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The 250th anniversary of Captain James Cook’s first crossing of the Antarctic Circle is to explored in a special exhibition at the Cook Museum in Whitby.

With two ships, Resolution and Adventure, Cook crossed the Antarctic Circle for the first time 250 years ago to explore the regions which formed a blank area on the map, and to see if there was a great ‘unknown southern continent’ waiting to be discovered.

The voyage was full of danger, adventure and resolution – as in the name of Cook’s ships!

The Adventure became separated from Resolution shortly after the first crossing of the Antarctic Circle.

Maria Aparicio, Operations Manager at Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Whitby, in the courtyard of the museum.

Fogs descended suddenly, enormous icebergs threatened the ships, ice covered the ropes and spars of the ship.

Yet Cook, and his crew, crossed the Circle three times and came within a short distance of sighting the Antarctic Continent.

The exhibition – called Ice! Exploring the Far South – aims to give a sense of the extraordinary conditions confronting these small wooden ships, in which an enormous amount of scientific work was done – on ice, on temperature, the birds seen, the formation of icebergs and the varied phenomena observed.

With the help of loans from several regional museums and the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, the exhibition will show original artworks, instruments, books, photographs, videos and documents.

The Resolution in a Stream of Pack Ice, William Hodges at Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Whitby.

Activities and trails are planned for children which will link the voyage to current ideas about conservation and the environment.

The exhibition also draws on collections in other hands and shows treasures rarely seen otherwise.

The museum, which is now open daily until October 31, is also holding a residents’ day on Tuesday March 7, available to people with a YO21 or YO22 postcode, with one hour tours taking place throughout the day.

The tour offers a chance for people to get to see the museum’s collection and most remarkable objects on the guided highlights tour, with refreshments available in the Endeavour Room afterwards and a chance to learn about volunteering at the Grape Lane attraction.

Tour times are at 10.30am, 10.45am, 11.45am, noon, 1.30pm and 1.45pm.

Proof of postcode is required.

250th anniversary of Captain Cook's Antarctic Circle crossing features in new exhibition for 2023