A DECADE OF GROWTH
REALIZING THE VISION FOR THE "NEW" WHALING MUSEUM
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docs it seem like ten years since the Nantucket I listorical
Association opened its new Whaling l\luscum? As we look back on our board of trustees' bold step to greatly cxp,111d the
I !A's m,�jor facility, we find it hard to imagine what we would now do without it!
So mam· thanks to the donors who believed in the trustees' vision. 'lhe Wh,tling l\luseum has bcrome ,1 cultural center for all of
antucket- a "community liYing
room"-replcte with year· round programs and state-of-the· art exhibitions. Over the past decade, acclaimed travel writer Andrew I larpcr has identified it as "one of ten places to visit before you die"; the Americ,m Alliance of luscums has granted it full accreditation, an honor bestowed on fewer than one out of twenty-two U.S. museums; TripAdvisor has r,ttcd it as
antuckct's leading attraction; and even
more recently, the Institute ofl\luscum and Library Services has listed it as one of thirty finalists for the prestigious
ational l\1cda1, the nation's highest honor for museums.
We arc proud of the decision that our trustees made at the turn of the millennium to expand the Whaling l\1useum. It has made all the difference as we tell Nantucket's inspiring stories. Along with the board's initiative and support, it has taken the dedication and generosity of our many members and friends to make the idea a reality. We of the board and staff arc so often thankful to our supporters, who continue to make it possible to fill these halls and galleries with programs, exhibitions, and events.