Day Trip to the New Bedford Whaling Museum

Day Trip to the New Bedford Whaling Museum

Get past your initial assumptions and go visit the New Bedford Whaling Museum, situated in the New Bedford, Massachusetts National Historic Park, because it is truly a “hidden gem”. The focus is not on the harvesting of whales. Instead, the museum’s exhibits and artifacts focus on the history of the multicultural, New Bedford Massachusetts community, the peoples involved in the global whaling industry and the consequences of natural resource use. During this visit, the museum’s exhibitions on conservation were particularly inspiring and focus on the survival of endangered whales and other sea life.

Visiting the New Bedford Whaling Museum is a quick, fun day trip for both families (young and old) and solo excursions. And you can grab a delicious bite to eat and cold beers at Moby Dick Brewing Co., which is only 1 block away from the museum.

New Bedford Whaling Museum Location | Directions to the New Bedford Whaling Museum

How to get to the New Bedford Whaling Museum (New Bedford, MA)

The museum is located at 18 Johnny Cake Hill in New Bedford, MA. There are two main driving routes from the Massachusetts Turnpike: 1) Interstate 495 South and 2) Route 146 to Interstate 195 East.

Driving the first route, follow I-90 West and get onto I-495 South. Continue until exiting onto MA-140 South. Take exit 2A for I-195 South and then take exit 15 onto MA-18 South in New Bedford and follow signs for the museum.

Driving the second route, take I-90 West and get onto MA-146 South, which you then take all the way to exit 20 and head onto I-195 East (Providence/Cape Cod). Take exit 15 from I-195 E to MA-18 South and follow signs for the Museum.

There is a right-turn lane off MA-18 South; take this right onto Elm Street and turn left (this is your second street after turning onto Elm St.) onto Bethel Street and look for a parking meter along Bethel St. You can also turn left onto Water Street and park at a meter.

Tip: Meters are in operation all week, including Sundays, and only take quarters.

What to see at the New Bedford Whaling Museum

When you first check in at the front desk, you’ll notice to your left an exhibition about the science of whales and several whale skeletons. When we visited, the volunteer staff recommended we first take the elevator, which is a few steps past the front desk, up to the Main Level.

This is a great idea because you can start your visit by checking out the Lagoda, which is the world’s largest model ship, at ground level. It measures at half-scale of the original whaling ship and was built in 1915-1916. During our visit, entering the Lagoda was not possible and suggest checking with the front desk staff.

Going through the various galleries on this level, there is also a big skeleton of a 48-foot sperm whale. Get info about the 4 of the 5 whale skeletons on display here.

When you are ready, take another elevator to the Upper Level, which includes an observation deck with 180-degree views of the New Bedford Harbor and terrace for taking in more harbor views.

It is definitely worth taking a breather on the deck and/or terrace, especially on a clear and/or sunny day, to gaze out at the New Bedford cityscape and harbor ships.

And an exhibit called Youth Voices for the Ocean was on display featuring various artworks from student contest winners from all over the world. This exhibit is a testament to the museum’s mission centered on being a resource for whale, fishing and natural resource conservation.

To complete your tour, go back down to the Main Level. Walk to the spiral, downward stairs where you’ll see 3 other whale skeletons hanging including Kobo, a 66-foot blue whale.

Tip: Pre-purchase tickets online to reserve an entrance time as there is a temporary capacity limit in place due to COVID-19.

Tip: One level up from the museum entrance is called the Main Level and the third, or highest, level is called the Upper Level. By first going to the Main Level, you get a visual sense of how large the Lagoda is. You can then view Lagoda from the Upper Level.

Once your museum adventure is done, walk 1 block to visit the nearby brewery - Moby Dick Brewing Co - at 16 South Water St. and grab a bite to eat. Kids are welcome and during our visit, this MA brewery was diligent about maintaining public health guidelines. Inside seating is noticeably spaced, and menus are viewed by scanning a QR code through your mobile phone. Moby Dick Brewing specializes in lagers and ales; the session IPA was tasty. Walking directions to Moby Dick Brewing.

Tip: Get a sample of four, 5-ounce pours from this local MA brewery and if you are still thirsty, you can order a 10-ounce glass to keep hanging out.