I give this museum five stars, but I must first caution you based on my own experience. There are…read morethings you should know before going. Things I wish I had known myself. Truly, my first visit was great. It's deceptively large, and I knew I'd need to go back a second day to see the rest. It was really cool to learn the history of the industry and how it led to the cultural and creative makeup of the city of New Bedford today. I even started talking to some of my friends about it, and they started calling me the "whaling girl" . It gave whimsy. It was cute. Cute at first. Then I couldn't stop thinking about it, even when I tried, even when I wanted to. Something about the ways the museum weaved culture and time with history and science... it kept me up at night thinking. What can be measured that is unseen? What has value and who gets to decide that? The more I thought, the more I started seeing our world in an entirely new way. It was a revelation. My friends and family grew worried, as it became all that I could talk about. Over family holiday dinners. At kid's birthday parties. Even my most recent performance review, I brought it up. As you might've guessed, the review didn't go so well. I went on a journey to make sense of what was happening to me. I landed at the Seaport Museum in Mystic, CT. There, I met fellow whaling enthusiasts and a member of the prestigious Melville Society. I was relieved to see other people equally obsessed with whaling. They assured me that my feelings were normal, and encouraged me to volunteer there, as an outlet. I returned to New Bedford and did just that, and it is where I remain today! So if you go to visit, is there the risk of developing an addiction? Undoubtedly. But I think it is nevertheless worth it. Just be sure you go at your own pace and volunteer if you find yourself loosing interest in other hobbies that used to interest you. Trust, you'll have a whale of a time. Also, gift store is dope. Be sure to merch up See you at the museum!

Such a wonderful and eclectic museum. Certainly the whaling industry is discussed and defined, but…read morethe museum has so much more. The history of this area, its place in history and industry. I was particularly struck by the history of the photographic of the Black communities contribution to the area and the community. Come for the whaling industry stay for the rich history of this area

This spot is stunning. They hosted our book club here which is super adorable. The space was…read moregorgoues and j was so thankful to get to experience it in a unique way.

Definitely do not miss this if you are interested in old homes or the history of New Bedford…read more At $8 or less per person this also made for a very affordable afternoon activity. The docent that day, Louise gave us a lovely tour of the downstairs and we got to tour the upstairs by ourselves with some very thorough pamphlets. The mansion is very well preserved. It was a rich person's home and they valued it! There were rounded walls, insane built ins, an elevator, some wonderful art. The information presented by the museum is very thoughtful and informative. It is all done very well. My favorite thing though was the bathrooms. I loved them. I find myself daydreaming. About showering in the black and white bathroom. Which is not an experience that is available to anyone... But I wish it were There is also a gorgeous rose garden on the property. Very enjoyable. We were there for about two hours but I could have stayed a bit longer. You might have to park a short distance and walk to the house but it is all worth it

This is downstairs in the Wamsutta social club. There's a gift shop selling some vintage pieces…read more The collection covers quite a variety of styles and makers. The highlight was the personal guided tour. We learned so much from Kirk. You could tell he loves glass and was able to share his knowledge in an interesting way. We ended up spending about 2 hours here. It's not huge but with the information given about each section, it was well worth the admission fee.

Hidden GEM!!!! This place took me by surprise. I didn't…read morereally have much in the way of expectations. However this place was awesome! I don't want to oversell because it's not like there's much to do exactly. But the history and display of intricate and exotic glass is truly amazing. I had no idea this existed right around the corner and so much was produced right in New Bedford back in the day. The curator, Kirk was fantastic in explaining and demonstrating some of them more unique and interesting pieces.

The photography of ANTHONY BARBOZA exhibition is well worth a look. His work is beautifully…read morecomposed and the subjects are timeless artists in their own right. Well worth a visit.

Probably not worth the $8 admission price just based on the size alone. I've been a few times…read morebecause I am interested in the arts and I've always felt the exhibits were thrown together without much care. A lot of the art isn't that great, and isn't a good representation of the arts scene in the South Coast. I've heard they are expanding and maybe that will improve things. If you aren't coming here for an after-school program as a kid there isn't much reason to stop by when the library has better art, is right across the street, and is free.

If you're looking for an "official" type museum like you see elsewhere in New Bedford's historical…read moredistrict, this museum might disappoint. It looks more like a collection of immigrant's private photos, mementos, and artifacts of Portugal and Madeira, with an explanatory display at the front of the museum. The building itself is quite small, but it's beautiful with a really pretty patio/garden area outside, and definitely exudes old European/Mediterranean charm. The displays are a little worse for wear and could use some serious TLC, but you can tell that a lot of people put a lot of time into putting everything up and making it look as nice as they could. If you go for one thing, go for the photographs. Again, they're old and some are faded, but the building is packed full of them, and they're all very nice shots of the beautiful Madeiran landscape. My travel companion bought one of the Madeiran cookbooks at the front gift case area, which true to the theme of the museum is another tribute to Portuguese immigrants to New Bedford, consisting of people's home cooking Madeiran recipes. I'd recommend this as well if you like to cook and want to make Portuguese food at home without fancy equipment- the ingredients were all pretty simple, and the recipes looked quite delicious.

The name might confuse a bit -- this is decidedly an immigrant museum devoted to documenting the…read morelife of Maderian families settling in the New Bedford area. If you're not part of the local Maderian community -- which I'm not -- some of the displays are a bit confusing, but it can be pretty entertaining to look around nonetheless, especially if you have a bit of an anthropology streak in you. More an immigrant community tribute than a heritage museum, you will learn a lot more about the people living in New Bedford than you will about Madeira \in this museum.

The most magical small town library that there ever was! I cannot stress how beautiful it is inside…read moreand out. I always feel like I'm Belle from beauty and the beast when I go in here! It's charming and romantic and a dreamy local library from the multi level staircases to the stained glass and tile floors. Everyone here is always nice. I often go to use their printers and have also tutored there. They hold local events and collect food for those in need too. I love this library so much. I'm so lucky it is in my town!

This fabulous library was my afternoon office for working and surfing. The library opened to the…read morepublic in 1893 and was funded by Standard Oil Vice President Henry Huttleston Rogers in memory of his daughter Millicent, who passed away at the age of 17. Today it operates as a non-profit with funding from the state and city. It is an amazing structure and it is somehow bigger on the inside with tall stacks of books. So many books. And places to sit and study and work quietly. It's a fantastic resource. [Review 18630 overall - 1210 in Massachusetts - 2152 of 2022.]

Try and visit when they've got a free tour - it made ALL the difference! Truly incredible. We…read morewalked the block and got to visit various sites in addition to learning SO much from a passionate docent / staff member. We were 2 mamas with a total of 7 kids that day ranging in ages from 5-14 and all of them had a great time. The video is a perfect place to start. The museum is a great addition, especially if you have reciprocal membership as the cost is somewhat high. Our kids loved exploring their whaling ship and seeing real sperm whale oil and skeletons... oh and climbing inside a whale heart model! The NPS site has some meaningful exhibits as well and we had to get Junior Ranger! Parking is tough - keep that in mind!

19th century whaling community. Lots of things to do and see. Museums. NPS visitor center is full…read moreof history. We took a tour with a lady that was in full character. She talked like she was in the 19th century. Really fun.

This place was a hidden gem. The simulations and hands on experience s were phenomenal. The staff…read morewere great. They took time to explain things to both myself and my kiddo. We were here for Aha night and got to decorate shells, however my kid had more fun with the hands on fishing equipment etc that he got to touch and try. I highly recommend this small slice of New Bedford's fishing history. Kids are free under 12 and you can easily spend 30-45 minutes truly looking and touching everything. So for the adult admission it's worth it.

From the owner: New Bedford is the nation's most valuable fishing port. Find out where your seafood comes from at…read morethis interactive museum and gift shop.

I see there hasn't been a review in years, so I wanted to show my appreciation for an amazing…read morelibrary downtown!! The staff is extremely friendly, and it is so cozy and relaxing inside. They have a large selection, and I love to come here and just browse. If you are downtown New Bedford, make sure to venture inside!

Art books and…read morewhales The New Bedford library is a massive edifice but not particularly beautiful or aesthetical pleasing. Huge blocks of granite piled together and some powerful looking pillars in the front. However since this is New Bedford, the land of Moby Dick, several very interesting statues about whaling grace the front of the library. Actually rather stern and brutal looking but then I guess whaling was never a pleasant vocation. The inside of the library is stunning. Lovely and graceful staircases and wonderful lights and windows. This is definitely one of those libraries that is more art museum that a place for books. But along with the art and antiques this library does have books. A whole lot of books. All the usual best sellers and useful modern books but also an amazing collection of very, very old books. A very cool library that is definitely that is a lot more than just a place to go for a book. A beautiful place that is fascinating to prowl around even if you don't want to read.