The project will create four permanent galleries in the East Wing of the National Maritime Museum (NMM), an area previously closed to exhibition visitors.

The new galleries will relate to exploration in its widest sense – an investigation, a discovery, a way of thinking. Each will bring one of four themes alive for people of all ages:

• Pacific Encounters
• Polar Worlds
• Tudor and Stuart Seafarers
• Sea Things

Visitor numbers on the up

The Endeavour Galleries project is a response to the Museum’s ever-increasing visitor numbers - 1.5m people from Britain and all over the world now visit NMM annually.

Dr Kevin Fewster said: “The new galleries will not only open up the Museum's collections to many more people but will also create a spectacular contemporary environment to enable all our visitors to better understand the continuing relevance of Britain’s maritime heritage."

[quote=Stuart Hobley, Head of HLF London]“We always put National Lottery players at the heart of our decision-making.”[/quote]

Stuart Hobley, Head of HLF London, added: “In 2018 we celebrate the 250th anniversary of Cook’s first voyage to the Pacific, making this the perfect moment to be supporting plans for the Endeavour Galleries. 

“Expanding the National Maritime Museum’s exhibition space by 40% means more artefacts can go on display and provides entertaining new opportunities to share the stories of Britain at sea. We always put National Lottery players at the heart of our decision-making and we are confident these four new galleries will help attract a raft of new visitors.”

Touring opportunities

Before going on display, key objects will travel around the country and be displayed at several partner museums to engage new audiences with this important history. 

Cook 250 plans

The Endeavour Galleries project will be completed in mid 2018, allowing the NMM to take a lead role in Cook 250 – the commemoration of Lieutenant James Cook’s 1768 departure down the Thames in HM Bark Endeavour on the first of his three voyages of exploration to the Pacific.