate life of the 1700s. Exhibits are wonderfully displayed and interwoven with the real-life stories of those who sailed on the Whydah and survivors of the shipwreck. We left with a greater appreciation of Barry Clifford and his 40 years of intense effort in revealing the contents and story of the Whydah.
– librarianlorraine., Tripadvisor Reviews
One of the best, most true-to-history pirate-related museums/exhibits. A great number of original artifacts are presented with detailed descriptions and in historical context. No effort has been made to glamorize the life of a pirate. This museum is definitely worth a visit. It is unlikely to take longer than 45 minutes to go through its exhibits, though, and smaller kids might get bored after about 20 minutes. It is also better to reserve ahead.
– Kirill Evseev., Google Reviews
I love Pirate stories /movies and had heard about the Whydah on a tv documentary. Then I accidentally found out about this museum. Well, I had to go see it and absolutely glad I did! It is awesome! Real artifacts they have found from that ship, including a chest full of pirate treasure!!! It was very informative and interesting. There was a guy( dressed as a pirate) that went around and gave you specific info on any of the exhibits if you had questions. If you want to know about real pirates GO HERE!!
– Penny M., Tripadvisor Reviews
This was surprisingly excellent and a hidden gem. Very good layout, narrative and presentation. They’ve done excellent work here. Any history buff or pirate fan will love this place! It’s more museum than gimmick so probably geared toward older, reading/thinking children.
– Robert Shaw., Google Reviews
This museum has the only known real artifacts from the pirate ship Whydah, including silver coins and the ships bell. Very interesting how the ship was located and the delicate retrieval of items. if you are a pirate, come see this display!
– Jan B., Tripadvisor Reviews
The collection of pirate artifacts was absolutely stunning, and the museum itself a delight to walk through. I could have spent all day in the exhibits, and particularly enjoyed the display of how archeologists have been collecting and preserving the artifacts from the wreck of the Whydah. A great option for a rainy vacation day, or any day if you have a big pirate fan in the family. I'll definitely be coming back again the next time I'm in Cape Cod.
– Allisia MacDonald, Google Reviews
This place is amazing!!! Loved that we were able to speak with a member of the expedition team who went above and beyond answering all of our questions and provided us with so many interesting facts!
– The Rosario f., Tripadvisor reviews