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The museum at the 
end of the world

Welcome to the South Georgia Museum where history, nature and adventure converge.

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WELCOME TO SOUTH GEORGIA MUSEUM

Journey to the polar front to discover 250 years of history and a wildlife spectacular. Here, you’ll embark on a voyage through time, exploring the rich history, breathtaking landscapes, and incredible wildlife of this magnificent island.

The museum and collections are owned by the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) and managed by South Georgia Heritage Trust.

Stories

Explore virtual exhibits showcasing the island's fascinating past and learn about the future. Immerse yourself in captivating narratives of adventure and resilience, from the discovery of South Georgia and the whaling industry, to the heroic expeditions of Sir Ernest Shackleton.

250 Years of Discovery: Captain Cook's Antarctic Voyage

Head South with Cook.

Larsen: Visionary of the Southern Seas

Explore Larsen's story

Shackleton’s Last Quest

Head South with Shackleton

Whalers’ Memory Bank

Coming in Summer 2025. Find out more

News & Blogs

Join a Community of Explorers. Connect with fellow adventurers from around the world and follow our Museum Team. Participate in our social media channels to share your thoughts, experiences, and newfound knowledge about South Georgia and its wonders.

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We saw a lot of dandelions on South Georgia, are they bad?
We saw a lot of dandelions on South Georgia, are they bad?

South Georgia has a unique and fragile ecosystem. Through human intervention, the island has been impacted by the introduction of non-native species, including dandelions. Dandelions, likely introduced unintentionally through Norwegian soil placed on whalers’ graves, have become a common sight on South Georgia. They are

Sledging, Snow-clearing and Shivering: October Blog
Sledging, Snow-clearing and Shivering: October Blog

This October the museum team has been busy getting the museum ready for the busy season ahead. We arrived in late September and greeted their first ship the next day! It’s been an incredibly snowy spring in Grytviken. The first weeks of October, the track

Did the whalers have a supermarket?
Did the whalers have a supermarket?

The whalers probably wished they had a supermarket! The sealers and whalers brought a variety of domestic animals such as reindeer and sheep to South Georgia, mainly for food. Only reindeer were successful in surviving without the whalers’ help . Of the three herds that

Why did whaling in South Georgia stop?
Why did whaling in South Georgia stop?

South Georgia was once a hub for the global whaling industry. For over six decades, the waters surrounding the island were the scene of intense whaling with 175,250 whales killed and processed. The first whaling station on South Georgia was established in 1904 by Norwegian

Why aren’t there any lighthouses on South Georgia?
Why aren’t there any lighthouses on South Georgia?

During the whaling era, in the early 1900s, the first government Magistrate took the advice from the whaling companies and made several recommendations to install various lights, beacons and a bell buoy to aid navigation around South Georgia. All of these were installed and maintained

The Whalers’ Library Project
The Whalers’ Library Project

This season we started a project to catalogue the books in the library in the whalers’ church at Grytviken. The room holds thousands of books, so the cataloguing process will take some time. We have only catalogued about a tenth of the books this season,

March 2024 Museum Blog – ‘Another record year for the South Georgia Museum!’
March 2024 Museum Blog – ‘Another record year for the South Georgia Museum!’

It seems like no time at all that we were all staring down at King Edward Point from the deck of the Fisheries Patrol Vessel Pharos SG – eagerly anticipating the coming season and all the adventures it would contain. Now, there is a distinct

February 2024 South Georgia Museum Blog – Do you get bored in South Georgia?
February 2024 South Georgia Museum Blog – Do you get bored in South Georgia?

  The February SG Museum blog was written by Helen Balfour – Curatorial Intern One of our most asked questions at the South Georgia Museum is if we get bored while we’re here. You might assume when you’re living so far away from ‘civilisation’ that

Explore the collection

Discover our collection and unusual objects, from the discovery of South Georgia, the whaling industry, to the heroic expeditions of Sir Ernest Shackleton.

Discovery & Exploration

Maritime

Natural History

Sealing

Social History

Whaling

More to Discover

A Window to the Wild. Discover the wonders of South Georgia, an unspoiled paradise filled with dramatic landscape and rich wildlife. Learn about the island's unique ecology and the magnificent creatures that inhabit its shores from king penguins to elephant seals.

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Interactive Grytviken

Take a guided tour around the former whaling station.

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Visiting the Museum

Getting to one of the most remote museums in the world.

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Discover the Museum

Explore the galleries and see what we have on display.

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Support the South Georgia Museum

Help us inspire visitors by connecting them to South Georgia’s rich heritage and preserve it for future generations.

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