The South Georgia Museum exists to protect, document and promote the cultural and natural history and heritage of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
The museum aims to make this history and heritage accessible both to the visiting public and to those unable to visit this remote region, through exhibitions, education and outreach.
The Museum
The South Georgia Museum is located in Grytviken on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia. The main building, known as the Manager’s Villa, was built in 1914 to house the manager of Grytviken whaling station, his family and staff. Admission to the museum is free, offering visitors the opportunity to explore collections reflecting all the main areas of the island’s history, human heritage and natural history. Exhibitions include discovery, sealing, whaling, Sir Ernest Shackleton, surveying and expeditions, social history, maritime and military history, and natural history.
The museum is owned by the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI). GSGSSI makes a substantial contribution towards the running costs of the museum.
The museum is managed and operated by the charity South Georgia Heritage Trust (SGHT) which is based in Dundee, Scotland.
A small team works at the museum during the summer season. They are supported by SGHT staff based in the UK. Find out more about the people that make operating a museum on a remote sub-Antarctic island possible.
The David Nicholls Curatorial Internship is a regular appointment at the South Georgia Museum.
The internship is a fantastic opportunity for a young professional to gain a great breadth of experience in museum practice. Many young people have already benefitted from the experience.
We work with a number of international partners who share our interest in South Georgia, and the history and heritage of the wider South Atlantic and Antarctic region.
Address: South Georgia Museum, Grytviken, South Georgia, SIQQ 1ZZ, via Falkland Islands, South Atlantic
Worsley’s Almanac
This nautical almanac was used by Captain Frank Worsley in 1916 to navigate the lifeboat James Caird from Elephant Island to South Georgia to rescue the shipwrecked crew of Endurance.