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Group visits to the Scott Polar Research Institute
If you are planning a group visit you can book by contacting us <schools@spri.cam.ac.uk>. Alternatively please call 01223 336562 and we can discuss the details of your visit. Please note that the museum is small, so group size is generally limited to 25.
The Polar Museum offers free talks and resources for school students. These are currently under development. If you would like to get involved, please contact us schools@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 |
| Opening times | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday |
| Booking | Groups must book in advance and children must be supervised at all times. The museum is small, so group size is generally limited to 25 pupils. Please contact us. |
| Parking | There is limited 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 or phone 01223 336562.