Albany Historic Whaling Station: Experience Australia's Whaling Heritage
4.3
71 Ratings
Frenchman Bay

Immerse yourself in Australia’s whaling heritage at the Albany Historic Whaling Station. Explore the complete whaling station, watch short films, admire a giant blue whale skeleton, and climb aboard a preserved Whalechaser ship. Discover the stories of the men and women who depended on the whaling industry.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Albany’s Historic Whaling Station - Enjoy the 20-minute scenic drive from Albany CBD on your way to Albany’s Historic Whaling Station. Find yourself immersed in the sights and sounds of the whaling industry. Enjoy short films within the converted whale oil tanks and hop aboard the Cheynes IV, the world’s only preserved Whale chaser ship. Be amazed…
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What's Included
  • Goods and Services Tax (GST) included
  • Free BBQ facilities available
  • Access to all activities
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Lunch
Additional Information

Take a day to tour the globe’s sole intact whaling station tourist attraction and deepen your understanding of Albany’s vibrant history. Navigate through educational pathways to discover the tales of the individuals who relied on Australia’s whaling industry for their living. Experience a range of activities and sights such as brief films housed in…

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Location
Albany's Historic Whaling Station
81 Whaling Station Rd
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.3
(71 Ratings)
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Sightsee06603432294
Sep 22, 2024
Amazing experience! - A fantastic place with so much history and exhibits! It was on my bucket list and it did not disappoint. My only regret is I waited so long to visit that I wasn't confident climbing to the top deck on the boat due to some mobility issues. Loved every bit of it. The whale skeletons are amazing!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
804juliec
Apr 22, 2024
A day spent steeped in history. - Whaling is a controversial subject, but it is part of Australia's past so worth a look. Amazing site with so much information and history. Take your time to visit all the exhibits and watch all the films to get a real feeling of how it was. Climbing on board the Cheynes 1V was very interesting and quite an eye opener. In the same precinct you will also find a flower garden (subject to season) and a wildlife park. There is a BBQ area and playground and a restaurant and a huge gift shop. Check out the scrimshaw, amazing.
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Bronwynt216
Feb 27, 2024
An insight into the whaling industry of Western Australia - A very interesting self guided tour of the last surviving whaling ship out of Albany together with the buildings, film of the whaling industry when in operation, skeletons of whales and other outbuildings. Worth the visit.
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Marypp1958
Feb 17, 2024
An Enlightening Experience - From the minute you arrive the sea and it’s creatures are on display. From a stunning collection of shells to the video stories, the opportunity to board a whaling vessel and follow the process through to its quite gory conclusion. A whole way of life for the people of Albany was gone in a few short months. The entry fee also entitles you to explore the gardens and wildlife park. The gift shop and cafe are both worth stopping by.
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Moretravel278
Feb 3, 2024
A must do if visiting Albany - A fascinating look at how whaling was such an important part of Albany. You’ll be captivated about how the industry worked…. Expect to spend more time than you might initially plan. We spent around 4 hours. There’s a cafe on site which serves good food and with a great view out to the bay.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Typical-60plus
Nov 18, 2023
Very interesting and informative, highly recommended - The museum was extremely well done and we spent more time than we thought. There was a good combination of self-guided, video and tours. I would highly recommend it. It was a 30 minute drive from Albany so good to have some snacks or lunch with you. We had lunch at the restaurant which was very good but the restaurant could get backed up on a busy day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Camandkyd
Aug 12, 2023
Allow a few hours - So much to see and do here- we should have allowed half a day as less than 2 hours was nowhere near enough time- great 3D movie on these amazing creatures, whaling ship to explore, scrimshaw art- a must see!
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Sam19761976
Sep 5, 2024
Shady past displayed in graphic detail - Great experience reflecting our shady past in destruction of a beautiful animal, the whaling ship was interesting the day we visited it was blowing 50 odd kilometres so crawling around the top of the ship was very realistic and indicative of life on these ships, great explanation of the whaling process with many screens of original footage depicting all in graphic detail. Had lunch at the restaurant was ok and reasonably priced, recommend visiting to learn from our mistakes.
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Westy54
Jul 31, 2024
Interesting history and perspective on the disturbing practice of hunting and killing whales. - The old Cheyne Beach Whaling Station was built in 1952 although whaling activities had been recorded as being undertaken in King George Sound as early as the 1840's. The Whaling Station closed on 21 November 1978 and the station was subsequently turned into a museum in 1985. During the years it operated, from 1952 to 1978, a total of 1,136 humpback and 14,695 sperm whales were caught and slaughtered. Concession entry for seniors was $30 per person and included a self guided tour of the old whaling station, boarding the Cheynes IV Whale Chaser, reviewing the original equipment used to process the whales, watching some movies and seeing a number of artifacts and an enormous collection of shells. It also included a self guided walk of the attached Regional Wildflower Garden and Australian Wildlife Park although as it was raining heavily off and on, we opted to give this one a miss. It was very interesting boarding the Cheynes IV and looking in the various cabins and the bridge and talking to one of two volunteers working that day who also worked on the Whale Chasers. One would have only been a teenager when he started on the Whalers and told us that there were very few other occupations that he could have moved into as the revenues from the Whaling industry virtually supported the whole town. Obviously attitudes to whaling have changed and thank goodness for the better, but back in the 1950's and 1960's it was almost a case of work on a Whaler or be unemployed, which many of the men were after the station closed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Megsiea
Sep 12, 2024
Great history for adults - Fascinating and well set out just not suitable for young children as it’s a little too graphic although they did enjoy exploring the boat and the whale slide
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
November 2024
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