Whitby Museum & Pannett Art Gallery

I went to Whitby on my own again today as I wanted to have a look around the museum and art gallery before they close for the winter. Both are located in Pannett Park, which I've written about before.

This year, Whitby Museum has celebrated its bicentenary with an exhibition entitled 'Whitby Museum - 200 Years of Collecting'.

Whitby Literary and Philosophical Society was founded on January 17th, 1823, with the express intention of starting a museum. On September 25th of that year, Whitby Museum opened to its first visitors.

The original museum was established in rooms on Baxtergate. After three years there, it moved to the top floor of a building on Pier Road that also housed the town's library and public baths. Over the next century, the museum's collections grew to the point where bigger premises were needed.

Robert Pannett's generous bequest to Whitby led to the creation of Pannett Park. An art gallery to house Robert's personal collection was opened in the park in 1928. The Society built the nucleus of the present Whitby Museum behind the art gallery and opened it to the public in August 1931. In the years since, the museum has expanded further. The most recent extension was completed in 2004. It was funded by generous patrons and a Heritage Lottery grant.

Today, Whitby Museum continues to care for the heritage of the town and surrounding area, preserving and presenting it to residents and visitors alike.Read more