The museum houses Captain Scott’s final diary, recovered from his tent after his party perished.
It contains the world's most comprehensive collection of polar historical materials.
The institute was founded in 1920 as a memorial to Captain Scott and his four companions.
The collection includes rare Inughuit tools and clothing from northern Greenland.
It holds a significant collection of scrimshaw, traditional carvings made by whalers on bone or ivory.
The building serves as a working research center for glaciology and climate change science.
Many of the items on display were donated by the families of the original expedition members.
The Polar Museum is housed within the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge. It preserves the history of human exploration in the Arctic and Antarctic, holding extensive archives from the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Visitors can view original equipment, clothing, and artifacts used by explorers like Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton. The collection features historical maps, early photography, and paintings documenting polar landscapes. The museum serves as a research facility, blending academic rigor with public display. It showcases the indigenous cultures of the Arctic, including Inuit art and tools. The site functions as a memorial to those lost in polar expeditions, particularly the 1912 Terra Nova expedition.
The main entrance hall features historical portraits and expedition gear that define the character of the space.
Visit the library reading room website in advance if you wish to consult specific archives.
Use the provided magnifying glasses to inspect the fine details of the historical expedition photographs.
Allow time to watch the short documentaries regarding modern-day climate research in the polar regions.
Do not mistake the museum for the main university visitor center; this is a specialized research facility with a focused scope.
Closed on Mondays and some public holidays.
Quiet contemplation is expected; photography is permitted without flash.
