Exhibits

Whydah heck not become a modern day pirate? Real Pirates Exhibit

It may not have started as a part of Philadelphia history but it is now. There’s nothing quite like a good pirate story to shiver me timbers, so let’s get started.

The year was 1717. It was a violently stormy night in April off the coast of Cape Cod when Captain “Black Sam” Bellamy’s pirate career came to a sudden end. At only 28 years of age, Bellamy had already captured over 50 ships but, on this night, lost his own, known as Whydah, the flagship of his massive pirate flotilla. The storm swept the Whydah into a hidden sandbar, where it quickly sank.

Bellamy and most of his 146 man crew died but history tells us that the ship was carrying in its belly nearly four and a half tons of silver, gold, and jewelry, which quickly became lost in the shifting sands near Marconi Beach.

Centuries passed. The legend of the Whydah grew until 1984 when underwater explorer Barry Clifford finally found her. This is the only shipwreck conclusively proven to be that of a pirate ship.

Who can resist honest to goodness piracy on the high seas? I know I can’t. Come and explore the Whydah and her story. See treasure chests of coins and gold, cannons, pistols, and knives salvaged from the ocean floor and a full size replica of the stern of the actual ship. The Real Pirates exhibit was created by National Geographic, and lands at the Mandell Center at the Franklin Institute Science Museum.

Ticket information can be found online. The Franklin is located at 222 North 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA. Call at 215.448.1200 and demand they, “Give up their gold or face the consequences!”

Once you’re done with the Whydah and are dying for another good pirate story, check out Mel Fisher’s $450 million find down in the Florida Keys.

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