In 2018, a full-size replica of Captain Cook’s HM Bark Endeavour became a permanent fixture in Whitby harbour and opened to the public as a visitor attraction. On board, 11 cabins have been transformed into a cafe, mini galleries and interactive exhibits about life at sea and Cook’s 1768 voyage of discovery aboard Endeavour. Highlights include the ‘Sea Shanty’ karaoke room, animated film projections in the Great Cabin and a display of Southern Hemisphere constellations the crew would have used for navigation.
In the 18th century, Whitby was one of Britain's greatest shipbuilding centres, Cook was apprenticed here and the original Endeavour was built in the town. It was aboard this ship that Cook charted New Zealand and the east coast of Australia for the first time.