Photo: Juliet220 (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Things to do in Whitby
The best holidays are planned around great days out. Here's what's on the doorstep in Whitby, from big-ticket attractions to rainy-day savers.
Showing museums, aquariums and attractions with indoor areas — the ones that work whatever the forecast.
🎟️ This weekend near Whitby
Events from
Skiddle
Aquariums
15.2 mi from Whitby
SEA LIFE Scarborough
SEA LIFE Scarborough is an indoor and outdoor aquarium where you can get close to more than 2500 creatures. Highlights include a walk-through Humboldt penguin colony on Penguin Isl...
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Museums & Galleries
0.1 mi from Whitby
Captain Cook Memorial Museum
This small museum in Whitby tells the story of Captain Cook, housed in the 17th-century building where he lodged as an apprentice seaman. Inside, you'll find collections charting h...
0.2 mi from Whitby
Cholmley House
Abbey House is a historic building in Whitby, a town in North Yorkshire, England. — Wikipedia
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0.3 mi from Whitby
Whitby Museum
Whitby Museum is an independent museum founded in 1823, set in Pannett Park in Whitby, North Yorkshire. Inside you'll find gigantic fossils and dinosaur footprints, displays on the...
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0.3 mi from Whitby
Pannett Art Gallery
Art gallery and museum in Whitby, North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
8.8 mi from Whitby
Staithes Heritage Centre and the Captain Cook Museum
This small heritage museum in Staithes, near Whitby, Yorkshire, tells the story of the village through fishing, mining and maritime history, with a particular focus on Captain Cook...
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16.5 mi from Whitby
Maritime Heritage
Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre is a community-run museum dedicated to saving Scarborough's maritime history, based at 45 Eastborough in the heart of town. Here you'll find a...
16.7 mi from Whitby
Rotunda Museum
The Rotunda Museum is a historic, purpose-built museum on the Yorkshire coast, exploring coastal heritage and geology. Inside its Georgian gallery you'll find a frieze depicting lo...
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17.8 mi from Whitby
Beck Isle Museum
Beck Isle Museum sits at the heart of Pickering, a market town on the edge of the North York Moors, and tells the story of the area through a collection of 50,000 objects across 25...
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17.9 mi from Whitby
Winkies Castle
Winkie's Castle Folk Museum is based in a 17th century half cruck cottage, now preserved as a small museum. Alongside its regular opening season, the museum holds two Christmas San...
20.2 mi from Whitby
Kirkleatham Museum
Kirkleatham Museum is the local heritage museum for Redcar and Cleveland, set within a striking 1709 Queen Anne building that began life as a Free School for Boys. Inside, you'll f...
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20.5 mi from Whitby
The Scarborough Fair Collection & Vintage Transport Museum
The Scarborough Fair Collection & Vintage Transport Museum brings together vintage cars, steam engines, fairground rides and mechanical organs, including a mighty Wurlitzer Organ i...
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20.9 mi from Whitby
Captain Cook Schoolroom Museum
This small museum in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire, is housed in the charity school where James Cook received his early education between 1736 and 1740. Inside, you'll find a recons...
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23 mi from Whitby
Filey Museum
Filey Museum sits in the town's old town, tucked near the 12th-century St Oswald's Church, and is housed in two former cottages dating back to 1696, believed to be the oldest domes...
23.9 mi from Whitby
Captain Cook Birthplace Museum
Captain Cook Birthplace Museum is a public museum located in Stewart Park in Marton, Middlesbrough within the borough of Middlesbrough and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire,... — Wikipedia
Zoos & Wildlife
24.6 mi from Whitby
Newham Grange Leisure Farm
Newham Grange Leisure Farm is a family-friendly animal petting farm in County Durham, with hands-on animal care sessions in the Discovery Barn, a woodland walk, maze, and multiple...
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Where to stay near Whitby
Places to stay within easy reach of these days out.
More around Whitby
Itineraries
- A weekend in Yorkshire: an accessible itinerary · 2 days
- A weekend in Yorkshire with the kids · 2 days
- A weekend in Yorkshire · 2 days
Haunted Britain
Whitby is one of those bases that rewards a bit of planning. The town itself gives you a proper morning's worth of history, the North York Moors sit inland for big skies and slow drives, and the wider area is stacked with small museums, farm attractions and castle ruins that fill the gaps when the weather turns. Here's how to group it all into days that actually work, rather than zig-zagging about.
The obvious first day
Start with Whitby Abbey. The ruins are the town's defining sight and the thing most visitors come for, so going early tends to mean fewer people in your photographs. From there, the Captain Cook Memorial Museum is the natural follow-on — Cook's story runs right through this coast, and if you find yourself hooked, the Staithes Heritage Centre and the Captain Cook Museum picks up the thread with a different slant.
Fill the rest of the day with Pannett Art Gallery and the Sir James Knott Lifeboat Museum. Neither needs a whole afternoon, which makes them ideal for slotting around lunch or a change in the weather.
A moors and mills day
Give the North York Moors a full day rather than a quick loop. The National Park is the sort of place where the driving is half the point, and there's plenty to stop for along the way. Danby Castle gives you a heritage anchor out on the moors, and Land of Iron tells the industrial story that shaped much of this landscape — worth an hour even if ironstone isn't usually your thing.
Tocketts Watermill makes a gentle third stop, and it's the kind of place children often enjoy more than they expect. If you'd rather keep the day short, pick two of the three and leave time for a proper sit-down somewhere.
Best for families
If you're travelling with children, these are the reliable options:
- Flamingo Land — the big theme park day out, and easily a full day on its own.
- Scarborough Sea Life Centre — indoors, so it doubles as a wet-weather plan.
- Monk Park Farm — hands-on and low-key, good for younger ones.
- Newham Grange Leisure Farm — another farm option if you want a second animal day without repeating yourself.
- The Scarborough Fair Collection & Vintage Transport Museum — vintage vehicles and machinery, and popular with grandparents too.
Rainy day plans
Whitby gets its share of weather, so it pays to have a list ready. Kirkleatham Museum is a solid half-day, and the Dorman Museum and Platform Arts work well paired if you're heading towards County Durham. The Transporter Bridge Visitor Centre is a short, curious stop that suits a morning with nothing else pinned down.
Further along the coast, the Bayle Museum and the Harbour Heritage Museum in Bridlington make a neat pair, and if you're over towards York, the Dickens Museum & Scrooges Counting House and the Rievaulx Abbey Museum give you two very different kinds of indoor afternoon.
Heritage without the crowds
Beyond the abbey, there's a run of castles and halls that rarely feel busy. Old Mulgrave Castle and Wilton Castle are both atmospheric, ruinous sorts of places. For something grander and more comfortable, Normanby Hall gives you a stately home day, while Ormesby Hall is the National Trust property in the area — handy if you're a member and want to make the card earn its keep.
Where to eat
Pubs do the heavy lifting here, and these five all hold 5-star food hygiene ratings, which is a reasonable shortcut when you're choosing on the hoof:
- The Dolphin and The Angel Hotel — both easy choices for a sit-down after a morning at the abbey.
- The Goathland — the one to aim for on a moors day.
- The Albert and Duke of York — dependable for an unhurried evening meal.
Book ahead at weekends and in school holidays. Kitchens in small coastal towns often stop serving earlier than you'd expect, so don't leave dinner until you've finished everything else.
Turning it into a short break
Three nights is the sweet spot. Day one for Whitby Abbey and the Captain Cook Memorial Museum, day two for the North York Moors with Danby Castle and Land of Iron, day three flexible — Flamingo Land or Scarborough Sea Life Centre if the forecast is poor, Ormesby Hall or Normanby Hall if it's fine. There are 123 places to stay on BritStays in the area, so you can base yourself close to the town or further out towards the moors depending on which days matter most.
A few practicalities: check opening days before you set off, as several of the smaller museums don't open all week or all year. Parking in the town fills quickly in summer, so arriving early or staying somewhere you can walk from saves a lot of circling. And pack layers for the moors — it's noticeably more exposed up there than it is down by the water.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main thing to see in Whitby itself?
Whitby Abbey is the standout landmark and the sight most people come for. Alongside it, the town has the Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Pannett Art Gallery and the Sir James Knott Lifeboat Museum, which together make up a comfortable first day.
What can we do in Whitby if it rains?
There are plenty of indoor options. Kirkleatham Museum, the Dorman Museum, Platform Arts and the Transporter Bridge Visitor Centre all work as wet-weather plans, as do the Bayle Museum and Harbour Heritage Museum in Bridlington. Scarborough Sea Life Centre is indoors too, which makes it a good family fallback.
Are there good attractions for young children?
Yes. Flamingo Land is the big theme park day out, Scarborough Sea Life Centre is a reliable indoor option, and Monk Park Farm and Newham Grange Leisure Farm are both farm attractions suited to younger children. The Scarborough Fair Collection & Vintage Transport Museum tends to appeal across the generations.
Is there a National Trust property near Whitby?
Ormesby Hall is the National Trust property in the area, so it is worth including if you already hold a membership. Normanby Hall is the other stately home option if you want a second grand house day.
Which castles can we visit besides Whitby Abbey?
Danby Castle sits out on the North York Moors and pairs well with a moors driving day. Old Mulgrave Castle and Wilton Castle are the other castle and heritage sites in the area, both more ruinous and generally quieter.
Where should we eat, and do we need to book?
The Dolphin, The Angel Hotel, The Albert, Duke of York and The Goathland are all pubs and inns holding 5-star food hygiene ratings. Booking ahead is sensible at weekends and during school holidays, and it is worth eating earlier than you might at home, as kitchens often stop serving sooner than expected.
More ways to explore
Not booked yet? See the best places to stay in Whitby.