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5.0 729 reviews

Excellent80%
Very good17%
Average1%
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Terrible1%

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“whaling industry”(121 reviews)

“whaling museum”(111 reviews)

“all ages”(45 reviews)

About

The largest museum in America devoted to human interaction with whales in the world's oceans, the history of whaling and its impact, and the history of Southcoast Massachusetts, the Whaling Museum houses an extensive collection of art and artifacts...more

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Hours Today: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

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Suggested duration: 2-3 hours

Contact

18 Johnny Cake Hl, New Bedford, MA 02740-6317

Website

+1 508-997-0046

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Reviews (729)

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1 - 10 of 692 reviews

Karoline S

5

Reviewed 1 week ago via mobile

New Bedford whaling museum

Best whaling museum in the country. Thoroughly researched. Signifies an important time in U.S. history and commerce. Very family friendly. Well worth the visit.

Date of experience: July 2018

Thank Karoline S

RhodyPhotographer

Warwick, Rhode Island

26944

Reviewed 1 week ago

Fantastic Museum

Fantastic Museum right in downtown New Bedford. Interesting and fun. I suggest if you are in the area.

Date of experience: February 2019

Thank RhodyPhotographer

SecondBeach

Meadville, Pennsylvania

34

Reviewed 4 weeks ago

A Gem in New Bedford

I attended the Moby Dick Marathon at the museum. It was a fantastic event, full of character and characters. I highly recommend this museum and it's best appreciated over a series of visits. There are multiple exhibits: art, culture, science. I also know it's a...More

Date of experience: January 2019

Thank SecondBeach

WanderingToesTiger

Clemson, South Carolina

225100

Reviewed January 9, 2019 via mobile

Beautiful Venue

My husband and I attended a wedding reception at the Whaling Museum. It was an amazing experience for all of the guests! There is a life size boat that visitors can climb aboard! The exhibits were outstanding and very informative. I would highly recommend a...More

Date of experience: December 2018

Thank WanderingToesTiger

Martin L

293

Reviewed January 6, 2019

Moby Dick Marathon

Just attended the 26 hour reading of Moby Dick. Standing room only. Saw the support of the museum staff and many volunteers who love this museum; I especially like the Lagoda Room with the 1/2 size model of a whale ship and the actual whale...More

Date of experience: January 2019

Thank Martin L

tommy1125

Punta Gorda, Florida

8023

Reviewed January 3, 2019 via mobile

Wedding Reception

Went for brolo's wedding reception. Pretty cool space. Mass has some really weird liquor license laws, but not the venue's issue. The space was neat with cool exhibits and they view from the balcony where we ate was beautiful. If you're looking for a cool...More

Date of experience: December 2018

Thank tommy1125

John F

323

Reviewed December 30, 2018

Incredible Museum .... .this is a MUST SEE

When you walk in the door and there is a full sized whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling.... there is so much to see.... it would be difficult to enjoy this museum in less than 2 hours. I loved the historical artifacts and pictures of...More

Date of experience: July 2018

Thank John F

Dianna M

South Amboy, New Jersey

35097

Reviewed December 26, 2018

Last minute road trip

While visiting Westerly Rhode Island in November 2018. We went to Providence and were unable to find the historic area there. So my husband suggested we drive to New Bedford, Massachusetts which is not far from we were. So here we go on another road...More

Date of experience: November 2018

Thank Dianna M

Serendipity strikes again! Thanks for coming and for taking the time to write this positive review. The Whaling Museum is about 70 minutes from Boston and Hyannis (Cape Cod), and about 45 minutes from Providence and Newport, RI - by car.

76victorj

Bridgeport, Connecticut

397

Reviewed December 18, 2018

One of the best museums we have ever visited

We went here expecting to only spend a couple of hours. We ended up spending almost the whole day and then coming back the next day! The tickets are good for two days. If you have any interest at all in early American commerce or,...More

Date of experience: May 2018

1 Thank 76victorj

Wow! Thank you for this wonderful review. You're right that our focus is distinct from Mystic Seaport. We tell the story of human interaction with whales across time as well as the history of the region. Yankee whaling is a big part of that story...More

TrailBlazer820142

4

Reviewed December 11, 2018

Wonderful

I have visited many museums and this is one of the best. It presents the city’s whaling history in an interesting way. The Pagoda, half scale whaling ship is a treasure. The docents are all friendly and do wonderful presentations.

Date of experience: July 2018

Thank TrailBlazer820142

High praise! Thank you! You probably mean the Lagoda (not Pagoda) - as far as we know it is world's largest ship model and visitors love to climb onboard.

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Questions & Answers

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valueralan

Best days and hours to avoid school groups? we are in the area Oct 2 - 5 inclusive.

September 14, 2016|

AnswerShow all 4 answers

That's usually too early in the school year to take a Field Trip. There may be 2 days school break (Oct 7 &10) in that area, so you're safe anyway. Often field trips occur in the Spring. Also, I suggest you take the Tour... More