Reviews of The Whale Museum (Museum)

Krishna Mamidipaka

Small, but well curated. Educational and engaging. Excellent staff.

Zachary Ransom

Definitely worth the visit!!!

Soaring Dreams

My grandparents carved door is at the top of the stairs :)

Debbie Brown

Very informative, makes you think, especially about he effects of sonar on marine life.

James Thompson

Interesting place to learn about Wales. It was a little boring though. Could use some updating.

Muthu Kumari

Entry fee can be less

Pacific Mammal Research

A great place to bring the family and learn all about marine mammals in the Salish Sea. Their educational displays are wonderful, with life size replicas, fully articulated skeletons, videos, acoustic recordings, hands on artifacts like real teeth and baleen and much more, all packed with interesting facts. You will have fun and learn a lot!

Mandi Barber

Definitely worth a visit if you're in Friday Harbor. Lots of informative exhibits, including an interactive whale call booth.

Jennie J

This museum is full of fascinating skeletons of whales, orcas, and even of conjoined fetal harbor seal twins. The museum is small, but it's packed with information and exhibits, mainly about orcas. I've been here twice and both times found the information about the human effects on orcas to be deeply disturbing. For example, orca females live about twice as long as males, probably because their bodies off-load fat soluble toxins in their milk. Under-sea geological mapping by petroleum companies is causing severe damage to marine mammals' hearing and is causing mass strandings around the world. Less severe but even more pervasive is the omnipresent noise of boat motors which are drowning out whale communication and echolocation. The museum suggests that you view orcas from shore at Lime Kiln Park instead of contributing to more boat engine noise by going on a whale boat tour.

Ashley DSouza

An interesting place to learn about the big giant mammal. We went on a free day, but otherwise there's a fee. I don't think it's worth paying and going though because the museum is too small.

tahir h

This was 2nd time visited the museum as it's very educational and important to have. It's not the Smithsonian but it's still very enjoyable even for adults. Someone like oprah or bill gates should help fund this place to make it even bigger and better.

kris E

A great place to spend the afternoon, especially if it is your first time in Friday Harbor.

Ron Raymundo

This place is equally fascinating as it is depressing. You see all the things about pollution and how the whales habitat is in danger. Its true that sad facts are how we invoke thought that leads to change and if we seriously don't start changing like 15 years ago then those sea giants will be nothing more than memories. Everything is about balance, people. We need to balance our lives and the lives around us. If we can destroy so easily why can't we also repair with the same fervor?

Hunt Gazecki

Wonderful little marine science exhibition with plenty of engaging exhibits and displays. The gift shop has some interesting merchandise as well. Great for all ages!

Kirk Groeneveld

Fun interactive museum for all ages. Stop by!

Paige Highness

It’s a small, quaint little museum. It would seem as if they don’t have much but I feel if you truly spend time to look around, you’ll realize they offer a nice amount of information. I found their charm stemmed from the “little things”. Their stained glass windows are gorgeous and fit the theme beautifully. I also enjoyed the view out of their rear windows which face the harbor. My favorite part of the museum revolves around the whale pods. Upon entering, you are given a card which lists the names of a couple of whales you have to find/track and learn about. The cool thing about the pods featured in the museum is that they are real orca pods. I found it awesome to learn about the pods at the museum and then go see them during my whale watching excursion. They also house the whale naming lottery there at the museum, which is pretty neat. If you have extra time while in Friday Harbor, I’d recommend taking a walk through the quaint museum. You may just learn something that can save a whales life! Parking is located a couple blocks down. It isn’t too far of a walk.

Richard Moses

Great museum and whale preservation center!!! A family adventure!!!

Michaela Austin

Very small museum, but jam-packed full of interesting facts about whales. It's not very interactive, so kids might be underwhelmed. I liked it though, we spent about 30 minutes looking at everything and got a couple items at the gift shop.

Peter N

Excellent museum. Great stop in Friday Harbor.

rob weakly

Had a good time at the museum. It was a little smaller than I expected. They have awvral interesting specimens there and it is worth stopping by. It was the first place to explain well how different whales eat. They also have a skeleton of a conjoined porpoise.

Bryce Caster

A neat small-town museum. For $6, you can learn all about the resident orca population. While the information was good, I would have liked to have more background about whales before diving into the specifics of the orcas and their habitat.

Amanda Barnes

Cool place to take the Kids. Lots of facts and Pretty cool. Not worth visiting more then once.

Wendy Whitaker

Cute, quick to go through, but interesting. Great gift shop.

Kyle Charnley

Informative and incredibly friendly staff!

Marcus Turner

A lot of great info on whales could use some love but worth checking out with the kids.

Ursula Ponce Hamner

This was such a great little museum! Fabulous interactive displays, tons of facts, and learning in every nook and cranny of the place. Most importantly, a staff that is dedicated and knowledgeable on the health and welfare of local wales.

Gayle Cole

The pictures and artifacts tell the stories if the local orca pods, and their struggle for survival.

Larce Hobbit

Really great. Nice staff, and really cool exhibits!

Samantha Berkimer

Very informative. Nice people working there and family friendly. If you are looking for an hour to kill I highly recommend it.

nathan salamacha

Definitely worth the small price for this place. If you're in friday harbor and have some time to kill give the musuem a go. It's quite small but packed with a lot of exhibits. Their gift shop also has some really cool apparel and other souvenirs to take home with you.

Jo Alex

Loved learning about whales. On the day we visited, there was a elementary school tour taking place which we got to sit in and hear the presentation. We were able to see a demonstration of the call of the whales. What a humbling experience to know that beautiful and intelligent creatures roam the oceans.

Krysten Boland

I love whales so anything I have to say about a whale museum should also be taken with that in mind. Great little stop after a whale watching tour so you can learn about the beautiful and amazing animals that you just saw

Beckie

Lovely little museum and the man at the till was very welcoming

Corey Kopp

Pretty much a one-room museum, so perhaps a little pricey for that. But they do have a lot on stuff packed into that room. It was interesting to see.

Maryeli Garbi

Great experience and lots of information.

Thomas Bentley

The exhibits were very informative and included a lot of really cool specimens. We had fun, learned a lot; plus the ticket prices are cheap!

Rena Cummings

I've loved this place since the first time I went here as a kid. Is it a small museum for the price of admission? Yes. Do they pack a ton of information into the small space? Yes. Is it worth the money? Absolutely! They often have guides there to explain additional information to visitors. They also have a lot of information about the whales that live in the San Juans, which is wonderful.

Bob Reilly

Everything you ever wanted to know about whales

Teresja Nelson

Informative museum focused on conservation and respectful, careful study of and interaction with marine wildlife (especially whales). The exhibits are interesting, and there's lots to read about whales on the self-guided tour. Experience standing inside the ribcage of an orca, seeing a whale brain vs. a human brain, listening to whale calls, and other interesting and interactive displays. There's also a nice little gift shop and videos about whales. Well worth a visit.

Uff Duh

Visit! So much great and interesting information

Josh Turner

Small museum but lots of good information. I'm glad we visited.

Tami S.

Such a nice place! Lots of great information about whales and other marine mammals. It's not real big so I didn't feel overwhelmed with information, and that gave me time to enjoy the island as well. I definitely recommend it.

Drake Hei

Fun touristy thing to do. It's free so why not. Personally love seeing skeletons of creatures and seeing the biology that makes up other animals so definitely fun to visit for me. Though not much reason to visit a second time.

Glenn Stump

A fun and education experience.

Barry White

Very interesting small museum.

Kaweka Stoney

Interesting museum on the whales of the Salish Sea and the connection that man has to them.

Becky Coffield

Just a terrific place to visit. You'll learn about everything "whale." Informative and utterly one of the most unique museums you'll ever visit. It can actually be a life and attitude changing experience.

Nathan Nordstrom

A whales brain is larger than ours. Amazing display.

Hunter P

So much fun

Nancy Austin

I loved this place. Some of the exhibits were a little worn and it isn't as slick as a big city museum, but I learned a great deal from exhibits that were thoughtfully and lovingly made.

Julie Edwards

Very enjoyable and informative! Great little gift shop with reasonable prices to.

Chad H

What an enlightening experience! This museum is a MUST when you visit Friday Harbor. It's also designed so children can learn and enjoy. All proceeds go to research and conservation.

Jodi Rochester

I expected more from the museum. I did, however, like the gift shop.

Darin Hays

Super informative, friendly staff, videos and audio of many whales. Very complete collection of history and science about whales. Full skeletons, interesting for kids. Reasonable price. Active in current research and protection of whales.

David Kane

Not so much a Museum, more like a learning center staffed by amazing people who are really passionate and dedicated to protecting whales and educating the public.

Kyle Baxter

It was ok. Go if you have time. The reaserch place is better.

Bridget Magee

This was a fun and educational experience enjoyed the trip with WAVA schools.

Josh S

Unique, quick and educational. Should be interesting for all ages.

Ken Lo

I recommend this place for anyone wanting to learn more about whales.

Steven Geis

If you want information about whales and are interested in helping save them this is a good place to visit. Definitely worth the cost of admission.

Jim Flynn

Save the Orcas!!

Debika Dutt

Very badly maintained.

Kevin Hagen

Great experience and well worth the $9 for admission. Thanks a lot for the time.

Apes

Well put together museum, great rainy day adventure. It's really cool to learn about the local pods.

Bill Clogston

The Whale Museum is a wonderful place to learn about our Salish Sea and its inhabitants. I really enjoy all the people involved with the daily operations of the museum. A truly great place to visit!

Alexandra Burris

It's just like the museum in the Nancy drew game

David Croy

Very informative.

Jolene Edwards

Stopping at the Whale Museum was a great decision. I always enjoy the educational aspects of museums and while this museum was small, there was a lot of great information here. We learned all about the resident Orca pods and their history. There is a heavy emphasis on conservation here, which very important to me. I found this place to be both fun and educational, I would definitely recommend stopping by here, I believe that it truly enhances the experience of visiting these islands, especially if you plan on doing any whale watching.

Jim Morgan

This is a nice place, and they certainly love their whales, but we weren't as riveted as we expected to be. It's a good cause, so it's fine, but it was a little on the expensive side for what we got out of it.

F Tu

Friday Harbor is one of our favorite short get-away destinations and each time we go there, we visit the Whale Museum. It has simply become one of our "routines". But our last visit to the museum was a little peculiar. My in-laws were here with us during our last visit a month ago. Our return ferry was only 1 hour after the museum opened. So we were kind of in a rush. By the time we got on to the ferry, my in-law realized he had forgotten his camera bag in the museum, but it was only 15 minutes before the ferry was to leave and it's too late for us to go back to retrieve the bag. On a whim, I called the museum and the lady at the gift shop picked up my call. She immediately went to check where the bag was left and promised us she would run to the ferry to deliver our lost bag. Just before the ferry left, she arrived with the bag and handed the bag to the ferry worker. We can't appreciate her kind help enough. This is just a small example showing how the museum staff care about their customers. We really love this tiny caring museum and will certainly go back again!

Stephen Zahradnik

Very informative. Worth checking out while on the island! Support the whales before they leave the Earth for the Moon!

Dwight Amstutz

We were excited to get to do this before our whale tour experience. We really got educated today. The staff was friendly. Lots of different areas to read, listen and view. We spent 45 minutes in the museum.

Kerri

Absolutely amazing specimens and information in a fun learning environment. Friendly and helpful staff. Adopted an orca and so happy with the information and goodies that came with it. Must see if you're in Friday Harbor!

star light the best

Short walk from ferry. Very knowledgeable staff. Interactive. Great for kids

Coleen Bonnette

Whale bones and some information, but nothing special since I have seen that before.

Kathryn Weilert

What a wonderful place. So many authentic skeletons, beautiful murals and oddities. So many fun stories on local pods and research projects and an amazing gift shop. Will definitely return, maybe even again today given that it's a full day admission with ticket purchase to come and go as you please.

V Hilby

Little museum packed full of information! There are good exhibits for both adults and kids.

Jitendra Keswani

The place is Ok .. however it good place for people who are interested to explore more about the whale species and there skeleton other historic evolution of the mammal

Wanda Scooter Wise

Very informative. The displays were great and the hands on of dialing the whale calls are unique. However the musty smell of the old building was strong.

Jonathan Miske

Most of the time is spent watching a overbearing video that drags on for twice as long as it needs to. The rest of the museum is nice, but there's not much to it.

Jillian Mcfeeley

Fun and informational

S N

This is such a fantastic Museum and a great way to support local conservation. They have lots of whale and other marine mammal skeletons on display, interactive exhibits, and extremely knowledgeable docents who are able to bring the subject matter to life. It makes me very happy that the primary purpose of this Museum is to provide a steady stream of funding for local efforts to protect whales and other marine mammals in the San Juan Islands. A visit to Friday Harbor definitely isn't complete without a tour through The Whale Museum

Pamela Miller

Interesting museum. Great cause. Adopt your own Orca from the local or transient pod.

Chris Konomos

Very informative. Many exhibits for a small museum. Pose with the whales!!

Lisa Hoffman

Anything concerning Whales is great for me. Very educational and the prices in the shop were awesome.

Emily H

nice stop on the island. fun for kids

Bin Zhu

A good place to visit, a decent amount of collection and some interesting facts. Also mentioned the whale watch park, which is a great visit as well.

Shelly Cordis

Get the history of the resident pods, the newest arrivals, and know what to look for before you go out on the boats! I'm glad we did as our tour guide from Maya Whale watching tours has many photos and videos at this museum. We all knew what she was talking about and made our whale tour even more exciting. The price is right and the it has a cute little gift shop too! Best whale gift shop on the island, this is our 3rd trip here and we will stop in every time we come!

Mollie Coogan

The exhibits were very detailed!

Sheila LaValley

Loved the experience and learned so much.

Brent Lichtenberg

Awesome place. My kids and my dad loved it.

Ellen Garcia

This small museum is packed full of information and details about the life of whales and conservation efforts. Some interaction for children but maybe not for real young ones. Stairs with a lift. Cost varies greatly with best costs for veterans, active military, students or seniors.

Aaron Johnson

Small but interesting. Other than skeletons, A big focus here seemed to be the vocalisations of whales, the difference and comparisons. I found that quite interesting. Even so, I am not sure there is enough to engage someone for much more than an hour. Still I would encourage people to go! Great people, interesting stuff, doing good things.

Mesay Solomon

Amazing archeological items. But the technology is poor.

Insiteand awareness

This is a very informative place for both adults and children. Not very expensive $6 for adults. Less for seniors. Not sure how much children's price is.

Bradford Hull

Nice presentation, and a chair lift so the stairs are not an obstacle to those with mobility problems

Jonathan Lee

Though small, presents a good range of exhibits about marine mammals in the Salish Sea, awesome yet saddening, pointing to the detrimental effects of human encroachment on the seas worldwide.

Tiffany Oda

Really cool whale facts, awesome gift shop. It's small, probably won't spend more than an hour there.

Fred Cai

This is an awesome little place. I've been here twice. Once as a child and once as an adult. It was fascinating! There was so much to learn about whales. My favorite part was seeing a specimen of a gigantic whale brain! They also have a cute little souvenir shop downstairs. This place is a must go if you ever find yourself on this island!

Ted Morrissey

Very informative. Friendly staff.

David Charles Geist

Important, current science information is made available quickly and coherently. This museum is on the cutting edge of local research on Orca whales.

Jacob Pence

Very informative, interesting displays

Jordan Gamble

Dropped in the whale museum while waiting in line for the ferry. Great display even if you only have 5 minutes. The cost of admission is to support the whale museum and shouldn't be a reason not go. Ask if they will let you in for free if your budget doesn't allow for $6. :)

Alex Demas

Fascinating little museum with lots about the biology, ecology and human history of whales, particularly killer whales. They had a lot of skeletons and bones too, which was neat to see. Happy to support the mission of the museum too.

Kristine Kampe

Very cool place to learn about whales,seals and other important things about sea life.

Sharon Kelly

Very nice museum and a great cause

B-wrecka D

Though it is not the biggest museum, it definitely is informative. Especially as a citizen of the Pacific Northwest, I care about marine wildlife and this museum really opened my eyes to the plight of whales and other creatures in our oceans. A must see if you're visiting Friday Harbor. Plus your entrance fee and any gift shop purchases go to a great cause.

Dahlis Crafter

Great displays of skeletons and cool interactive things for kids. Very enjoyable walk through

Darab Raisdanai

Worth a trip. Take time and read about each exhibit. If you go there for a show it's not for you and get bored real quick. You learn a lot by taking the time.

Andrew Shumway

Definitely worth the visit.

Patrick Chung

Wonderful exhibits showcasing the wonder of the whale species. Eye-opening and great for kids.

mary hall

Lots of information about whales. Could easily do the museum in 45min.

Donny Schell

Nice and very educational about local whale populations. A little on the small end but worth the cost.

JD Atkins

This is a self guided tour with a lot of information. There is various pod (family) information. There are exhibit on different types of whale. It even has information on other animals you may see it this area. There is an exhibit of conjoined harbor seal. Look at the pictures.

Katrina Kennedy

such an eye opening experience to the life of whales. Definitely watch the entire video/documentary upstairs!

Arieal C

Must take time to check it out! Don't be in a hurry & really soak it all in!

Anonymous Penguin

Went on a date with my fiance, had an awesome time learning about whales and the impact we have on them in our modern industry.

Bilal Aslam

A bit of a let-down because it's so small for what you pay. The exhibits they do have are ok.

Robin Schultz

The child enjoyed but there was not much there for the price

Karen Davies

Small but perfectly formed. Good for kids but I didn't feel I'd learned anything. The whale skeleton does give an idea of the size of these animals

Ricardo Caicedo

Nice place to learn a little bit about interesting topics.

Jennifer Pletcher

Great for children, lots of information about the local whales.

Seth03

Learned alot about whales and how some of them are endangered. They have fun little quests that you can go on. But maybe if it was more cleaned up then it would get 5 stars

Shannon N

Simple place but informative. Front desk lady pleasant and helpful in trying to locate whales to see.

Kaylene Lawson

Informative museum for those interested in whales or taking a whale watching cruise in the nearby waterways. Interactive displays of interest to both young and old alike.

Nancy Perry

The Whale Museum is fun way to learn more about the local population of whales, porpoises and orcas. An enjoyable experience.

Sheldon Nider

Really enjoyed this museum. Learned a lot about whales and local pods. Staff was great.

Nathan Phillips

Good place to learn about whales in the San Juan Islands.

C.Michelle Miller

A must see in Friday Harbor! Definitely good for the young and old. A WOW for a WHALE of information :D

Jesediah Thimpy

This place is thought provoking. We were talking about saving the salmon populations, while riding the ferry back to mainland 2 days later. Roughly 80 members of the local family of whales, and they live about as long or longer than we do. That's a pretty small population to watch and determine if our actions are causing harm. It's bummer news to talk about, but I still think this place earns 5 stars.

Alan Hollingsworth

Nice little museum with good educational information and a good gift shop. Keep low expectations so you won't be disappointed. I considered my ticket price to mostly be a donation to benefit the whales and whale programs.

S Duncan

The museum is a bit dated and some interactive displays weren't functional, but it was a good way to spend time indoors without spending lots of money. Many of the exhibits require reading so not ideal for young ones with short attention spans. The reconstructed whale skeletons were pretty cool. Also note they have a deep discount for students.

James Brady

There's a lot of good info on whales and where to find them from shore.

Randall Guay

Very informative museum. We spent about 2.5 hours there. Better if you bring children

Laura Chestnut

The must see museum of Friday Harbor. Tells the story of the local whale pod individuals, research that is being done on whales, and about whales in general. Interesting for both children and adults. Excellent presentation of material. Great gift shop.

Terry Davis

If you seriously want to know something about whales....go here.

Nick Hayes

Great place to learn about whales and the human impact on our oceans. An eye opener.

Max D

It's mostly okay. Some cool exhibits but temper your expectations of you're accustomed to big museums. It's quite small.

Victor Favela

small quaint and more of a place for elementary students.. it's something to do on the island if u wanna kill time. still a great option to contribute to a local institution.

Bryan Cholak

Alot of fun. The kiddos loved it.

Sarina Lotlikar

A quiant museum. It's small and won't take more than an hour to explore thoroughly. But it is thoughtfully curated and I learned so much about whales.

Drew Fowler

Learned a lot.

Kay Gideon

Very interesting and sad. I liked the fact that they presented solutions that are realistic in today's world. But they didn't address the overfishing by tribal members.

Cindy Ricks

Displays are interesting. Don't miss the video. We could have stayed longer, but they had to close.

mylene Fishel

Knowing more about orcas and whales

Harry Miley

Not sure if the museum would have been better before or after the cruise I took. But it was a good complement.

Carol Noble

This is a wonderful place to experience the sights and sounds of whales. There are great videos set up with comfortable seating. A huge map of recent sightings is on display. Just listening to the whale recordings is an experience in itself. Don't miss visiting this place!

Joe GF

Great history and information. Admission cost goes to charity.