Strongly suggested for those who enjoy nautical scenes or local interest type productions…read more... The gallery is pretty large and has a collection ranging from originals, to prints to glicees to scrimshaw to jewelry to....you name it! Definitely not a gift shop though, the Arthur Moniz gallery is a place for a someone who appreciates great artwork or who is looking to decorate their home. I strongly encourage all those folks who pass by New Bedford on their way to the Cape or on their way to MV/Nantucket via the ferry to stop off and appreicate this gem...

A really nice, tucked away gallery on Center Street, The Arthur Moniz Gallery is entertainment by…read moreitself with the local artist's astonishingly realistic pieces. The prices may be steep; about two grand for a really nice one; but it's not a gift shop. This gallery is nice when your walking around the downtown area with your smoothie in-hand and want to see some locally inspired artwork.

Great Art Gallery with free entry but donate what you can featuring local artists like my favorite…read moreShawn Quinn

As an art Gallery this is a pretty interesting one. The exhibits are always interesting, the…read moreowners of the gallery are eccentric and pleasant, and the space is a renovated church, so it is quite lovely. Its a typical local gallery, local artists, local art, etc. I was recently there for a private event. A wedding to be precise. It worked out well for the amount of people that we had, though I would not suggest doing so with more than 50 guests. It was a bit of a squeeze to manage a dance floor. There is a kitchen downstairs to allow for food service/catering. Overall a lovely place for a small event.

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.

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 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.

Wow! This Gallery is awesome, Artists who are literally in the Smithsonian in New Bedford too! I…read morecouldn't believe the quality and and variety.

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.