Albany Historic Whaling Station: Experience Australia's Whaling Heritage
4.3
68 Ratings
Frenchman Bay
Immerse yourself in Australia's whaling heritage at the Albany Historic Whaling Station. Explore the complete whaling station, watch short films, admire a giant blue whale skeleton, and climb aboard a preserved Whalechaser ship. Discover the stories of the men and women who depended on the whaling industry.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Albany’s Historic Whaling Station - Enjoy the 20-minute scenic drive from Albany CBD on your way to Albany’s Historic Whaling Station. Find yourself immersed in the sights and sounds of the whaling industry. Enjoy short films within the converted whale oil tanks and hop aboard the Cheynes IV, the world’s only preserved Whale chaser ship. Be amazed by a giant blue whale skeleton, enjoy a world-renowned marine animal art collection, and view precious scrimshaw art. If you have some spare time before the tour, you can visit the museum exhibits filled with authentic, whaling artifacts and memorabilia, or relax in the café overlooking one of Albany’s most picturesque bays. This unique, biodiverse location is also home to many native plants which are on display in the Regional Wildflower Garden. Enjoy free BBQ facilities in the gardens and learn about the friendly collection of native animals at the Australian Wildlife Park. With so much to explore you can spend the entire day at Albany’s Historic Whaling Station.
What's Included
- Goods and Services Tax (GST) included
- Free BBQ facilities available
- Access to all activities
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Lunch
Additional Information
Take a day to tour the globe’s sole intact whaling station tourist attraction and deepen your understanding of Albany’s vibrant history. Navigate through educational pathways to discover the tales of the individuals who relied on Australia’s whaling industry for their living. Experience a range of activities and sights such as brief films housed in repurposed whale oil tanks, an enormous blue whale skeleton exhibit, priceless scrimshaw artwork, and a globally acclaimed collection of marine creature art. You can even step aboard the Cheynes IV, the only preserved Whalechaser ship in the world. Afterwards, unwind in a café with a view of one of Albany’s most stunning bays and take advantage of free BBQ amenities in a gorgeous Regional Wildflower Garden.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Location
Albany's Historic Whaling Station
81 Whaling Station Rd
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.3
(68 Ratings)
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804juliec
Apr 22, 2024
A day spent steeped in history. - Whaling is a controversial subject, but it is part of Australia's past so worth a look. Amazing site with so much information and history. Take your time to visit all the exhibits and watch all the films to get a real feeling of how it was. Climbing on board the Cheynes 1V was very interesting and quite an eye opener. In the same precinct you will also find a flower garden (subject to season) and a wildlife park. There is a BBQ area and playground and a restaurant and a huge gift shop. Check out the scrimshaw, amazing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bronwynt216
Feb 27, 2024
An insight into the whaling industry of Western Australia - A very interesting self guided tour of the last surviving whaling ship out of Albany together with the buildings, film of the whaling industry when in operation, skeletons of whales and other outbuildings. Worth the visit.
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Marypp1958
Feb 17, 2024
An Enlightening Experience - From the minute you arrive the sea and it’s creatures are on display. From a stunning collection of shells to the video stories, the opportunity to board a whaling vessel and follow the process through to its quite gory conclusion. A whole way of life for the people of Albany was gone in a few short months.
The entry fee also entitles you to explore the gardens and wildlife park.
The gift shop and cafe are both worth stopping by.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Moretravel278
Feb 3, 2024
A must do if visiting Albany - A fascinating look at how whaling was such an important part of Albany. You’ll be captivated about how the industry worked…. Expect to spend more time than you might initially plan. We spent around 4 hours. There’s a cafe on site which serves good food and with a great view out to the bay.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Typical-60plus
Nov 18, 2023
Very interesting and informative, highly recommended - The museum was extremely well done and we spent more time than we thought. There was a good combination of self-guided, video and tours. I would highly recommend it.
It was a 30 minute drive from Albany so good to have some snacks or lunch with you. We had lunch at the restaurant which was very good but the restaurant could get backed up on a busy day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Camandkyd
Aug 12, 2023
Allow a few hours - So much to see and do here- we should have allowed half a day as less than 2 hours was nowhere near enough time- great 3D movie on these amazing creatures, whaling ship to explore, scrimshaw art- a must see!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q2993dabarbarad
Jul 23, 2023
Getting to know more about the whaling industry - Another wonderfully informative museum and display. The displays were well arranged and the mix of digital and still displays was good.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
275frederiquej
Jan 22, 2023
Worth the visit - Very interesting experience. We learned a lot on the whaling sector and stayed almost 3 hours!
Worth the visit!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Subiacogirl
Dec 27, 2022
3rd visit! - Well worth the visit. So much to see, hear and do! Touring the Chaser ship was the highlight. 3rd visit for me: once in 1973 when I saw the station in action, 2nd in 1990 and today. In my mind I could smell the odours from the very 1st trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Danielle
Feb 24, 2023
Great info, needs more conservation aspects - Absolutely amazing place! Great information, videos, artifacts! Would of loved more conservation information or just acknowledging more of it! Had a great video on shark conservation however at the cafe sold shark *face palm* and sold whale oil as well…? I don’t know seems a little bit backwards in that sense
Review provided by Tripadvisor