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School visits to the Polar Museum

If you are planning a school visit, please complete a booking form and email it to us <schools@spri.cam.ac.uk>. Please provide a telephone number as we usually discuss the details of your visit in person. Please note that the museum is small, so group size is generally limited to one school class per session, plus accompanying adults. Sessions for schools are usually offered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

There is no charge for school visits to the Polar Museum.

For other self-guided visits, talks and tours, please contact groupvisits@spri.cam.ac.uk.

The Institute and learning

The Institute was established in 1920 as a memorial to Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his companions who died on their return journey from the South Pole in 1912. They had reached the pole by 17/18 January 1912, only to find that the Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen, had arrived there on 14 December 1911.

The Polar Museum within the Institute houses exhibits relevant to a range of school subjects, including History, Geography, Science, English, and Design and Technology.

Some of the items in the museum were collected from the tent where the bodies of Scott and two other members of the Polar Party, Wilson and Bowers, were found after their trek back from the South Pole. Personal items on display include farewell letters to friends and family, diaries, the sleeping bag of Captain Oates and a black flag left by Roald Amundsen to mark the way to the South Pole.

Other items of interest in the museum include expedition instruments and equipment, the sledges and skis used by Scott and other explorers, many items relating to the 19th century exploration of the North-West Passage, modern exploration equipment and clothing, and an example of an Emperor penguin. One gallery is also devoted to 'Ice and Climate' - the role of the polar regions in the global environment.

The museum offers a number of resources for use during your visit. These include a handling collection of modern polar clothing and a variety of museum-based activities. We welcome school and other groups of all ages

Essential information

Admission FREE, donations are welcome
School sessions 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Booking Schools must book in advance and children must be supervised at all times. The museum is small, so group size is generally limited to one class per session.
Parking There is limited minibus parking available on site, please contact us at least a week in advance to check availability.
Access The museum is accessible by lift through both the front and powered side doors. Please let us know in advance if someone in your group has special needs and we will do our best to cater for them.
Toilet There is a disabled toilet open to all visitors through the Museum's temporary exhibition gallery.
Lunch The Institute regrets that we do not have lunch facilities or room to hang bags and coats.
Photography Visitors are permitted to take photographs in the galleries for their personal, educational use only. Please see our photography policy for further details.
Shop The museum shop sells books, posters, pens, pencils, rubbers, etc. It is also accessible online.

Location

Scott Polar Research Institute
University of Cambridge
Lensfield Road
Cambridge CB2 1ER

The Institute is ten minutes walking distance from both the station and city centre. Other nearby attractions include the Fitzwilliam Museum and the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Museum of Zoology and Whipple Museum of the History of Science in the city centre.

Contact details

If you would like to organise a visit to the museum or discuss our learning support programmes, please e-mail <schools@spri.cam.ac.uk>.

Resources for schools

Our learning resources are currently in development. Please contact <schools@spri.cam.ac.uk> if you would like to discuss a specific project.