The Polar Museum, Scott Polar Research Institute

The Polar Museum, Scott Polar Research Institute Discover the extraordinary stories of Earth's coldest, driest, windiest, highest and deadliest places. https://linktr.ee/scott.polar

Come and see our library display on the role of women in making and maintaining the legacies of Antarctic expeditions, c...
04/05/2026

Come and see our library display on the role of women in making and maintaining the legacies of Antarctic expeditions, curated by two SPRI MPhil students, Nina and Emily.

The artistic talents and commitment of three women, Dorothy Irving Bell, Oriana Wilson and Kathleen Scott, are showcased here, to highlight their involvement in commemorating early 20th century Antarctic expeditions.

We are particularly excited to be able to show the public a beautiful illustrated book jacket, hand-painted by Irving-Bell, as well as printed books and photographs that kept Antarctic expedition legacies alive.

You can come and see this display in the Polar Library, which is open Monday to Friday, 9am-1pm and 2pm-5pm, excluding the bank holiday. Visitors are welcome, you just need to sign in at the reception desk at the back of the museum. If the museum front door is closed, come round to the side entrance of the institute.

We're so pleased to be welcoming back Rowan Huntley, the artist behind 'Through Ice and Fire', to the Polar Museum for a...
29/04/2026

We're so pleased to be welcoming back Rowan Huntley, the artist behind 'Through Ice and Fire', to the Polar Museum for a new art workshop on Friday 15th May. Rowan will be guiding visitors to build a textural collage using paper created with geological material. Spaces are limited and advance booking is required through Eventbrite. All the booking information can be found through the 'Events' link in our bio. 

🗓️Friday 15th May, 10 am to 12.30 pm 
📍The Polar Museum 

Rowan will also be joining us on Saturday 16th May for a drop-in opportunity to chat with her all about her art and the artistic process behind 'Through Ice and Fire'. She'll also have object handling opportunities linked to the exhibition.

🗓️Saturday 16th May, 10 am to 1 pm 
📍The Polar Museum 

We hope you'll be able to join us. If you haven't been to visit already or want to ensure you get a second look, 'Through Ice and Fire' is a free exhibition on display at the Polar Museum until Saturday 20th June 2026.

The Polar Museum is thrilled to welcome our Curator, Dr David Waterhouse, to our next Tea & Talk to speak on one of his ...
27/04/2026

The Polar Museum is thrilled to welcome our Curator, Dr David Waterhouse, to our next Tea & Talk to speak on one of his greatest passions. David trained as a palaeontologist and for the past 20 years has been involved in studying the animals that lived during that last Ice Age.

From David:
Perhaps surprisingly, Norfolk in the East of England is home to world-renowned fossils of mammoth, woolly rhino, extinct bison and giant deer – all Ice Age 'megafauna', now long extinct. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to wander through the Ice Age, then let me take you on a journey – you might be surprised about what you discover (perhaps the Ice Age isn't so far away after all!).

🎟️Tea & Talk: Ice Age Time Machine
🗓️Friday 8th May, 11am to 12pm
📍The Polar Museum
Free

Tea & Talks are designed for a non-academic audience and offer the chance to learn something new in a friendly environment. Bring along a notepad (or just an open mind) and join us for a cuppa. Book your place on Eventbrite through the Events link in our bio.

🐧Happy World Penguin Day🐧 This parent and chick were photographed by Prof Gareth Rees on Signy Island, one of the sub-An...
25/04/2026

🐧Happy World Penguin Day🐧

This parent and chick were photographed by Prof Gareth Rees on Signy Island, one of the sub-Antarctic islands. They're gentoo penguins, identified by their bight orange beak and the white feathers near their eyes. Gentoo penguins are the third largest species of penguin, after emperor and king penguins, and grow up to 90cm tall.

The volunteers at the Polar Museum love to keep an eye on the gentoo penguin livestream from Edinburgh Zoo, where the attentive parents are currently nesting (and stealing stones from their neighbours).

Image credit: Prof Gareth Rees, 2014

Join us on Saturday for the debut of the newly updated Bridging Binaries tour, led by the researcher whose archival inve...
23/04/2026

Join us on Saturday for the debut of the newly updated Bridging Binaries tour, led by the researcher whose archival investigations have expanded the stories this tour tells.

Learn about a range of q***r stories and those who challenged gender expectations throughout history.

The free tour is designed for adult visitors and advance booking is required. Secure your place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1986522767072?aff=oddtdtcreator

🗓️ Saturday 25 April 2026, 1 to 1.45pm
📍 The Polar Museum
Free, advanced booking required

Aurora image credit: David Waterhouse (based on an illustration by Sarah Airriess)

Easter Weekend Hours💐Both the Scott Polar Research Institute and the Polar Museum will be closed on Friday 3 April (Good...
02/04/2026

Easter Weekend Hours💐

Both the Scott Polar Research Institute and the Polar Museum will be closed on Friday 3 April (Good Friday) and Monday 6 April (Easter Monday) for the bank holidays.  

The Polar Museum will be open on Saturday 4 April from 10am to 4pm. We'll have our object handling station open from 10 to 11am and a Staff Favourites Tour at noon. 

Both SPRI and the Polar Museum will open again on Tuesday 7 April. 

We wish you a wonderful long weekend and hope to see you soon.

Pop in to visit us at the Polar Museum for a range of drop-in activities throughout the day, all part of the family week...
27/03/2026

Pop in to visit us at the Polar Museum for a range of drop-in activities throughout the day, all part of the family weekend for Cambridge Festival.

🔹Speak to artist Rowan Huntley all about her work on 'Through Ice and Fire' and get hands-on with some samples from her research and artistic experiments, inspired by the work of BAS polar geochemist Dr Joanne Johnson.

🔹Visit a field tent, borrowed from British Antarctic Survey, and chat to folks about the clothing that keeps people safe on Antarctic expeditions. Try on some of the clothing for yourself and imagine you're joining a polar expedition of your own.

🔹Explore our object handling tables with objects linked to geology and scientific enquiry in the polar regions throughout history.

🔹Complete a new geology-themed museum trail to walk away with a prize, then head over to our friends at the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences to finish the other side. Visit the Sedgwick Museum between 10am to 1pm to investigate igneous rocks from Greenland.

📆Saturday 28th March 2026
⏰10am - 3pm
📍Polar Museum, Lensfield Road
Drop-in, no need to book

🐻‍❄️Happy Polar Bear Day🐻‍❄️Can you spot the polar bear? These powerful predators live in the Arctic; this particular be...
27/02/2026

🐻‍❄️Happy Polar Bear Day🐻‍❄️

Can you spot the polar bear? These powerful predators live in the Arctic; this particular bear was photographed by Polar Museum Curator Dr David Waterhouse in northern Canada. Swipe for a video of a mum and cub, then pop your favourite polar bear facts in the comments below.

Image & video credits: Dr David Waterhouse

Have you ever thought, "if only that museum object could talk"? Would you like to create your own 'museum' object?Now's ...
26/02/2026

Have you ever thought, "if only that museum object could talk"? Would you like to create your own 'museum' object?
Now's your chance!
For one day only (Saturday 28th Feb, '26), we're experimenting with AI to help you do just that!
Book now here (morning session 11am to 1pm, afternoon session 2pm to 4pm): www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ai-in-the-museum-tickets-1982351254967?aff=oddtdtcreator

"At the start of February, many members of SPRI - past and present students, affiliates and academic staff - enjoyed att...
20/02/2026

"At the start of February, many members of SPRI - past and present students, affiliates and academic staff - enjoyed attending the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø, Norway, with its amazing combination of science, geopolitics, business, policy and indigenous voices from around the Arctic. It was a privilege to hear from and engage with so many experts, and to make and renew connections." - Prof Gareth Rees

It seems like a brilliant time was had by all, with a full schedule of presentations, poster discussions and talks from leaders such as Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister of Norway, and Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada. The attendees made time for fun as well - check out Simone Eringfield at the controls of the Boeing 737 simulator at UiT Arctic University of Norway and the cheerful snowmen with some of this year's MPhil cohort.

Thanks to Gareth and Brinnan for all the photographs.

Address

Lensfield Road
Cambridge
CB21ER

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 12:30pm
1:30pm - 4pm

Telephone

+441223336540

Website

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