Whaling Museum

The New Bedford Whaling Museum ignites learning through explorations of art, history, science, and culture, rooted in the stories of people, the region, and an international seaport. As a compelling destination that anchors a national park and vibrant urban seaport, we encourage exploration of our region’s cultural, artistic, historic, and scientific contributions. A keeper of the region’s collective memory, the Museum preserves a communal story of the many who settled in the City that lit the world and of those who keep the light shining brightly today. From abolitionists to immigrants, merchants to whalers, seamstresses to fisherman, and artists to environmentalists, the New Bedford Whaling Museum boldly weaves their narratives together, inviting visitors to examine complex and sometime difficult topics that are shaped by our past, remain critical today and inform a sustainable future.