Whydah Pirate Museum Reviews

We brought our grandson and it was definitely worth the trip. Educational and interesting. Great to do on a rainy day at the cape

We visited just after the museum reopened and while social distancing measures were in place due to Covid. It was an amazing experience to see the real artifacts and learn about some of the process by which they were collected. Our five year old was mesmerized by all of the different coins. He loves his mock treasure chest from the gift shop. This museum is well worth the time to explore!

We weren't quite sure if this was going to be a 'kid thing' (it isn't just for kids) and were totally in awe of the magnificent displays explaining not only actual pirate history but the artifacts as well. Amazing! The room showing how the scientists are preserving what has been discovered at the bottom of the water was also intriguing. Well worth the stop!

The museum wasn’t too big. We enjoyed the whole thing in about an hour. It was very interesting and my 8 yr old had a good time.

Wonderful experience, all the authentic artifacts brought the pirate ship to life. Granddaughters enjoyed the scavenger hunt. We were very impressed and highly recommend this museum.

This is a unique place which tells the story of the Whydah pirate ship. It explains and displays what life was like on a pirate ship and seeks to dispel many of the myths about pirating. Displays are very life-like. The museum also has a collection of thousands of actual coins retrieved from the sinking of the Whydah. One room is dedicated to explaining how artifacts are retrieved and cleaned of their ocean bottom coatings. It is interesting for adults as well as children. Much effort has gone in to keeping visitors socially distanced in the museum. Restrooms are very clean.

Excellent interpretive and informative displays. Takes about an hour, no rushing.
Plan on a wait to get in if it’s a rainy day (lousy beach day). Also, attendance is controlled due to virus/social distancing matters.
All in all, excellent experience.

It was a cold, gray day. We were looking for something different to do with our visiting adult son and our local son and partner. Our visiting son wanted to go and learn and read every sign on every exhibit. Although this was my third visit, I learned new info as well. The young gentleman in the room with the concrete on was very personable and knowledgeable, sharing enough but not too much of what his role was in the obtaining of relics from the Whydah.

As part of a day trip to the cape, the tour company took us to this museum. we almost didn't go in because we thought it might be too kitschy. Museum is amazing. You get to see real pirate treasure which has been found off the cape. And meet the divers who are doing the excavating. You actually get to touch the actual pirate treasure. Nowhere else in the world can you do this. Because no one else has ever found actual pirate treasure. A must-see.

Visited with my husband and daughter. Was interesting to learn about the Whydah and what happened. Friendly staff and had a fun little scavenger hunt you can do while you go through. Worth a stop.

The Whydah Pirate Museum has so many interesting things to see. When we went, we never expected to enjoy it so much. We actually lucked out and met one of the divers who was working on freeing some of the treasures from the shipwreck. What a great experience.

This is showing the results of a multi-decade archaeological excavation of a fully loaded pirate ship that sank off of Cape Cod. Very insightful into pirate life. Would be good for any child over 6 (nothing gruesome, just might not interest very young ones). No photos allowed inside.

We took the one hour guided tour of the Whydah Pirate Museum and were so happy we did. Jessica was the museum docent who led our tour. She is excellent at her work, both as a chemist in restoring artifacts, and as an educator leading tours. Time is allowed as you move through the museum to fully appreciate all there is to see and learn. You may also re-enter the museum to return to any exhibit where you might want more time.
The research, the discovery, the recovery, the restoration, the attention to detail and the pirate’s story gives this experience a five star rating.

I thought that it was cool but it was pretty boring, I mean what did I expect it’s a museum. I thought overall it wasn’t terrible.

We’ve being going to the Cape for almost 50 years. This trip we had our son with us so wife looked for new things to do. It was raining so the Pirate Museum seemed like a neat place to spend some time.

This museum was set up to display items recovered from the wreckage of a pirate ship, the Wydah, discovered off Cape Cod, in the late 1980s. Obviously a niche attraction, it’s located in a repurposed building in a rather unappealing section of Rt 28 in West Yarmouth - all of which says that from the outside it doesn’t look very good. But inside it tells an interesting story about the short life of the Wydah as a pirate ship in the late 1600s, and the crew who sailed it. Great for those interested in the history of sailing and the sea, but if the niche topic doesn’t float your boat, you may find it boring and overpriced.

Also offers an interesting insight into the specialized field of marine archeology. But probably not ideal for small children.

I had looked forward to a more immersive, informative experience than what was available. Museum should hire an expert to polish the presentations and provide more narrative flow. There was a lot of reading surrounding the artifacts, reading that did not shed much light on what I was looking at. We were in and out in 45 minutes. The gift shop was very, very disappointing— the usual T-shirts and hats. The one bright offering was the book section.

Outstanding museum. You get a great history lesson as well as see some fascinatingly exhibits. Jessica, our guide, was possibly the best museum guide we have ever experienced. She was informative in a very entertaining way.

I had seen the displays at Provincetown when the mini museum was there and thought it was a bit go hum for such hype, but the big museum was quite impressive and covered the event and history leaving me kind of awed. Beautifully mounted and displayed artifacts, good sound tracks, just the right amplification, really liked the extra history, like why, who and maps. I give 4 stars because of the holes in knowing more about personal details. Maybe I missed something in a film but I wanted to know a lot more about how, where, seasonal progress of the excavation, and also about the crew and family repercussions. The left behind fiance, the black crew sold back into slavery from the other ships, the cost of raising a treasure, government interests and. expectations, like taxes.

Very well-done informative museum great for OLDER children and families. This museum involves A LOT of reading, therefore it is understandable why the recommended age for this attraction is age 5+. Every exhibit involves reading and an understanding of history. It was very interesting to learn about the Whydah Pirate Ship as well as what happened to those aboard the ship. We went 1/2 hour after opening on a nice day and it was not overly crowded. Everyone understood to read the exhibit and move on to the next one.

Took 6 year old and just wasted 30 dollars. We were in and out in 10 minutes I guess that was my mistake thinking he would find something of interest but the only thing he found of interest was a gift shop!

This was a diamond in the rough! We were looking for something to do on a rainy day and were really questioning ourselves if we should "waste" money on this museum. Actually is was a highlight of our trip. The staff was very knowledgeable on the history and the Pirates in the exhibits. It was very interesting walking through all of the displays. This is something I would venture to do again!

Rainy April day on the Cape. What to do? My husband and I found this gem! If you enjoy history or pirates, make time, even on a sunny day. So very interesting! Be sure you explore the working area at the end where they show you how they reclaim these artifacts too! Highly recommend this museum!!

This museum is the only museum full of real pirates treasures and artifacts from the Whydah. We got to see concretions slowly, dissolving away to reveal their contents that were encased over 300 years in the sediment and sands of Cape Cod Bay. The museum is really set up wonderfully going through time telling you the passage of the ship and what happened with Captain Bellamy and his crew. It is really awesome that they took some of the pirates booty and encased it where you can actually touch some of the coins that had been handled by pirates. It is a unique museum and sure to please anyone we stayed there for more than two hours.

Lots of recovered artifacts presented extremely well. Learned a lot about Pirate life, ships of the time period and all their different uses. Most of the items displayed are not the "treasure" you would expect (coins & jewelry).

We visited the museum with our grandchildren (12, 10 years old), and found the experience to be fun, interesting and educational. While initially concerned that it might have been more of a tourist trap, it turned out to be a well designed facility The displays stuck to historical facts and neither glamorized piracy nor diminished the abuse of human trafficking.

This is NOT a kiddy "pirate museum" though the gift shop does sell useless plastic crap in that genre. If you have a sincere interest in maritime history and nautical archeology this place is fantastic. The recovered artifacts and history of the 18th century pirate ship Whydah are well displayed and the curation is quite good. I especially enjoyed the room where artifacts are waiting to be restored. The young lady (George Washington U. grad) was very knowledgable and answered many question about the wreck and how artifacts are recovered, stabilized and preserved for eventual display. A great adult experience.

The reckage of the Whydah Pirate ship was a legend when I was a small child. Several years ago, they found it! Such an amazing thing to be able to examine items from the past and hear the story of the life of the pirates.

This incredibly fantastic museum speaks right to my childhood fascination with pirates (and let's be honest, a lot of us had the same fascination). It's an interactive, well-organized science museum that displays artifacts and archaelogical information on the 18th-century shipwreck of the Whydah Gally, which was a pirate galley and slave ship from the golden age of piracy. While this museum doesn't cover piracy in general, it does provide a comprehensive context, particularly of maritime history, for the Whydah Gally and the artifacts displayed.

We were visiting my husband’s family in Centerville and decided a rainy day would be an excellent opportunity to explore the Whydah Pirate Museum. We enjoyed viewing the artifacts and reading the history surrounding the Whydah and pirating in general, but we found the information and displays regarding the excavation process the most fascinating. The tickets are probably a little pricey, but we would still recommend a visit if you’re in the area.

My one negative about the experience was the admission stamp on your hand. We were scurrying to the car in the rain, and my hand brushed against my relatively new, light blush jeans. We washed them twice with stain remover, but you can still see traces of the black ink so be careful if you are wearing light colored clothing.

My husband and I found this truly interesting, and was one of the highlights of the trip. It’s worth a visit.

This was a big hit for our almost 5 year old as well as the adults. Don't go on a rainy day like the rest of the Cape Cod vacationers! We stopped by and decided it would be better to give up a beach day to avoid the crowd. There were enough hands-on activities among the "do not touch" displays for our very active and excited little boy, who was thrilled with the information he heard about the real pirates, especially the 8 year old boy who insisted on joining the crew on the ship. Seeing all those artifacts and treasures and knowing they were real was exciting for all of us. Then to see how they excavate the artifacts from rocks or whatever it is that covered them for 300 years before they were found was amazing. There was enough darkness and scary noises to make it interesting without being overwhelming. Oh! and don't forget to ask for the "treasure map" AKA a scavenger hunt sheet to mark off several displays. You'll get a kid friendly prize if you find them all!!

Great lessons learned about pirating, how it began, the types of ships and everything in between. Will definitely visit again if I get the chance.

We were a little apprehensive when we first went as we wondered if this was another tourist trap - far from it! It is an incredible museum. The exhibits are professional, informative and very well done. Besides top notch exhibits, you can visit the area where actual artifacts are being reclaimed and restored. Staff were very friendly and answered all of our questions. Definitely worth the time to visit.

Whydah is truly the only existing pirate ship collection to be seen. The history behind all of this is perfectly captured at this museum. We spent 2 hours there and learned a great deal of information. The museum artifacts were amazing and the working lab was really something to see. Highly recommend for a family excursion. Not maybe for the very young as they will want to just run through. Great place to visit for someone perhaps in middle school or even high school that was to complete a research paper.

My husband, 2 kids and I greatly enjoyed this museum. We spent about 2 hours here but easily could have spent a little more. It’s not a huge place, I just didn’t get a chance to read everything. It was just very interesting. My favorite part was the actual treasure chest. It was really cool to me to see that. And at the end there is a room showing how they brought everything up and how they clean everything off. I just thought it was a very cool place and worth the visit!

This was a fascinating learning experience. A look into a pirate's life as well as the ships from 1717 and the amazing treasure that was found and preserved. A must see when on Cape Cod.
It's about 90 minutes to go through the museum when it isn't crowded....there was so much to see and read, I didn't want to miss a thing. Reservations recommended.

This museum was really interesting and far more appropriate for older kids (10 on average, but perhaps a mature 8 year old would be ok).

The exhibits are realistic and there are some great learning opportunities about history, especially slavery as it’s a theme that is present throughout, but glossed over. I would be prepared to have some potentially tough conversations.

Otherwise, for an adult, this is a very cool place to spend and hour or two.

What a great, informative experience. Great staff, loved the guided tour. Lots of artifacts, great story behind "treasures"

This museum is fantastic! So much more than I expected, and so reasonably priced. This is the true story of a Pirate Captain in the 1700's, how his galley capsized and sunk, and the story of the man and his 'crew' that found the sunken ship and treasure. So well done, informative, interesting and just amazing!

I live in the Pacific Northwest, and recently got to check New England off the places I wanted to see before I get too old to enjoy the experience. On the very last day we were in Yarmouth, we stumbled on the Pirate Museum. I didn't know what to expect, but I was so very pleasantly surprised. It had never occurred to me that pirates didn't hang out in Washington State waters, but they did in the Northeast. The wreck of the pirate ship was known to have occurred, but it wasn't until 1984 that the remains of the Whydah were located, and the recovery of the remains began and are still ongoing. The museum has done a wonderful job of putting the story together complete with pieces of eight, weapons, tools and so much more. I'd recommend this museum to people of all ages.

We went during the week used a Groupon . We enjoyed the self guided tour. We spent two hours and learned a lot about the pirates and their adventures along the coast. Great artifacts and the efforts to save the items is interesting. Easy to park, picinic tables for lunch and many restaurants loacted nearby.

The Whydah Pirate Museum is a fascinating place about one thing, the pirate ship, Whydah. It covers all the bases such as history, discovery, on-going archeological work and conservation. $17.95 for an adult, I find a little steep, but I feel I got my money's worth.

I don't have any particular interest in pirates or shipwrecks, but I enjoy learning new things, and this museum was interesting and had plenty of artifacts. I do think it was a little dark... mood lighting, I suppose, but kind of hard to see details in some of the exhibits. I agree with another reviewer who mentioned that it's a little difficult to see the place until you're right on top of it, so you either have to turn fast, or overshoot it, turn around, and try again. There are no photos allowed of anything inside, except the ship's bell located in the small "theater" where they show a brief video about the history of the Whydah.

The Whydah Pirate Museum was fantastic. A literal treasure trove of Pirate booty. Our 6-9 year old kids and all the parents were riveted by the information and artifacts. The story of the Whydah is remarkable and one we all want to learn more about. I highly recommend finishing your museum visit with a trip to Captain Parker's Pub, across the parking lot from the museum. The friendly staff at the Whydah museum gave us the lunch tip and we were grateful. Fantastic museum, followed by sensational food.

I didn't have any expectations for the museum but was pleasantly surprised. Learned so much about this ship and the type of people who worked them. Plan on 1 to 1.5 hrs to get the real experience. I don't think I would bring children below 12y. There's a few things that might be too much for them. But thats just my opinion. Very interesting lab that describes the process of extracting artifacts. I loved it as did my BF. We will go back sometime to catch more info from the exhibits. Oh and right now, they STRONGLY recommend wearing masks due to proximity of people. Senior discount. I bought my tix online.

This was an unexpectedly outstanding attraction! I'd read the National Geographic article about Clifford's expeditions to locate a real pirate ship off of Cape Cod. He ultimately recovered their real treasure and many artifacts. You can see and touch some here as well as learn the true life of pirates vs. the fantasy. Our young man guide, a paralegal historian whose name I can't recall, was stellar. I wanted to go home and read more about pirates. You will also visit a science room which explains the hows of the recovery process. It's small enough for a couple of hours and sufficiently interesting for kids. Take a photo with the statues outside and dine at the many nearby eateries. Well worth the cost of admission.

I had previously read the book about the Whydah, its history and its discovery. I knew I had to visit the museum. Both do a lot to correct some of the misconceptions about pirates. We enjoyed all of the recovered artifacts, exhibits, and the articles still being restored.

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!

This museum is a pretty cool experience. Has a ton of items from an authentic shipwreck. Not the biggest museum but a good experience nonetheless.

It’s important to watch the 5mn introductory video because it gives you the background and context for the museum. We enjoyed it a lot including my 12 year old.

This museum was fantastic for anyone who loves pirates and learning about the true history of them. I would say that this museum is not suited well for younger children under the age of eight. It is packed full of signs with information and lots that older kids and adults can enjoy. With that being said, as an adult, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience here and hopefully will be able to return in the future! It was a nice break from the beach if you're on a vacation.

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After reading about the Whydah I had to make a pilgrimage here. What a fantastic museum, does an excellent
job of explaining the story of the world's only confirmed pirate ship. Staff are helpful, price is right. Save 2 hours to see it all. Then go to the excellent Captain Parker's Pub next door

My nearly 10 yo grandson and I visited the other day. I truly enjoyed watching him work out the process of the melding of metals, salt, and items from the ship. I loved that we are finally in an era for truth telling in history, the numbers of varied cultures involved in piracy...and the progress in science are both quite interesting.

In over 40 years of travel and visiting large and small museums all over the world, this little gem is among the pleasant surprises and exceptional experiences (helps that I am a pirate aficionado). Totally unassuming from the outside (housed in the old Cape Cod zoo/aquarium building), it is surprisingly expansive on the inside, very informative,and interactive. Displays ranged from the history of piracy, the voyage of the Whydah and its crew, and the challenges of recovering the artifacts. The artifacts included every day life items (buttons, spoons, dishes), weapons, ship items, treasure, tools of the slave-trade, and cannons. The more interesting items will be for you to discover upon visiting. Life-sized mannequins set in reconstructed ship quarters helps bring the past/history alive, especially for younger visitors. One can easily spend an hour and half there if one truly reads all the material, look at all the recovered artifacts and talk with the on-site archeologist working on still to be recovered items (including human bones). Well worth the $18 admission price.

I had no idea what to expect, and with teens and young children I was concerned with them being bored. Thanks to the scavenger hunt they offer, all the kids were engaged and had a good time. It was also good to learn about the Whyduh pirates. Slightly overpriced, but what isn’t.

A rainy day brought us to this museum and I am so happy it rained! LOVED learning the Whydah history

My wife and I thought this would only be fun for small children but it was recommended by locals and we were very pleased with the experience. Upon entering it was kind of fun to see a family arriving with a child who dressed up as a pirate so we were certain he was ready for adventure. This is real history with real artifacts, including a demonstration area at the end that shows some research and how items recovered from the bottom of the sea are carefully restored. We thoroughly enjoyed our time here and spent almost 90 minutes start to finish.

This is an excellent museum dedicated to telling the story of the Whydah, its crew and the history of piracy in general.

If you're looking for a pirate-themed playground or a knock-off Disneyworld and are willing to pay for it, I suppose this a fine destination. If you are looking for an educational experience about pirates and the Whydah, you'll be searching for lost treasure. Paying an entry fee close to $20 as a student was a poor way to begin my experience. There was thought and investment put into the displays, which were aesthetically professional, but lacked much in content. Whatever information was available was nearly impossible to focus on because of the constant, looping tracks of music and sound effects and theatrical lighting.
This museum is not without some redeeming aspects; some of the artifacts in the main museum are impressive, and the last room which focuses on the underwater archaeology and conservation of the Whydah itself is more informative.

This was definitely a fun experience for me and my husband--we're big on pirates! The exhibits are great to look at, and it's a very easy walk through the museum. I will say that this probably isn't the best activity for toddlers. We brought our 1 year old and there wasn't really anything interactive for him to do, so he got bored pretty quick, but that's not a mark against the museum or anything, just something to keep in mind. Older, school aged kids will probably have more fun, the museum has a treasure-hunting activity that looked a bit like I Spy. You mark down everything and get a "treasure" at the end. Overall a great experience, and a good rainy-day activity if needed.

I recommend the Whydah Pirate Museum, but the 3 year old and 5 year old grandchildren were a little young for it.

There's a lot of reading at each step of the self-guided tour. I found the write-ups fascinating. The youngsters were interested in looking at the guns and cannons and then they understandably wanted to move on. I was interested in the historical significance of piracy and the efforts to retrieve and restore the artifacts.

The museum is more for young teenagers, teenagers and adults who are interested in history rather than for very young children. That said, the gift shop had eye patches, hooks and pirate flags so we all came away with something.

This museum is SO interesting and well-done! The exhibits are easy to read and well thought-out. You can read more details as your time allows. WELL WORTH stopping for 1.5 hours or so.

Loved the place. A little Disney-esque but hey, that's great for the kid's excitement. Me? Well I'm just a big kid I guess, loved reading the history, and was surprised by some new things. Walked through the whole place and enjoyed soaking it in. But the best surprise was last: a real archaeologist in the process of cleaning the concretions off of some coins and such. She (Sophie) was just finishing up, but after asking if it would be okay to ask her a question or two, she taught us plenty of good stuff and kept encouraging us. :) Don't miss her!
Oh and I cracked up reading the last review. There's TWO driveways, so don't worry, you'll have a second chance. ;)

We enjoyed the informative museum about pirates and the ship wreck that was found in cape cod! If you love stories about real pirates, this is a must visit!

Learned stuff I never knew. Seeing some of the artifacts was very cool. Fun for kids and adults as well. Can't wait to go back and see if they've added any more things.

I expected more. A lot more. I felt like the ongoing expedition of the shipwreck is being paid for by the dumb tourists (myself included) who go to the museum. There is a lab, which is somewhat interesting, but the boxes are marked with numbers, and you can't really tell what is in them, very minimal explanation. There was also a compass... that belonged to John F. Kennedy Jr. who helped with an expedition. Way to name drop. No pictures of him on the expedition, just a compass that he supposedly lost and we are to believe it was his. No pictures? It was basically a wax museum...I understand no flash if it's art, but really folks, this was replicas. There was a United States flag in the lab room that had 48 stars, my husband thought it was on the boat when they made the discovery.... but Alaska and Hawaii were states then, so I don't know. Go figure. The problem with no pictures is that you can't use them later for the kids to research or remember the trip. Well, we won't be going back. It was a tourist trap with snotty staff, minimal explanation of the exhibits all relying that one man knows more about pirate treasure than anyone else on this earth. Not sure I buy that one. I thought it would be really interesting - only minimally so. Just when I thought we were in the middle of the museum....boom. We are done. So to spend on hour there, I guess you need to belly crawl because you'll be out in 15 minutes if you are walking. So disappointing.

I tend to trust that a museum, particularly one dedicated to a single topic, would be well organized. The first put-off was the lack of signage on the street in front: rapidly braking to make a turn in to the parking lot was aggravating. Once inside we were told photography is permitted only at the tour start so, as we followed that instruction, felt less vested in the experience since we can't share captured memories. Why? My main complaint is that the story was not presented well. Mr. Clifford was on site today but I didn't share my disappointment. Lastly, there is a donation box to fund more item recovery from the shipwreck: really? The fortune was valued (per a poster) at $400 million and they want you to subsidize their work???? Prior to arriving I had read a TripAdvisor post suggesting to read the history: I wish I had.

We took our 8 year old who is interested in pirates and have to say he did enjoy it.

Plenty of interesting artifacts and information on the history of pirates and life on board pirate ships etc. which is far from the standard "Disney" pirate stories of course.

It was on the expensive side though - nearly $60 for two adults and a child without audio guides.

The cost was a lot for what you get. The ad said real pirates and we only saw plastic pirates. Bored

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.

This museum beat all my expectations. I’ve heard about the story of the Whyddah and I’ve been wanting to check out the museum. It did not disappoint. The museum is set up for you to follow a path as you learn about the Whyddah and it’s artifacts, in addition to learning about facts about pirates. The exhibits were full of facts and even the models of the pirates were great and not cheesy looking. My children even enjoyed the museum. I loved the lab part where you can see them “cleaning” the artifacts from the concretion that formed. It took us about an hour and 15 minutes to get through the museum.

I did not realize until inside that this was about a pirate ship called the Whydah. As others have stated there are several artifacts throughout the museum that have been brought up from the ship. I found the focus on the artifacts to be interesting and was surprised by the vast amount of what has been recovered. There is information about the pirates on the ship, and there is a lot of reading to do. You can do the audio which does give a little more story line to what you are looking at for five dollars. you can find a coupon on there brochure for 3 dollars off each person for those that think the rate is high. They can be found at the visitor centers. The gift shop was small and had your shirts, hats, magnets and toys for kids in it. Overall we spent over an hour in here and left happy with our experience.

I am a retired educator and a frequent visitor to the Bass River area for the past 40 years. The Whydah museum has always interested me, pirates, ship wrecks and Cape Cod history. Well, my young grandson has a liking for Pirates so I always have mentioned that we would visit the museum. The reviews were mixed and yes there is an admission, but there are nothing about positives to this wonderful educational and tourist attraction. Kudos to the owners for sharing this “treasure”. Great design, visual displays, descriptions and real life depictions. The story is well portrayed and easy to appreciate. Great history on the slave trade, piracy and major players. The display room that shows the actual active exploration of treasures is cool. Worth a visit and a bite to at at Captain Parker’s is a perfect day. My grandson loved his visit.

This was an enjoyable hour spent. Our party was me, my husband, and our 18 yo daughter. We had a delightful time. The found treasures were fascinating. We all highly recommend it...whether its a rainy day or you just need an activity. And note my husband was highly skeptical of this adventure! There is also 2 pirate mini golf places near by which we unfortunately didn't have time for.

This is a fantastic collection. And to see actual pirate booty! We come here every time I come back to Cape Cod to visit my mom. There is always something new to see and they constantly add to the collection. Because they’re still diving on this pirate ship, amazing

As a couple in their 70's, when I bought the tickets for the Pirate Museum, I really thought that it would be just geared to younger families and children. Nothing could be further than the truth. This is a high quality museum, based upon ongoing research into the wreck of the Whydah. We learned a lot, and we are both history buffs. It was a deeply enriching educational experience and very entertaining as well. We loved it all, but especially enjoyed the section seeing how they separated items that have been cemented together by hundreds of years under the sea. Quite amazing. To top it off, like all the kids, I got to hold a real Spanish silver REAL, for REAL!

Time well spent touring this museum. Great display of items recovered from nearby shipwreck - genuine stuff! Not ideal for children because it requires reading about the displays. Very educational, interesting for adults and mature kids, displays articles and treasure actually recovered from the shipwreck including chest of silver coins of unfathomable value. The Owner and diver/archeologist were at the Museum when we were there, and we had the opportunity to talk with them both. They provided even more fascinating details about the dives, the recovery, determining which hunks of material were likely to contain treasure and the process of removing the calcified material to expose the treasure. Absolutely fascinating experience. So glad we decided to stop by on a rainy day! I highly recommend this! I think they offer a tape to narrate each display which we did not take advantage of. I would definitely try that if I did it again.

The museum has treasure hunt where the kids can mark off items when they see them. Ok for the 5 yr old, didn't work for 3.

I enjoyed the artifact recovery process and scenes of life on board.

Interesting in that it’s a real pirate shipwreck and the only one to have been lifted from the bottom of the ocean. I read in another review there was a scavenger hunt - but we weren’t told about it/didn’t see it - and it may have made it better for the kids. 60$ for a family of four and we were in/out in 30, maybe 45 minutes with the store. Not crowded when we went later in the day. When I asked the kids the favorite things a they did on vacation this was not on the list. No photos allowed anywhere in the museum.

Awesome experience for adults and children. Real artifacts from a 300 year old pirate ship wreak. Staff were friendly, especially with the children, who got to participate in a treasure hunt that encouraged them to explore history and science. A worthwhile learning experience for parents and kids. Highly recommend.

A first glance at the outside of the Whydah Pirate Museum in Yarmouth may give the impression that it is a superficial, theme-park sort of attraction. But stepping inside the doors changed this reviewer's perception very quickly. The museum is extensive, well-organized, and informative for both adults and youngsters, and for both the serious student of history as well as the devotee of the "pirate's life". The museum draws extensively on archeological evidence found in the Whydah shipwreck and this lends a nice air of authenticity to the various displays and descriptions one sees as one moves from room to room at one's own pace. Toward the end of the path is a large room with actual salvaged items, being wetted constantly to preserve them prior to examination.
Overall, the Museum was well worth the time and admission fee. If there was any drawback, it was that no photography is allowed within the building, past the ticket desk.
The Whydah Priate Museum is easy to find on route 28. There is plenty of free parking out front (though we were there on a Thursday in mid-May, which was still off-season). Also note that nearby the museum is Capt. Parker's pub (reviewed separately), which was a handy place to get lunch before going to the museum.

My husband and I thought this was a great museum. To see and learn about artifacts from the actual shipwreck was extremely interesting. It's self guided so in order to be properly informed I do suggest taking the time to read, or at least skim the statements on the walls. My six year old son (who is very interested in nonfiction) thought it amazing that this was an actual shipwreck from the 1700s and couldn't get over the fact that there was a nine year old boy on board. There is a small five minute video at the beginning of the tour which provides the backdrop for the rest of the exhibit. Take the few minutes to watch it. Staff was friendly and gave my son a scavenger hunt to do which kept him occupied, and he was even given a little trinket at the end. While I don't think this is an attraction one can visit every time you are on the Cape, it certainly is worth going to at least once.

Great museum! Not only do they tell the story about the Whydah and the lives of pirates, but also have an exhibit on what archeologists do once the treasure is brought in. Worth the trip!

We stopped by the museum on our visit to Cape Cod and were extremely pleased with our experience. My 7 year old granddaughter loved the displays and authentic way in which all the artifacts were shown. Lots of information about pirate history and local lore that interested we adults and kids. A nice little souvenir shop offers pirate themed items that kids will love.

I am a picture freak as my profile states. My camera travels with me anywhere I go. So happens that I consider a good photograph to be the best memory. I do not post my pictures to FB or other social media just because I choose to not have accounts on those platforms. But, down to business. Museum in Yarmouth is a rip off of Titanic museum in Pigeon Forge, TN. May be that is why they do not want a visitor to snap a picture? Anyways, I was hunted down by a museum staff, because I didn't hide my camera case, even though I haven't taken my camera out not a single time! Meanwhile, other visitors made plenty of pictures with their children, without the children, with a boat, without a boat using their cellphones. so... where does it leave me? I haven't seen anything unbelievable in this museum that would be worth such measures. I think that will be the only thing I will remember about this museum. BTY, who made those pictures on Tripadvisor? I'm sure, someone who used that camera.

Great experience, super interesting for adults or older kids. My 5 year old started screaming and ran out when she saw the dead body hanging from the cage. Other people’s kids may be less sensitive. I liked it lots though.

This is an excellent museum to visit for adults and children alike. We have previously visited the earlier museum at McMillan Wharf in Provincetown, and the Whydah Exhibit when it was on national tour, in Chicago. An excellent opening video in a room centering the actual ship’s bell which confirmed the discovery of the wreck of the Whydah off Wellflleet two centuries ago. This is the real deal, not some made up pirate stuff. Great exhibits with the details of how the vessel was first used in the slave trade detailing the conditions and misery of that era, then the age or pirates in the early 18th century, including great descriptions of why the egalitarian nature of the “articles” were so attractive to the otherwise miserable condtions experienced by sailors and freed slaves. Great learning experience about ocean archaeloogy with the recovered items from things like leather articles, socks, muskets, and all types of everyday articles found, and recovered, from concretions on the ocean floor. Cannons, jewelry, and of course treasure chests with gold, silver and pieces of eight....the only pirate treasure actually ever recovered. There are also working exhibits of concretions being treated for later preservation. A nice blend of recreations of pirate life with displays, coupled with art work, and the actual recovered items. So a nice experience for people of all ages at many levels, and the discoveries continue every summer. It’s not cheap: $18.95 for adults, $16.95 for seniors; $14.95 for children, but it is worth it. Open every day during the summer months. What a great way to spend an hour or so, particularly on a non-beach day. Highly recommend!

Definitely a place to hit with the family. The collection of artifacts from a pirate ship wreckage of a ship Commanded by the pirate Sam Bellamy was excellent. The Whydah was wrecked off Wellfleet beach in 1717, taking with her the treasure of fifty plundered ships. They had the actual “treasure chest” displayed. The only ever discovered of pirate treasure chest along with many other artifacts, including those still in preservation. The archeologist was there chiseling away some of the recovered wreckage.

We came to Cape Cod solely to visit the Pirate Museum. It did not disappoint! The history of the Atlantic pirates and the Whydah ship was extremely interesting. We enjoyed seeing and reading about the processes involved in extracting and cleaning the pirate treasure. Highly recommended!

It was very interesting but not worth the admission fees. I went with my kids 8 and 10. We weren't allowed to take any photos (I understand why) so we followed the rules and walked through in less than half an hr. Definitely not worth 40+ dollars to get in.

A pleasant surprise!
Wonderful look at pirate life and also the treasures discovered
Loved the science lab at the end, where you can learn about conservation of artifacts found as part of the wreck
Also cool that this is the only sunken treasure ever discovered
The sound effects are kinda corny
I liked them, though, as the intent to make you feel as if you are on board the ship is a nice touch
I recommend visiting this museum
Get tickets ahead of time if it’s cloudy or rainy!

This is a real educational trip learning all about how pirates really lived and died ...it’s full of real pirates treasures they did a great job of telling a story and getting you really involved in the life of a pirate...I learned so many new things and the replica of the ship was beautiful...this is not a little kid museum it’s a lot of reading and listening to your audio guide and it’s so interesting you don’t want to miss any of it ..we went mid week it was quite and it’s about an hour or more to walk through and take it all in...The parking is easy and the restaurant next door Captain Parkers was delicious best chowder we ever ate ! Nice day trip go weekdays if you can !

Definitely worth the time to visit. Impressive artifacts and history of the area. Displays and the restoration work of the pirate shipwreck very impressive

The Whydah is a fascinating glimpse into the history of pirates, ocean commerce and fledgling governments. Shipwrecks, hangings, slavery of all kinds of people, and they are still bringing pieces of it up from Davy Jones locker.

We originally were unsure about visiting, but after reading many positive reviews, we decided to stop by on our last day in the Cape. The museum was much more interesting and entertaining than we expected. Nearly all of the items on display are artifacts from the Wydah wreck. It is fascinating to see so many objects in such good condition that were discovered locally. The museum isn't very big and only took an hour or an hour and a half to talk through. Overall we greatly enjoyed our visit.

Great little museum! I took my 9yo son who loved it. He's been telling everyone he's seen that he got to hold the only real pirate treasure in the world! Despite the fact that the museum centers around one particular craft, the story is compelling and they manage to pack in a lot of learning from this little slice of pirate history. Was captivated by the story of John King, who at the same age as my son is now, told his mother he was joining the pirates and did just that! So cool to see his actual bone, sock, and shoe!! Definitely worth checking out, even with covid still mucking up everything. They do a great job with covid protocols and the size of the space in itself limits the crowds.

This was a very interesting museum. There are wooden pirates on benches that welcome you as you enter. There are so many artifacts to view and history to learn. I did not know much about this sunken ship, but National Geographic has a special you can view for additional information. I was in awe of the condition of many of these artifacts and loved seeing the hidden treasure of coins they discovered. You can learn much about the ship and the history and diversity of pirates. I would recommend it and we did not go on a rainy day, but went because we were interested in seeing the museum. There is plenty of parking and a gift shop available.

Way too crowded. No direction on how to use self guided tour. They must assign 500 people per time slot. Lol. Save your money

My husband had read about the Whydah Pirate Museum so we planed to go. This is not a kiddy pirate museum it is the true story of the treasure found off the coast of Cape Cod by Whydah and his team. The museum is very educational with many items on display that were brought up from the sea including a beautiful ship's bell. Many nautical facts and stories are told throughout the museum. Very interesting.

If you are on Cape Cod you have to visit the Whydah Pirate Museum. This is a real life pirate ship that wrecked off Wellfleet whose remains took hundreds of years to be uncovered. The current day salvagers spent 5 years diving and finally brought up spectacular artifacts. The museum is super interesting and appeals to all the senses. It depicts the history of the ship, its captain and his story. Don't miss it!

Was very neat and clean. Loved the sound that was playing over the speakers, made it feel like we were brought back in time. There is a short little video that you watch that explains what you are about to explore, which I thought was pretty cool. The staff here leaves you alone and lets you do your thing and explore everything. Lots of artifact that were recovered, loved the history.

History, particularly those events that occurred close to home are such a worthwhile connection to the past. From Pre Colonial times to recent events, shape us into the people we are today. Knowing about the past good and bad is essential for us to lean from, going forward, especially during this present time where history is being rewritten right before our eyes.

My wife and I finally got around to visiting this place (only after we found discounts by going to the Yarmouth Library) on tickets. I forget how much we saved but it was significant enough to visit. They do have some trinkets but there are too few trinkets. Lots of painted pictures with signs telling you about the history. Honestly, if you looked at a good book on piracy you'd probably better enjoy yourself.

Been avoiding this place for years because we thought it would be cheesy, hokey and really geared for kids. Boy, were we wrong! It was very educational and interesting (we’re both 57). In fact, I would say it’s probably not appropriate for kids younger than about 8, although I think the admissions staff had interpretive handouts for the kiddies. I’m sure this place must be insanely crowded with families on rainy days in the summer.
Two recommendations: stop at the Yarmouth Visitor Center nearby to get the $3-off coupons (rack cards), because the museum is something like $18 for adults; and don’t bother with the audio guide (another $5) unless you’re not a good reader. There are plenty of wall labels and other a/v material to explain everything.

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!

I was very surprised at how good the museum was - it covered history and real artifacts. Very entertaining and educational.

Absolutely amazing. The actual recovered treasure from the shipwreck of Black Sam's ship off the Cape Cod National seashore in 1717 retrieved in the 1980s

Outside looks like nothing but walk through the door to another world.

extremely well researched. Story of Black Sam's romance with Goody Hallet of Eastham ,, his pirating in the Caribbean and his demise in a nor'easter . This place is fascinating. real recovered pirate treasure and the stories behind it.

The museum had a fascinating collection of pirate relics, nicely presented with interesting background information. I brought my 4 grandson who was really too young for it, but still loved going into the boat and was fascinated by some of what he saw.

This was an amazing exhibit. It was very informative and easy to navigate through the different exhibits. It took about 2 hours to complete the entire tour on our own. We read every word for each exhibit. Had we chosen to use the audio guide it would have extended our stay to about 3 hours. There is an archeologist on site who explained how the artifacts are recovered and restored over time if possible. The exhibition left us wanting to learn more about the history of the pirates and the discovery of the Whydah.

Was a bit unsure when DH suggested the pirate museum, but didn’t have any other ideas for a rainy winter day. Was surprised how interesting the museum was. Really enjoyed the science aspect to the museum in terms of identifying the treasure. 1 hour is sufficient I felt for the visit. Found very educational.

Great museum. We had boys age 3 and 5 and they were into pirates, but not the real deal. The museum had a scavenger hunt sheet where you circle images of things found on the tour. I've been there before and really enjoyed it. It seem well designed to appeal to a range of ages. There is a lot that a quick walk through misses.

We went with two kids ages 4 & 6, and it was not for them. The reviews I had looked up led me to believe that there was a hands on interactive component and there wasn’t and it was more of a traditional museum with no touching and more hands off. That is of course fine, but not what I expected and not what I think is sought after by their target age group. To me it felt a bit outdated and could use something additional like maybe kids could shoot mini water cannons, hoist pirate flags, make their own pirate flags, or something. I think it might be more for an older crowd with the current set up. Also pictures were not allowed inside the museum and I understand how that might be due to preservation but they might consider some picture opportunities inside maybe with pirate dress up gear at the end.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this museum. Tons of artifacts on display from a sunken pirate ship along with lots of interesting information. I wasn't expecting it to be this cool but the whole thing was awesome!

Highly recommend this Museum! Excellent history! The gentleman in the lab was very nice to talk with. He told us about shows to watch on the Whydah.

My husband and I went to the museum on our way home. It was very interesting. Didn't mind reading the exhibits and seeing g all the artifacts that Barry dug up. Kinda like the mafia if you think about it.

This was a lot of fun. Unique experience with a scavenger hunt to keep the kids busy. Lots of history and very interesting. Highly recommend

If you have ANY interest in the golden age of piracy, this place is for you. If you don't care at all about pirates, it's still a fascinating story and the work going into the preservation is worth it alone. A short 35-40 minute museum, it makes for a good break from the heat and is very well done. Neat, clean, and cool vibe. My wife and I are super into this stuff and our travel companions were not, but we all agreed that it was a great time and would do it again.

Didn't expected much from a pirate museum~ my husband on the other hand ~ LOVES PIRATES!

Plenty of parking in front of the museum since it sets back in from the road. Admission is only $17 for adults.
The museum starts with a quick video about the Whydah Slave/Pirate Ship. Which then continues to a small maze that shows you the history of Pirate and the slave trade. Artifacts that where found in the Whydah Ship are the main attraction in the Museum. It's nice the museum stayed which it's own local history and that they didn't include random myths or folklore from other pirates of that time.
The museum goes through the whole history line of Captain Samuel "Black Sam" Bellamy ~ why he became a pirate and how he acquired his ships and how it came to an end when he was trying to get back to his love.

It ends with the lab room that they show how they acquired and are conserving the artifacts that are still being found on the shipwreck.

No photos allowed past the first video and throughout the whole museum until the lab at the end.

This museum was very fascinating and provided a lot of artifacts. We were surprised with how well put together it was. I would definitely recommend anyone to visit.

WOW! My husband and I throughly enjoyed this museum. It was incredible to see an entire museum beautifully created around a central shipwreck discovery. We were amazed at all of the artifacts they have found! From guns to cuff links, and cannons to gold rings. We could have read every plaque and we aren’t even pirate/ship/history buffs.

My 2.5 year old loved the craft and the scavenger hunt, too.

This stop was so epic that I would say a special trip down to this museum would be worth it for those traveling to/from Boston or further up the Cape.

Very interesting, I expected it to be geared towards children, but found it to be great for all ages. Great layout and exhibits. We learned a lot about pirates and the discovery of the sunken pirate ship.

Took my grandchildren to this museum.. 5-11 in ages. They found it interesting and informative. Some things were for a bit older children, but they still found themselves having a great time.

We reserved a “time” to visit the museum but upon arrival it was clear that it wasn’t a requirement. The museum was very overcrowded which SIGNIFICANTLY detracted from the experience. Because the lighting is so dim we couldn’t see many of the exhibits or read the signage. Very humid and stuffy inside...
It was very disappointing as we are all history buffs and reside full time on the Cape.

We went with a 2 and 4 year old and they were a little too young. I would love to go back and be able to read/hear everything because the exhibit really was amazing.

The only authenticated Pirate ship, sunk 300 years ago. Cannons, gold, silver, personal articles of the crew, etc. fascinating to look at.

We visited the Whydah Pirate Museum during a recent visit to the Cape. We were looking for something different to do and attended using a Groupon discount which included an narrated audio tour. Overall, we agreed that the museum was interesting and included many authentic pieces recovered from the shipwrecked Whydah. I would say that the museum was VERY loud due to the large number of families with children in attendance...The museum is certainly geared toward a hands on experience for children, but the noise level overpowered our ability to hear the narrated audio tour...Parents, PLEASE keep this in mind when you are visiting with your families, and do your best to support children in modulating their voices when in any museum... Having said that...we both felt that the audio tour was a disappointment and we agreed that it didn't add anything at all to the experience.

This was pretty cool . I like how the exhibits tell a story about the life of pirates. It was interesting and educational. There is a nice little gift shop . I was a little disappointed we could not take pictures.

What a cool museum! Our daughter had a blast and we all learned a lot. I would highly recommend for anyone who dreams of adventure!

Saw the documentary on TV and thought we would see a few of the artifacts that were found, but we saw much more than that! So many items from the ship, including the bell. Weapons, clothing, furniture, gold, coins, jewelry, and so much more. You can get a feel for what it was like to be on the ship. Very interesting view of a whole different era of our country's past! Photos are not allowed.

I went to the Whydah museun with some friends when a nor'easter kept us from visiting Martha's Vineyard. (This turned out to be pretty ironic.) We had no information other than people recommended it and it was a pirate museum. We were blown away by the story of the Whydah, the museum, and the artifacts there. I bought a book about the Whydah expedition in the book store, and came home and devoured it. I wish I had known a little more of the story of the Whydah before we went through the museum. At the very least I wish I had pulled up the wikipedia page and read through it before going in so that I could have appreciated the history of the ship and museum on a deeper level. I highly recommend it for all ages.

This is a cool little place for people of all ages. They have a ton of pirate relics and a recovered treasure. It takes about an hour to visit.

my family was looking for something to do on a rainy day and decided to visit the museum. My daughter found a Groupon to make the cost a little cheaper. We spent over two hours touring the museum, listening to the stories and talking to the archaeologist working in the back room. Amazing to see all the artifacts over 300 years old. Wife especially liked learning about true life of pirates and not what you see on TV.
Recommended for adults and kids of all ages.

Great Museum introducing a local shipwreck from the 1700's owned and operated by pirates. This introduces kids and adults to Maritime history, piracy of the 1700's, and underwater archaeology. Since there was a fair amount salvaged they were able to display a lot of key pieces. Authentic gold, silver and other interesting artifacts were impressive. The large ship's bell, weapons, some tackle etc were also impressive. They did an admirable job of explaining life for the pirates on such a ship including the egalitarian order and the individual makeup of the crew. It was a very international crew. A mock of the cannons, parts of the ship were done well and fun. It is definiely worth a visit.

I was worried that this museum was over-hyped, but it turned out to be really interesting and well presented. There were so many items salvaged from the wreck, ranging from coins to cannons to tools to articles of clothing, The signage and information was very clear, and the audio tour was given in contemporary dialect and related to the time period.
This is worth the visit for adults and especially for kids of elementary school age. They've done a great job in every respect.

Very interesting-not really a little children's museum. Lots to learn about the discovery of a pirate ship and all the treasure that has been discovered right here on the Cape. Be sure to use the $3.00 coupon found in many restaurants and hotel lobbies

We came to the area for a Memorial Day weekend trip and decided to visit the museum. Audio option is worth and we learned a lot about pirates and their rules. At the end, there were concretions shown and I now know why it is so hard to find pirates’ ships once they are sank in the ocean.

The small museum features the story of the Whydah Sailing Ship, told through artifacts and historical narratives. The exhibits have a lot of reading (on the ship crew’s role in the slave trade and in piracy), so it has limited entertainment value for young kids. I must admit that I had simply never thought about pirates being of different races and ethnic backgrounds--- So I enjoyed the few features that raised this issue…

This is a nice must see. Alot of informational things you embrace with this trip. You learn things you wouldn't have imagined happened. Good to see original artifacts.

This museum works on so many levels: child to adult, pirate expert to novice, just-going-along-with-the-family to someone who really looked forward to this experience! As a person who might qualify as a "museologist" I'd have to rate the Whydah excellent in very many ways: audio-video, signage, hands-on, art work, detail of exhibits, science of marine archaeology, sensitivity to issue of slaver trade, and the fact that pirates were frequently punished for their misdeeds (despite their fairly democratic and inclusive society). Political correctness can be a bore, but the museum handled the issues involved very competently. Compared to some of the more touristy activities on the Cape, this is REAL MUST DO! Covid issues & crowd management were also expertly handled.

Well run, clean, and informative. I wasn’t expecting the museum of fine arts, but still got culture and interactive fun.

Pretty cool place, tons of info! Great gift shop! Would have been 5 stars but ZERO photography of anything...and then no photo book of the artifacts in the gift shop. They should offer a family photo op of the us on the ship. Ideas people!

It was a great despite being a little spendy. Our guide was fabulous, so knowledgeable, friendly and willing to answer all our questions! Learned so
Much I didn’t know about pirates-beyond John Sparrow, Johnny Depp!
Highly recommend. Don’t be put off by the industrial building! Just wish the gift shop had more items but the website has more.

This is one of the highlights of our trip. It’s a great museum for kids and adults alike- informative and engaging. The story is fascinating. I could have spent a lot longer reading everything and even the audio tour, but I had my kids with me who were very excited to see what would come next. It was a good value, not crazy expensive for a family.

We were recommended to visit this museum by other visitors to Hyannis and fully concur with their recommendation. The exhibits are all salvaged from the wreck of thw Whydar, an 18th century pirate ship. Retrieval is still ongoing and the exhibition also demonstrates the cleaning and conservation techniques hused by the team. Well worth a visit

We read about this place in a flyer we found in boston and we were interested to visit this place. At first we thought it was a childrens museum but when we got some more information we found out it was not.

They do have a nice scavenger hunt for the kids which kept our daughter busy. There re many pirate treasures and it is very impressive to see. We did not do the audio tour but we had a few hours of fun.

What a fun and interesting tourist attraction! Don't drive by. The fact that Cape Cod is home to an authentic pirate ship wreck should not be missed. It only takes an hour or less to tour it, and that is certainly worth a pitstop on your way to or from the beach.

This is a very interesting museum. It is less expensive than most. They have great artifacts from one ship and tell the history of pirates of that era. They show how they uncover the artifacts from concretions. Adults and kids will like this.

Beautiful, well done museum with lots of exhibits and information. There are even "real" pirates to answer any questions you might have. Perfect for kids and adults.

Small museum but my son enjoyed the artifacts. The admission price seems a bit high for such a small museum. We walked through twice in about 40mins.

My husband and I thought this might be geared towards a much younger crowd so we went in with no expectations. It's a great way to spend an hour and we learned a lot. They do a really nice job with the exhibits. We recommend everyone take the time.

Prior to our visit we purchased our tickets and reserved our visit time. The website states this provides a “timed visitation to allow plenty of space and comfort for our guests.” This was far from true. We started our tour at the same time as 5 other families. What is the point of reserving a time. We basically waited in a continuous line with little space between parties throughout the entire museum. We were unable to skip ahead at certain exhibits due to the inadequate spacing between parties. It was mostly engaging for our 6 year old. Our 4 year old was not very interested and it was difficult holding him in line throughout the museum. Not worth the $50 for a family of 4.

Okay, getting your pic out front on the bench with peglegged Blackbeard is campy. And fun. But everything inside is the authentic story behind the story. Gripping stuff. The Whydah museum - pronounced ‘wid - yuh’ - is well laid out with a good flow. We never felt rushed or crowded. The scale of this time always gets me - the ships, the cannons, the pistols each made one by one. It is a very analog experience in today’s very digital time. There are well produced videos tastefully placed at the beginning weaving the story of the discovery of the pirate ship, and the explorer who accomplished the deed, and depictions of the life and times of the men and women of the day. Don’t miss the working lab at the end with the ‘accretions’ balls of sand and rock where after 300 years it was all found. All in all an engaging and satisfying afternoon.

This is a very small museum. It wont take you long to walk through. If you don't live in this area and plan to travel to this museum I would plan other things to do as this will only take you about 45 min.

It did have some great artifacts and exhibits. Especially the gold coins and the walk through at the end of parts of the ship.

This museum was unlike any I've been to before. My husband and I love how it told the story along with sharing the artifacts recovered. The lab at the end made everything as they show the process of how they removed all the items. Truly fascinating and worth the money!!

A very interesting visit to a museum that is still gaining more artifacts as more items are brought up from the sunken pirate ship. On the day we visited one of the divers was there and happy to talk about the dives and conservation process.

We drove by a couple of times and finally decided to stop. I’m so glad we did. We were a group of 6 adults and we all found the museum very interesting. At the time we were there one of the divers who had been on the expedition was there and it was so fascinating to talk to her. A definite must for all.

My grand-girls love to experience times & places in history and this museum gave them videos, replica's, artifacts, stories, photo ops and of course a small gift shop to bring home a little piece of what they learned. We topped it off with Pirate Mini Golf which is just a short way up the street.

My husband & I had an awesome time at the Whydah Pirate Museum! It was very informational, eye-opening and fun. We got to watch Chris work with some coins found and ask him questions. We also got to hold the actual coins. I wouldn’t pass up the chance to see the museum, especially if you like anything to do with pirates!

Very interesting and well worth a visit. Artifacts recovered from the shipwreck which they are still excavating. Covers the life of pirates in that era including how they joined pirate bands, how the "treasure" was distributed. Explanations and exhibits about the conservation process and tanks with objects being slowly removed from concretions. A short introductory film at the beginning, but in the conservation exhibit area at the end, there is a longer film with more about the pirates and the ship. In spite of some of the advertising, this is really not a children's museum. Younger children especially, may get bored and not want to read labels and see static exhibits.
Allow an hour or more.

We'd visited the old Whydah Museum in P-town years ago. This one was so much better! Walking through a life-sized version of the ship was just amazing, and I loved the science at the end where they taught you how to restore some of the artifacts.

I'm really glad that we went - it was a great use of the Zooquarium space (and perfect that the Zooquarium was there when my kids were little and now they enjoyed this as teens).

A rainy day with out of state visitors prompted us to check this out. What a nice surprise! Filled with very well constructed, educational and interesting displays, it was enjoyed by all in our group. Kids should love the pirate theme, adults can appreciate the local Cape Cod history. Easy to find on Route 28, ample free parking. Go!

This was one of the best places we visited on our recent trip to Cape Cod! Loved the real pirate artifacts, great detailed displays, liked watching all different videos, very impressed with ongoing preservation and dives still been done at nearby site. Awesome real deal pirate things to see and enjoy how serious this place is about what they do here! Thank you!

Cool story and well made museum but a bit pricey for something that size. Need to expand the exhibits or reduce the admission price for it to be good value.

You are not going to believe the pirate booty you will see! The Whydah sank 300 years ago. Come learn the story and discover the mysteries still being uncovered. An archeologist is literally uncovering history as you watch. She is extremely knowledgable and happily answers questions. The museum also hired a historian. He is the first and last person you will see at the museum. See if you can trick him on a question about the Whydah. I doubt it! The price is $20 but you find out when you arrive that the audio commentary is an additional $5. That was the only downside for me. Captain Parker’s Restaurant is directly in front of the museum. Get a bowl of their award winning chowder. The dining room overlooks a beautiful marsh with swans. Then complete your day at Pirates Cove Mini-golf which is very close and on the same street. Great day on the Cape!

I admit that my daughter and I visited the museum only because it was raining cats and dogs on the Saturday of our weekend visit, and we needed an indoor place to hang out. We had heard that it was a very good museum so we gave it a shot. We were pleasantly surprised at how interesting it was, and the displays were very well-done. There's a $3 additional charge for an audio tour, that has additional info, not merely reading the placards. The audio tour was ok, we didn't think it was necessary but for $3, it's worth a shot. I learned about the pirate life, the Whydah ship, the discovery of the shipwreck, etc. We certainly enjoyed spending about 3 hrs at the museum!

Best place to visit on the Cape! Perfect for the whole family and a truly special, one-of-a-kind Massachusetts treasure.

This is a fascinating museum! It is well-organized, and if you get the audio stick there are additional informative snippets to listen to. Well worth visiting!

We loved the Whydah pirate museum. It is exceptionally well put together. The displays were great and the story of the Whydah was so well told as you made your way thru the museum. Don't miss the conservation room at the end. Be sure to talk to the conservator if one is there working. The gentleman we talked to showed us a concretion he was working on that obviously contains silver and gold coins and gold flakes. He even let us hold a silver coin that had recently been recovered from a concretion! It was a fantastic way to end our tour of the museum.

Terrible, overpriced, over-crowded. Though they take timed reservations, these are not honored and they let way too many people in at one time… stuffy, hot, complete ripoff.

Waste of time and super EXPENSIVE for an entire half hour or less....not impressed...do NOT recommend specially for children under 13....

I like the idea of the pirate museum, but it was overly crowded, and exacerbated by the non-working air conditioning. It’s not a place for small children who are scared by noise and darkness, or who want to run around among everyone’s legs. There was a lot of text on the walls to read, which isn’t possible when there are people all standing in a line to get through the hallways. The best part was the archeology room and the gift shop.

We took our boys 4 and 6 on a rainy day. They did great with the museum we just paraphrased most of it to keep it short and sweet. I think it just depends on your child and their interests. They do have an activity sheet and scavenger hunt for the kids to complete while going through the museum. I was able to get two adult tickets and audio tour off of Groupon + ebates/Rakuten, 6 yr old was $14 ( regular price) and 4 yr old was free. All of us found the museum to be interesting and informative. At the end you get to see real life treasure chest that was recovered from the wreckage of the Whydah pirate ship.

Not a huge museum but very well done. Good exhibits and even parts where you are made to feel like you are walking through the ship. Lots of the treasure and items found with the wreck including many that are still undergoing the process of restoration. This is, literally, the only pirate treasure that’s ever been recovered, something we learned here. Definitely worth the 1+ hours to visit.

We were out walking around and saw the museum, so we stopped by. We received a quick overview of the museum history and then started our self guided tour. I especially enjoyed the museum because I had heard about the ship in the past, and everything made sense. The place is small, with lots of things to see and read. There were exhibits that could be touched, and another that was not fully interactive, probably due to the virus and not being able to adequately distance from it.

We thought the whole thing was amazing. Loved the Lab and the real buried treasure. The gift shop was small but the prices were reasonable. The only thing that wasn't ok was that the website never said we needed reservations. We had to wait 1 1/2 hours for the tour.

I had gone exploring in the Cape when I stumbled across this museum. The artifacts in this museum warrant a 5 star rating! They have numeroud 18th century artifacts ranging from cannons, muskets and pistols to smaller personal items. In addition, the hoard of treasure (silver, gold bullion, pieces of eight, etc.) is pretty impressive.

Don't let the pirate mannequins bother you, this place is awesome!

We took 45 seniors with 4 chaperones. We were met by a personal guide, Mark, who was an archeologist at the museum. Students asked good questions and Mark was very knowledgeable. Great trip to learn about history, social justice, science, archeology, and career opportunities. I would highly recommend this as a class trip. We spent about an hour in the museum.

We decided to go to the museum on a rainy day, along with a multitude of other tourists. The museum itself is wonderful, however we were not able to enjoy it due to the huge crowd. I mean, it was ridiculously crowded. There was barely any room to move. Had I not already purchased the tickets online, we would have left.

I am a fan of the Pirate movies and stories. I've read about Black Beard as a child and watched Sinbad movies and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in later years. Nothing was as exciting as seeing the true artifacts and hearing the true stories of military sailors and merchant ship sailors who found a more lucrative job opportunity by creating larger than life legends of merciless and villainous scoundrels. Did you know that pirates lived by a code that is more ethical and moral than that of many of our politicians and clergy? The most thrilling artifacts are the salvaged wreckage (including treasure). Do not miss this opportunity to see this up close. This museum is self-guided with audio lecture and well-designed pathways. I spent over an hour there and I feel like I could probably go back next year and revisit. Whether you are a five year old or a ninety-five year old, you will really enjoy and remember this experience.

Amazing pirate museum in Yarmouth about a shipwreck off the coast of Cape Cod over 100 years ago. Try to get coupons or a groupon before you go, prices could add up if you go with a lot of people. Great exhibits and displays to walk around and the facts posted are facinating! They end with them showing you how they are continuing to salvage and you get to touch a real gold doubloon! That alone is worth the entrance fee!

We had 7 adults and 2 children. We found the museum to be fun, interesting, and informative. The staff was helpful and knowledgeable. We recommend to visit this museum for any families!

It was very interesting seeing the artifacts of the Whydah. They are still researching the site and finding more artifacts. When we visited a person was cleaning something they discovered, and was using dental tools meticulously cleaning all the years of sea growth on it. She was also open to ask her questions

The information is presented in a way that makes it easy to understand the sequence of events. The mannequins are quite lifelike and add to the experience. Our conversation with the conservator at the Sea Lab was very informative. We even got to hold a silver coin, which was heavier than expected.

We ended up at an author book signing on our previous trip here in the summer, (Rachel Rueckert) who introduced us to the Whydah. We then had to learn more and followed up with Expedition Whydah about Barry Clifford's discovery of the Whydah. We have passed by the museum countless trips here before and had no idea! This museum is not a child's entertainment, which we believed for years. This is the result of Clifford's devotion to his passion and not giving up!!! This was a fabulous tour through the story of Captain Sam Bellamy. The only thing that could have made it better was to talk with Barry Clifford himself.

The Whydah Pirate Museum is absolutely fascinating! The history of the ship and its connection to real-life pirates is brought vividly to life through incredible relics and treasure recovered from the ocean floor. The exhibits are beautifully curated, with excellent scientific explanations that make the ongoing exploration of the shipwreck both educational and exciting. It’s amazing to see how history, archaeology, and adventure come together here.

Perfect for visitors of all ages—and a fantastic choice for a rainy day—this museum is a true Cape Cod gem. Don’t miss it!

I saw the Netflix film on Pirates which included Sam Bellamy and the Whydah. This Pirate ship has been the only one discovered from the golden age of Piracy in the 1700s. The Museum was very informative with a lot of information on the Whydah along with Pirate life. I saw many families with their young children. Because there was so much writing on the walls about the Pirates, the young children of 10 years and younger were not so much enthralled as they were expecting something more akin to the Pirates of the Caribbean at Disney World. There were many pirate artifacts that were very interesting, but all in all, I would warn parents that this may disappoint for young children..............but not for Adults who are interested in the history

A lot of information about the pirates. Nice exhibits and wonderful treasures to see. It was busy on a rainy day. More for adults as there is a lot of reading and not a lot of interaction for young kids. Wished there were more videos of the dives or workers giving information.

We decided to check out this museum on one rainy day of our family trip. What a nice hidden gem. The best part was seeing the items still being recovered and restored from the ocean. It was eye opening to see how things are slowly restored in order to keep them from breaking. They found human skeletal remains that remain covered in sand and barnacles! Amazing.

Touching the pirate treasure and seeing the artifacts. Learned so much history about the golden age of purates, as well as interesting facts about famous pirates such as Blackbeard.

Interesting look at a real pirate ships salvage. Not hands on. In fact, a lot tells you not to touch. My 8 yr old was bored and we did the audio tour. Also they do not let you take pictures.

Don’t be fooled by the campy name and exterior. This is a first class exhibit focused on the story of the pirate ship Whydah and the recovery of its artifacts and treasure. Well curated and professionally presented. Must see.

If you like history this is a must see. The staff is great, and the exhibits are amazing. Everything on display is terrific. A place for adults and children alike. From the history buff to the treasure seekers it will amaze everyone. All the movies show the pirates treasure but when it is in front of you it truly is awe inspiring.

Excellent!!! Especially if you love history and artifacts. I grew up going to cape cod my whole life and remember when this building was “aqua circus”. The museum they have created is awesome! Artifacts, storyboards, treasure, and more. Highly recommend stopping here, you won’t be disappointed. Definitely take your time and read and look at everything.

What a finished and polished museum! We visit the Cape yearly and always pass on going to a Pirate Museum. We are so happy we decided to finally stop and check it out. It was so well laid out and perfectly executed, you may think you were at a Disney exhibit. We had mediocre expectations and we couldn’t have had a better time. Good value for the money as well.

It was so interesting. Amazing to see the recovered artifacts dating back to 1717!!
One of the figures in there looked like he might come alive! I think it was the carpenter.
An enlightening experience!

This was a great museum on Route 28. It had a lot of interesting artifacts and some hands-on activities...can you tie a sailor’s knot? They also had a brief movie where you can learn about the pirates. Very educational. Just be aware tho that no pictures were allowed in the main galleries. There was only one section where photos were allowed. Pirate statues were outside the main entrance. Great fun.

Went with a friend who is even more interested in history than I. Both thoroughly enjoyed the artifacts and explanations of life on a pirate ship. Interesting as to how many came to be pirates. Try to schedule visits during off season and plan on two hours.

Our Cape Cod family reunion of 8 children ages 3-10 and 9 adults explored the museum and found it fascinating and full of information for all ages. The kids had individual scavenger hunt lists, searching out all kinds of facts which kept them involved.
We all learned a lot. The best “museum” of the 3 we visited on the Cape.

The pirate museum was a fun experience, and one of the best activities we did during our week down on the Cape this past summer. We visited the museum to find a good group activity for 5 adults and one child (1 year old). We all had a great time walking through and looking at the artifacts, and learning about the wreck. I especially enjoyed the final piece showing the pieces of mud/rock that they were in process of removing artifacts from. The museum helps separate fact and fantasy for the pirate story...it's worth a visit0

It was difficult for us to find this place and once we found it we wondered whether to go in our not, we did go in. The displays were well organised and interesting. The highlight was speaking to the diver! We don't think this is particularly suitable for young children.

When I heard about this I immediately wanted to check it out! (I love history and “touristy” things.) My family who lived locally in MA thought this would be nothing but a tourist trap. They were WRONG! this was such a cool stop! I loved the history of this stop, getting to touch actual silver coins from a real pirate booty! Also so neat to see the artifacts still being uncovered at the end of the exhibit. Definitely check this out!!

This is a great museum that would be very great with “real” pirates. We’ve become quite accustomed to costumed docents and docents who remain “in character”. It’s advertised for children and it needs to have things to keep children’s interest.

We loved it! My husband, adult daughter & her boyfriend thought this might be fiction but no its completely authentic detailing a wreck hundreds of 100s of years ago. Very interesting, retrieved relics & a film. Little kids seemed to be enjoying themselves also.

A good way to spend an hour with kids learning about pirate history and seeing some interesting exhibits. Be warned this place is not an air conditioned paradise that one would assume when seeing a windowless building.

If you have older kids who are into pirates , this is the place to go on a rainy afternoon.. more of a realistic look into the world of pirate. The kids enjoyed it

Was so pleasantly surprised. We loved our visit here. The story is amazing, both about what happened to the ship in 1717 and how it was excavated. Take the time at the end to watch the video. Really amazing to see all of the authentic pieces recovered. Kids may breeze through it quickly but if you’re interested in history and take the time to read about each exhibit it was really fascinating.

This was a unique experience but one that was short lived. When we got to the artifact room where they were in tanks, not all were labeled so it was hard to get the kids interested in stuff we didn’t know what it was.

Visited this museum on a rainy day in mid-late oct when so many things are closed for the season. We used a $3 off coupon from the brochure rack at our hotel. The museum was much more informational and well done than we expected. Our fears that this was just a hokey tourist trap were quickly put to rest, and we spent nearly 2 hours going through the exhibits and inspecting the artifacts. Prob not as interesting/entertaining for kids below school age. I very much appreciated learning about the diversity of races and cultures on pirate ships, and the museum faced the slave trade history head-on. Kudos! We recommend a visit, especially when outdoor activity is limited.

Yes, take the time to see this new museum addition. It tells quite the tale of the local pirate trade. Sean is wonderful and knows the history very well. Really enjoyed listening to him and his wealth of knowledge. My only complaint is how hard it was to see things with the many kids that day. How about a few special days for adults/seniors only? Would love to go again and really take more time. Also, be sure to do the audio tour. It helps rather than reading everything. Great place!

This was definitely a highlight of my trip to Cape Cod. The museum is very informative and had amazing artifacts. I never got bored and learned more about pirates than I thought there was to know. This is a must-do!

We spent about 2 hours, and thoroughly enjoyed the entire visit.

We brought our 4 year old daughter. She enjoyed finding all the things on the treasure map. We at\s adults enjoyed listening to the audio portion of the tour.

Saw good and bad reviews for this museum. Could not understand why an adult would not enjoy it. My grandchildren are 7 and 10, they enjoyed it. Younger might not. The museum carefully tells the story of The Whydah, a ship of commerce commendered by pirates. It tells about life aboard the ship and tells about the lives about some members of the crew. The ship met its fate off of Cape Cod 300 years ago, 16 people survived. The shipwreck was discovered in 1984. Items recoverd from the wreck make up the story of the museum. Trial records help tell some of the tale. We found it fascinating. In February it was only open February break week

To be honest I really wasn’t that excited to go to the museum but with that being said it is the most interesting place. We are going back next year also and bringing more family, you can learn so much. The price is well worth it. Do not pass this place up.

The Whydah Pirate Museum is small but mighty! Staff were professional and welcoming at the door and provided easy instructions. The visit began with a short video that set the stage. Every exhibit was focused and easy to understand. Placards and other explanatory materials were clear, easy to read, and understandable. My young adult companion wasn't sure about the visit at the beginning but absolutely loved it!

I was pleasantly surprised. The museum was very interesting and we learned a lot. I thought there were too many people in the museum for the time of covid, especially for an indoor attraction. That aside, I recommend to anyone visiting the area!

What a wonderful place. Everything is so well done. Went with both kids 8&9 while the weather wasn’t cooperating this memorial weekend. What a gem. This place is wonderful and can’t wait to see what else they have in store.

We (three adults) were all impressed with this museum...layout, signage and exhibits. It was fascinating. There are only two hinges that might make it better: more interactivity and more info about the explorer who found the Whydah and who created the museum.

We decided to give this a shot and we were very happy with what we saw and learned. They even had a working curator showing how they clean up and discover treasure trapped inside some of the sea floor.

We brought our 5 year old granddaughter who is very interested in pirates. We all had a blast! She recounted the whole experience to her parents!

Rainy day visit. It is amazing! So well displayed. Very impressed with this modern day pirate adventure. I really do not know how anyone can give it a negative review. I am home and I can’t stop thinking about it. It was like a good movie that stays with you.

My boyfriend and I thoroughly enjoyed this museum! Well worth the entrance fee. Our favorite part was the lab at the end where we were able to see someone actively working on a piece to uncover what was inside! So amazing!

Very well done museum, though a bit crowded. We went an hour after opening on a rainy day, and I'm glad we went on the earlier side--looked packed as we were leaving. A lot of fascinating info and artifacts. I wish pictures without a flash were allowed, but alas, no photography inside. Near the Pirate's Cove mini golf course, if you want to make your day themed.

Probably one of the best museum of its kind. The artifacts are great, explanation is well done, overall a great experience. Minus points is the start of the visit during which a video is played with pending on noise in the room you won't be able to hear so that was a total waste of time. Also very disappointing that there's no staff to control the noise. Second minus point is that you aren't allowed to make pictures. Don't understand this as we come to see the real thing and picture on the internet wouldn't stop us from visiting the museum. This is old school thinking and doesn't make any longer sense.

In the midst of sandy beaches, mini-golf parks, restaurants and Cape traffic is this incredible museum with artifacts from the pirate ship Wydah that sank off Cape Cod 300 years ago. Set back from Rt. 28, maybe easy to miss with traffic and other distractions. Well presented with fun stuff for kids. Suggest be there when it opens and/or a sunny day. Worth the visit.

Here is a real pirate story rather than make believe romantification of pirates' lives. an eighteenth century pirate ship capsized near Cape Cod taking 150 souls with it, pirate souls that is, and the ship artifacts, including canons, booty, chests and what not were salvaged throughout the decades. We learnt many surprising facts, including the fact that the pirates almost never buried their treasures in remote islands and there was no treasure hunt except a case or two. They squandered their ill gotten fortune soon after the loot. Another fact is that how authorities hated them, so they were caught, beheaded and tar poured on their severed heads. And yes, pirates came in all colors and from many regions, a motely crew. In most cases, regular ship captains turned rogue, and resorted to piracy for amassing wealth and to answer a call for the wild. The crew was forced to sign the pirates' oath in front of a mirror, they were given a pen in one tray and a gun in another at the signing ritual. This museum is not to miss when in Cape Cod.

This Museum was so awesome. The facts, the artifacts the plaques everything was just such a pleasure to read.
We brought our 4 year old Grandson. It was a little bit over his head but he enjoyed walking through. Definately more interesting for adults.

This place was cool - a bit off the beaten path but my son and I had a really good time here. It highlights the remains of a sunken treasure which they are still excavating. One of the excavators took the time to show us how they were retrieving the "Booty" Which was really interesting. Seeing the artifacts of this terrible wreck really brought awareness to me of how dangerous travel was back in the day.

I was pleasantly surprised by this museum! I thought it would be just for kids. Wrong! We spent about 4 hours. Very informative. Would def go again

Very informative. Learned a lot about pirates and their life. Relics were fascinating as to how they preserved. We enjoyed our 1-2 hrs of pirate life.

We are so happy we found the time to visit this gem! It was a fascinating museum. We especially enjoyed seeing the lab where they explained the process of retrieving and cleaning the discoveries. A must see for anyone who enjoys history and archaeology.

it pas really an amazing expérience, I thought first it pas a joue...but it's full of history and witnesses. very well organised and lot of stuff to see. Wreck boast. pictures, tools, money...the gift shop is small but full of stuff you would like.

Just got back from our trip. The Pirate Museum was the best thing about the trip. Very educational. Would highly recommend it

Great museum. We all loved it. Learned a lot and the staff was informative - told us that 50 percent of the wreckage is still down below and they are bringing up new artifacts all the time. Don't miss it if you are in the area.

The exhibits were interesting and informative. Especially liked the “concretion” room lab at the end.

I was expecting some hokey wax museum exhibit of pirates doing the ho-ho-ho. This was a fabulous cross between the Museum of Science and the Witch Museum in Salem. Real artifacts as well as the stories behind them. Great visuals and presentation. Worth ever penny.

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!!

It’s a beautifully presented exhibition; the story of the Whydah, the connection to Cape Cod, and how it was found is super interesting, take the time to read the history of the artifacts, absolutely worthwhile

A unique experience, focussed on true pirate life and not an over fantasised version you would see on tv. The museum has lots of information on piracy, the Whydah shipwreck and those on board. And there is actual parts of the recovered ship, the only museum in the world to have such things.
Would highly recommend to for everyone as a way to spend a couple of hours while on Cape Cod

Great small museum, really nailed its subject.
This museum focuses on the Whydah pirate ship and its sinking and recovery, with only a little information on piracy in general.
It makes great use of the artifacts on display to show what life was like aboard ship, why pirates became pirates, and a very tasteful memorial to a nine year old pirate who perished on the ship.
Definitely not for young children as it is very artifact heavy and lots of reading.
Much better than we expected, and we are very glad we visited.
Only "bad" thing is that photos are not permitted, as there are some very cool artifacts.

Amazing and informative museum. Learned lots more about pirates that I never knew before. The downside to the museum is that on the website they ask for reservations and to purchase tickets online which also includes a fee of $2.43 for processing. However, upon arrival there was a huge mass of unmasked people crowded at the entrance and in the lobby making it difficult if not impossible to keep a social distance. I was asked if I had a reservation and then asked after looking at the crowd if it really was necessary. I was told that they also excepted walkins which kind of negated in my opinion the entire reservation process. Not to mention that I paid a processing fee that I needed not to. The museum although it looks sizable from the outside was a bit smaller inside which made the amount of unmonitored people rather disconcerting. My suggestion would be to call ahead to see how crowded they were before going and to definitely not bother making a reservation online as it seems useless to do so.

This museum take you through the untold story of the Whydah, a slave ship that became a pirate ship. The setting is very well organiwed and the collection is very impressive. Here lays the only pirate's treasure ever found. Just one negative point: the ticket is a bit expensive (nearly 20 USD per adult) considering that the tour last max 1h30, and no photos can be taken inside (no catalogue is sold at the shop).

Many artifacts from the shipwrecked Wydah in 1717 off the coast of Cape Cod. A must see if you are interested in history. I'd interesting for all ages. Also, an area where you can see how the artifacts are separated from the conglomerate and each other

No where else will you get to see authentic pirate items. And no, Mel Fisher found a lot of treasures, but they were not from a pirate ship. This is the real thing!!!

I very much enjoyed this museum! Little kids might be antsy, but the older ones will find it cool. I certainly did. Recommended.

I must admit this was not on my list of places to visit. I went because my fiancé wanted to see this. We used Groupon to get discounted tickets. I was amazed at what I saw and learned from this trip!! It was so interesting to read and learn about treasure found so close to home . Absolutely recommend this!

Whydah museum was much better than expected. Thought it was just a rainy day option for kids. It’s actually much more and although the exhibits could use an upgrade —-nothing electronic or state-of-the-art here, and the text at the exhibits is more for adults than children—-the exhibits themselves are well done.

Most interesting was to see the exhibits around the dives themselves.

After eating at Captain Parker's with two of our grandkids ages 5 and 8, we walked over to the Pirate Museum to check it out. The kids were handed a "treasure map" that kept them engaged at finding and checking off all the items the map required to be discovered. Part of the exhibit has you walking through a pirate ship which was apparently realistic enough that our 5 year old told us he wanted to get off the ship right away because it was too scary for him! The kids got a prize after turning in their maps, so the entire experience was fun and interesting for adults and children alike.

We opted to do this on the day we left which happened to be very humid. We got their early, which was wise. As we were leaving the place was filling up. There is a scavenger hunt for the kids as you make your way through the museum, We did not pay extra for the audio tour so I think we (as adults) missed out on some info. Kids enjoyed it. Employees were pleasant. No food or drinks allowed.

We heard of this museum from our B&B inkeeper and decided to come for a visit during a rainy day of our vacation. We are so glad we did. The outside of the museum looks deceiving- what's inside is fascinating. We spent almost 2 hours reading all of the displays and learning about the ship. Well worth the cost and the time,

This museum is about finding treasure. Not about pirates
Very interesting and educational They found and recovered treasure fr
From Whydah pirate ship and still are working to find more treasure

A First Class museum in our opinion, better than anticipated. The story is so well laid out as you follow the floor arrows. Take yout time and read all of the interesting detailed information that's posted at each station Look at the displays and artifacts. We noticed that even the (wax?) life sized figures are so much better than often seen in other history museums. And lastly, the Whydah mockup is interesting and nicely done. We spent about 90 minutes, and wondered about the people before us that only spent about 1/3 that time. If you only have a half hour, don't bother; come back another day in order to really get the sense of this place.

Honestly, kids would probably be bored here. It's a historical museum about one particular ship and shipwreck and the people and items on board. As an adult, we love it. It takes about an hour to go through and it's fascinating.

The displays are very interesting. They have a lot of artifacts from the ship. We also got to talk with one of the lab archaeologists, and learned about the concretions and how they remove the artifacts. Sometimes they just leave them in the concreture

Great museum about an authentic pirate ship off the coast of Cape Cod. Only criticism is that museum was overcrowded making it difficult to see the exhibits. Surprising given that a reservation is currently required for entry. Masks are currently required but impossible to keep 6 ft of separation (as the museum recommends) given how many people were allowed in the museum at a given time.

loved our visit. It was so interesting to learn of their voyage and fate! The artifacts were really cool and the ship replica was so interesting.

We really enjoyed this museum. What I thought would be a small venue for young kids turned out to be a huge museum for all ages. Getting to see actual treasure and items from the local shipwreck was fascinating. Very good info and set up to learn about the lives of pirates and their routes, ships, etc. We will recommend to others and return ourselves someday!

Excellent science museum about real life pirates - nothing fictional here! The Whydah sank on the third leg of it's maiden voyage in 1717 off the coast of Wellfleet near what is now Marconi Beach. The wreck was discovered in 1984, with all of the treasure and artifacts still on board, undisturbed. The museum has countless fascinating displays of what has been recovered, detailing the culture of the early 1700s, what life onboard the vessel was like, specifics about the shipwreck itself, demonstrations of the recovery and preservation of the artifacts, and so on. There is something for everyone here. I do wish though that we had purchased the listening wands to hear more information - it can get tiring reading signage, personally speaking, and the wands I always find to be more engaging. So when you go, I do recommend them!
We did have to book our entry time online in advance as CURRENTLY anyway, no admission is allowed if you just walk in; and, masks are required inside due to the Delta variant, and the close nature of the museum. All of this though could change, as the virus itself changes and our response to it.
There are also guided tours of the museum - we hitched a ride, so to speak, with one of them for a bit, and we learned a lot, definitely more than from just reading the signage. So, get the listening wands or take one of the guided tours if possible, for the optimal experience. But no matter what, definitely go!

I love the museum and highly recommend it. I had never been in the summer and took my nephews who have never been. It was packed. I love that there are reservations for a time slot, but I think they were oversold. The museum experience was like waiting in an extremely long line instead of being able to move freely throughout the exhibits. There were no staff along the way to help facilitate traffic or movement. With young kids this is really difficult. I would recommend going in the off season if you really want to take it in- there is so much wonderfully interesting information and history.

Geared more towards older children and adults but I found it very interesting! They have amazing artifacts and tell a great story. And there’s REAL PIRATE TREASURE!

This was such a fun experience! We did the audio tour and I definitely recommend. So cool to see the pirates treasure and learn about the pirate's life! Staff was all very friendly and happy to give information and tips. Would definitely be back!

We were amazed at the number of items on display that have been recovered from the shipwreck of the Whydah! Suitable for all ages, but highly recommended for upper elementary through adults. There are also items that are being restored in a separate room. Fascinating visit. Watch for a Groupon with free audio guides.

We visited this museum today while on vacation. Very deceiving from the outside. The inside is a wealth of knowledge. So many artifacts from the ship and also the captain, who was very young. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and hope that the explorations continue to uncover many more treasures yet to be found. Also explained was how the treasures are extracted from the sea with such care. This is well worth seeing and the gift shop had some awesome gifts. Thoroughly enjoyed our time here. Well worth the visit.

In fact, it probably isn’t for children at all based on the many bored children there. Having said that, if your child is the rare one who likes history and seeing 300 year old artifacts and is able to read, this is the place for them.

The treasure that has been taken from the ocean floor where the Whydah sank is phenomenal. This project has been going on for over 35 years and continues to retrieve items from the ship, including human bones.

You need to assume that you will be at the museum for at least two and a half hours. There are many exhibits that include the material from the ship as well as exhibits of how the cleaning and restoration are done.

We were very happy we went. We will go again.

What a fascinating and enjoyable museum. We found it to be very educational and engaging. The exhibits were really cool.

Enjoyed reading the history of the pirates and seeing the found treasures. Really interesting museum to see.

This is a very interesting place to visit no matter who you are. A great Date, as long as its not kids vacation week. Groupon and Living Social always have deals. I do think it is too expensive even with a discount. but still something educational and different to do on Cape Cod.

This was my third visit to this museum, since it opened. I have taken my three grandchildren here, and my daughter visited with her husband this past Spring. We all enjoyed the history and presentation of the Whydah. It is well worth a visit, and you will definitely learn something that happened three hundred years ago.

Great place to visit. The only pirate place I’ve ever been that isn’t jokey. It’s definitely a cool and informative place that was enjoyed by my entire family. Highly recommend visiting if you’re looking for something to do on a rainy day at the cape!

It was a rainy day and we were looking for something to do, so we dropped in here.

I have to say I was expecting lots of kind of fake pirate exhibits but in fact this is a museum about a real wreck that if chock full of real artifacts from a genuine pirate ship.

We spent a very happy 90 mins reading so the info and enjoying the descriptions and seeing how pirates really lived.

I loved how there was real archiology and science here.

My wife and I visited here during a wet June day. Absolutely brilliant! We hadn't planned on coming here and certainly didn't have kids in tow (so just acted like them instead). It was a fun and interesting visit and we particularly liked learning about the restoration/salvage work towards the end.

Great tour with our guide. I recommend the tour for a few more dollars.
Interesting facts and stories about the Whydah and other pirates of the era.

Did not know about this museum. While on a cruise around Hyannis Harbor, a local recommended this museum. So glad she did. I found it to be very educational. I learned things about pirates, ships, slaves that I never knew. Recommend for families with children. Great museum.

We bought timed tickets prior to our visit but other visitors were purchasing tickets upon arrival so not sure that there's any advantage to advance purchase.

Museum was interesting, but very crowded. We often had to wait behind other visitors and groups to get close enough to read or see a display.

There's a five minute video when you first start the tour and there is a circular bench so you can sit and relax whilst viewing the video. Then you go through the museum at your own pace.

There's a decent gift shop right off the entrance and plenty of parking available.

Worth a visit. Good for a rainy day activity.

Absolutely worth checking out - it’s fun and educational! This was our 3rd time going and we make it a Cape tradition now!

Visited the museum with My wife and 3 kids. The museum was even more interesting than I expected. It holds a collection of artifacts and fascinating information about a real pirate ship that wrecked off the coast of Cape Cod. I strongly recommend.

This is a small museum, it took us around an hour to get around the whole thing. It was well laid out though and really interesting; my 9 year old daughter enjoying doing the activity sheet on the way round and it’s definitely cool to be able to say we’ve seen real pirate treasure. A good rainy day activity; maybe not suited to really young children.

Nice stay of about 90 minutes. It was amazing to see real pirate treasure that was under the sea for over 250 years. My eleven year old found it interesting. Nicely laid out with a partial replica of the ship and subdued lighting.

What a disappointment! This museum is old and tired and needs updating to become more interactive and engaging. The intro video at the beginning was hard to hear as the volume was too low and the noise from outside, separated only by a curtain, drowned it out. When I offered feedback about this to the staff, they suggested I read the subtitles?!?! Admittedly, we went on a drizzly day and the museum was packed, but $18 per adult was too much to pay for this experience.

Its amazing that the whole treasure was found here on Cape Cod and remains intact where it was found. Congrats Barry and (ALL Others) for making it happen and having the persistence to stick it out. Fantastic collection of artifacts, from all the pirate stories! I come here every time I return to Cape Cod, because there is always more to see from the wreck.

WOW what a great place-Tons of Info on the sunkin ship.The museum is well worth the trip, the dioroma's are just fantastic. Not to be missed if you are in the area and like history.

The entrance is a little deceiving, you would think you are in a Disney ride. It turns out that the museum is MUCH MORE exciting than that. Sure, there are the obligatory wax pirates and fake ship interiors, but these are all for educational purposes. We see the story of REAL pirate ship and a REAL pirate. Articats recovered from the Widay are well orgaized and the explanations bring the whole story well known from books and films into real history. AND they found real pirate treasure!!! The only on in the world (so far).

BUT the most interesting part in the museum is the laboratory where we see how the artifacts recovered from the bottom of the sea are saved and treated.

Fantastic experience, worth the time and money.

Excellent museum to learn about a part of New England's history that doesn't get mentioned that often. Very thorough with a lot of information to explain the story of the Whydah. Interesting description of how the wreck was found and the retrieval and preservation of the artifacts. Worth going and spending at least an hour touring the place. Made us want to read a book about the ship.

Visited the museum with friends on the Cape and another couple. From the outside the building looks like it could use a little TLC but that should not deter you. This is a very informative exhibit and well worth the time and admission. We spent about 1 1/2 hours there. Interior well maintained, self-guided audio tour that actually works.

I agree with the previous five or so reviews on this place. It was wonderful and so very interesting!
A longtime friend of mine who lives on the Cape recommended this museum for something for us to do on our rainy day. Luckily, in May, we did not experience the crowds of people other visitors complained about. I think we were there about two hours before they closed. We had a nice, quiet day where we could actually enjoy the museum.
As stated by other people, it's definitely not for children. At a young age, they would not be able to appreciate what was in there. We were both intrigued by the story of a nine-year old boy who joined the pirates. His shoe, silk stocking, and leg bone are housed in the museum. There is a room of concretions. Instead of just looking at large concrete blocks, each of them has an x-ray showing what's inside.
It was nice to walk out of the museum saying, "How cool was that?!!"

This is an excellent museum if you enjoy history and don't mind spending some time at each exhibit and reading. We learned so much about pirates, the ship Whydah, which was sunk off of Cape Cod and saw enumerable artifacts. Although it is billed as family friendly, don't expect a great deal of hands on swashbuckling activities for kids. Those kids we saw there seemed quite bored and the placed was mobbed as it was a foggy and rather cool day. We spent over two hours there and enjoyed every minute.

I didn’t realize how large this museum is. Definitely worth the admission. Very interesting and moved people along well. If you like pirates, I highly suggest it. If you have very little ones, bring something to keep them busy. I would recommend ages 7+ so they can read along or understand what they’re looking at.

Went with several friends and was truly impressed. It appears to be one of Yarmouth’s hidden secrets. There is plenty of information to read for a history buff and tantalizing visuals for the common visitor. What’s so amazing is the continued research that is ongoing. Residents of Yarmouth may borrow passes from the library to offset the admission.

The Whydah Pirate Museum shows not only the exciting side of pirates but also the reality of its dark start as a slave ship. This museum exposes truths about what it was in great detail. It has things you can touch, and items still not remove from encrustation. Well worth the adventure.

The exhibit was fantastic and informative. I enjoyed the history and the unique story. The working lab tour for artifact recovery and restoration was interesting as well. This may not be the best stop for those with young kids but it is worthwhile for older kids who may have started reading pirate books.

The museum is well put together, very visual, great for family fun. The guided, hand-held speaker part of the tour was a bit corny and there isn't any staff interaction on the tour, but the lab tech was cool and informative.

Rosie and I figured this would be something different during our trip to the cape.
Was surprised with the quantity and quality of the artifacts on display. For pirate fans it is worth in.
Displays are of museum quality. A lot of interesting facts are presented in an easily digested fashion.
A little on the pricey side, but this is a tourist town.
No real negatives but the selection in the gift shop was skimpy. Free parking off the road and in front of the museum.
Glad we went.

A wonderful visit to the pirates who perished off the coast of Cape Cod. This was a fun, interactive experience. Highly recommend - great for kids as well.

This was such a cool and exciting museum! It is a walk through tour, very fun, very easy to follow. You get to learn a lot about the history of piracy and about the Whydah ship itself. Very fun for those who enjoy history and those who enjoy pirates!
You also get to learn about the recovery of the wreckage and preservation of items, which is very neat!
Super easy to find, and affordable!
Highly recommend!

I didn’t get very far into this museum before I realized I had seen this exhibit before. Pretty sure most of it was a traveling National Geographic exhibit marketed under the name “Real Pirates,” and that I saw it at the Field Museum in Chicago at least a decade ago (and maybe even before that at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo.). A quick search shows that there’s other simultaneous displays of the same exhibit currently going on in San Diego, and Salem, Mass., and perhaps elsewhere. None of which is meant to in any way suggest it’s a bad exhibit or that we didn’t thoroughly enjoy seeing it again. It’s interesting and includes some great artifacts and displays. The presentation is well thought out and it even has its own soundtrack! If anything, it makes more sense to visit it in Cape Cod, where it is local history, because the ship was discovered in 1984 off the coast of Wellfleet, Mass. I didn’t remember the room towards the end where they talk about the science used in finding and preserving the Whydah’s artifacts, which could just be my unreliable memory. I do remember the recurring theme that the Whydah’s cutthroat crew of outlaws, outcasts, escaped slaves, Native peoples, and even a young boy, often found more camaraderie, inclusion, and fairness as pirates than they did in “polite Christian society.” Must say I was bummed that they don’t allow photos in the museum. We spent about 1.5 hours here, and if you have any interest in the subject matter, I would highly recommend it!

I was not expecting this place to be this cool. Tickets are not cheap, but the experience is totally worth it. Well done museum, great information, and lots and lots of cool facts about the golden age of piracy. This was the perfect rainy day activity for our family.

This was the surprise of our recent group trip. This is not the Disney version of piracy. This is the real deal. Displays and recreations are fascinating and interesting. If interested, there is almost too much to take in. The video to start is helpful to orient your visit. Best of all, was seeing the original artifacts that come from the salvaged ship. The history and personalities are really brought to life. Then you conclude with the conservation process, and it just puts a bow on it all. The gift shop is nice, as well. A great spot for young and old.

Great for kids and adults! This is an utterly unique museum with an incredible backstory. The history will appeal to the adults. The pirates and recovered treasure will appeal to the kids. This was one of our favorite things from a week of adventures on the Cape.

Very insightful to the ships and the pirate life. Informative and very well presented. Covered both the history and exploits, but a section of the museum is devoted to archeological efforts and results that have revealed the story

We just went here today and I probably loved it even more than the kids. Had never heard of the whydah until yesterday. Fascinating learning the history of the ship and even more fascinating seeing all the artifacts that have been uncovered. If you have a large family like I do, it can be a bit pricey, but I'm glad we did it. I definitely recommend this for adults and kids especially if your looking for a break from the typical beach day while on the cape.