Lying off Storgata, Commander Christensen's Whaling Museum, Museumsgaten 39 (tel. 33-48-46-50), has a life-size replica of a mighty blue whale, its tongue alone weighing 3 1/2 tons. The museum chronicles the controversial whaling industry that nearly drove this mammoth sea beast to extinction. In the heyday of whaling, as we learn, Sandefjord sent out vast "floating factories" to process the whale meat and its byproducts. Admission is 40NOK ($6.15/£3.30) for adults, 20NOK ($3.10/£1.65) for ages 7 to 17, and free for those 6 and under. It's open daily 10am to 5pm (Wed until 7pm).
Sandefjord preserves a slice of its past at Øvre Myra Cotter's Farm, Solvangveien 8 at Nyphen. In use since 1770, this is the last cotter's farm in the area. (A cotter was a hired hand who occupied a cottage in return for services on the farm.) Inquire at the tourist office about joining one of the guided tours in summer to this homestead.
