Housed inside a 1901 chapel, this small museum has created a temple to Whitby jet – one of the town’s most prized exports, a gothic icon, and a favourite gem of Queen Victoria. The exhibition explores how jet is formed over millions of years on the Yorkshire coast and has historically been turned into jewellery. The displays of 19th-century Whitby jet curios are particularly fascinating if you’re a fan. Beyond the museum lies a shop and Albert’s Eatery (mains £5-16), specialising in local seafood.
martin berry/Alamy
Museum of Whitby Jet
Whitby
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
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Nearby Whitby attractions
0.03 MILES
A museum housing the remains of Whitby's last Victorian jet workshop lies at the bottom of the 199 steps, with original tools rescued from a derelict…
0.09 MILES
The 199 steps of Church Stairs lead steeply up from the end of Church St, passing the spooky graveyard of St Mary's Church, a favourite haunt of Goth…
3. Captain Cook Memorial Museum
0.13 MILES
This fascinating museum occupies the house of the ship owner with whom Cook began his seafaring career. Highlights include the attic where Cook lodged as…
0.15 MILES
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0.19 MILES
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6. Endeavour Experience Whitby
0.23 MILES
In 2018, a full-size replica of Captain Cook’s HM Bark Endeavour became a permanent fixture in Whitby harbour and opened to the public as a visitor…
0.35 MILES
Whitby Sands, stretching west from the harbour mouth, offers donkey rides, ice-cream vendors and bucket-and-spade escapades, though the sand is mostly…
0.44 MILES
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