How You Can Help Us

Captain James Cook was one of Britain’s greatest explorers, mapping much of the Pacific. Renowned worldwide in his own time, he continues to be a focus of interest and inspiration in the 21st century.

Housed in a gem of an historic building in the heart of Whitby, here the young Cook lodged as apprentice seaman and learnt the marine skills which served him so well in his illustrious later career.

It is a key element in the town’s maritime heritage.

Why do we need funds?

We receive no public revenue support. We are wholly independent and self-financing through income from admission tickets, retail sales and occasional project grants. With a very small staff and dedicated team of Volunteers, Trustees and Management, we care for the house, collections and visitors. But there is much, much more we want to do.

How your money helps

• It underpins our education and outreach work, building support in the community and enabling us to give schools and groups the best possible experience

• It helps provide the essential match-funding needed when we apply for larger grants

• It enables us to add relevant work of the highest quality to the collection. Two recent acquisitions were by the third voyage artist, John Webber, showing views in Macao and Pulo Condore. In 2022 we acquired a compass belonging to Richard Grindall, a crew member on Cook’s second voyage

• It underpins conservation and collections development work. We are working to improve and extend our Library

• It enables us to present innovative exhibitions which research and renew interpretation in engaging ways

• And, not least, preserve the fabric of our Grade I listed house and sustain the atmospheric and authentic visit experience for future generations

Building for the future

The Quarter Century Fund, set up in 2012, is designed to lay the foundations for long-term sustainability and development. It is a designated fund, to support the Museum, as determined by the Trustees. This allows us to make the most of new developments as they emerge, while preserving our core mission.

You can help by becoming a Supporter, a Patron, leaving us a legacy, or simply making a one-off donation! For every £1 donated, 93p goes directly to the support and development of the Museum.

Donate with Paypal

You can opt to make your donation to Captain Cook Memorial Museum online. All our online donations are handled by PayPal. We accept Visa, Visa Electron, Mastercard, Switch, Delta, Solo, and Maestro.

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If you would like to Gift Aid your donation, Captain Cook Memorial Museum receives an extra 25p for each pound you give.

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Please note: You do not need a PayPal account to donate online.

Visit our Paypal Donation page