The Whydah Pirate Museum If you and your family are looking for a family fun activity on Cape Cod this Summer, look no further than the Whydah Pirate Museum located at 674-MA 28 in West Yarmouth, MA. The Whydah Pirate Museum is a 12,000 square-foot interactive science museum that’s home to real artifacts recovered from the Whydah Gally—Cape Cod’s legendary pirate shipwreck.
When entering the Whydah Pirate Museum, visitors will discover a treasure chest of family activities and learn about the history of the Whydah.
TheWhydahwas captured in February of 1717 by the infamous pirate Samuel “Black Sam” Bellamy and his crew. Under “Black Sam’s” command, the Whydahplundered ships throughout the Caribbean and North Atlantic until she encountered a violent storm in April of 1717 and sank off the coast of Cape Cod.
Bellamy’s loss was history’s gain, however. The Whydah’s remains were discovered in 1984, becoming the first discovered and only fully authenticated pirate shipwreck anywhere in the world. The Whydah’s treasures, along with many other artifacts such as tools, weapons, and clothing, are on display at the Whydah Pirate Museum.
Families will love the museum’s interactive aspects. They will climb aboard a life-sized replica section of the Whydah’s stern, step inside the cozy captain’s cabin, and even venture below deck to the creaking quarters where the crew worked and slept. Along the way, guests will see real artifacts that belonged to ship and her crew including cannons, ropes and rigging, carpentry tools, plates and utensils, and even tokens that pirates used to play games!
After disembarking from the ship, guests will enter the treasure hallway where they can touch and see hundreds of “pieces of eight”, gold “doubloons,” and other valuables recovered from the sea floor. When the Whydahsank, she was carrying booty plundered from more than 50 ships. There was a fortune on board in gold and silver coins, ingots, jewelry from Africa, as well as ivory, sugar, and other commodities.
Families will also learn about the exciting world of marine archeology in the museum’s Sea Lab & Learning Center. This working laboratory is staffed by professional archaeologists and conservators, who uncover, excavate, and conserve artifacts in view of the general public. Families will observe the delicate and patient process up-close and can even chat with staff conservators while they work to preserve new treasures. The lab is where the most recent discoveries recovered from the sea floor are brought, so it’s never the same experience twice.
The Whydah Pirate Museum offers an amazing array of family activity on Cape Cod where guests can touch, see, and interact with the world’s only authenticated pirate treasure. The continually evolving science museum is located at 674 MA-28 in West Yarmouth, MA and is a great family experience for kids and adults alike!
We typically recommend the museum for ages 5+ (reading age), however plenty of younger children who are fascinated by pirates and real treasure simply love the museum!
