Museu dos Baleeiros
Museum in the former whaleboat houses of Lajes do Pico, dedicated to the artisanal and coastal whaling of the Azores, with permanent units.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museu dos Baleeiros, in Lajes do Pico, is the only museum in Portugal specialising in artisanal, seasonal and coastal whaling, and the most visited in the Azores. Complementing the Museu da Indústria Baleeira, it is the only museological structure in the region with the potential to explain Azorean whaling as a whole. It is part of the Museu do Pico, alongside the Museu da Indústria Baleeira and the Museu do Vinho.
The building has about 2,000 m² of covered area and combines three 19th-century whaleboat houses, completed by a blacksmith's tent, with a new body of architecture inspired by North American whaling houses. In this new body are an archive and a library specialised in whaling, the reception and shop, the temporary exhibition gallery, the education services, the photographic archive, the technical and administrative services and an auditorium. The present premises were inaugurated on 28 August 1988, and the project to restore the former boat houses received an honourable mention from the Associação dos Arquitectos Portugueses in 1993.
The exhibition route consists of five permanent units: the Azorean whaleboat, the blacksmith's tent, the whaler on land, shipbuilding and whaling art, in particular scrimshaw.
Highlights
- Azorean whaleboats in the 19th-century boat houses
- Whaling art unit with scrimshaw
- Blacksmith's tent and shipbuilding unit
- Whaler on land unit
- Photographic archive and library specialised in whaling
- The only museum in Portugal dedicated to artisanal and coastal whaling
Permanent exhibitions
- Núcleo do bote baleeiro açoriano – Unit dedicated to the Azorean whaleboat, in the 19th-century boat houses.
- Núcleo da arte baleeira (scrimshaw) – Unit dedicated to whaling art, in particular scrimshaw.
- Núcleos da tenda de ferreiro, do baleeiro em terra e da construção naval – Units dedicated to the blacksmith's tent, the whaler on land and shipbuilding.
- Founded
- 1979
- Operated by
- Museu do Pico, Direção Regional da Cultura, Governo dos Açores
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
The education service of the Museu do Pico organises activities for schools and families.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
The building has a reception with shop, a temporary exhibition gallery and an auditorium.
Events & venue rental
The building has a modern, well-equipped auditorium.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The Museu do Pico has an education service, which organises activities throughout the year. There is a virtual visit of the whalers' pole. |
