10 Reasons to Visit the New Bedford Whaling Museum
1. Take a Guided or Audio Tour
The museum offers a few ways to explore and discover your way around, regardless whether you have come alone or in a group. Group tours of ten or more are offered at a discount rate and school group tours are encouraged.
Each piece you come across in the museum will evoke many questions, and you may not want to wander around on your own. For this reason docent led tours are offered. The trained docent tours are subject to availability, are 60-90 minutes long and can include one or more topics of your choice. If you would prefer to go at your own pace, but still want your questions answered, 3 audio tours are available.
- The Lagoda/Bourne Building tour includes the world’s largest ship model, The Lagoda. Interact with the ship model as you learn about its important role in New Bedford’s history and whaling.
- The Azorean Whaleman Gallery tour will fill you in on New Bedford’s connection with the Azores as a port for whaling ships. Browse the artwork, letters and documents.
- The Jacobs Family Gallery tour will tell you all about the famous whale skeletons and Herman Melville’s description of them through commentary by the members of the Melville Society.
These tours are free (included with admission) and are currently only available in English. Other languages are planned for the future.
2. Rental: Wedding Receptions, Meetings and Events
With eight locations to choose from, the Museum offers quite the selection for wedding receptions, corporate or business meetings, fundraisers, dinner events or other function. Outdoor and indoor locations, intimate or large, scenic and panoramic – whatever you are looking for, the museum offers it. Have your function complemented by 18th century homes, cobblestone streets, historic works of art, or local history in one of America’s national historic parks. For more info go to Whaling Museum Rentals.
3. Go Shopping!
After you enjoy a tour through the various museum exhibitions, you’ll want to grab a memento of your visit or a gift for that special someone. There are hundreds of items to choose from. Jewelry, puzzles, dolls, shirts, games, office desk items, holiday ornaments, and educational items for teachers. Also available are CDs, DVD, and books covering sailing, New Bedford’s history, Lincoln Park, whaling, Herman Melville and more. There are even edibles like American Heritage chocolate and maple syrup!
If you fall in love with the artwork you discover, take a reproduction home as they are available through “Prints on Demand.” These are very high quality reproductions of the museum’s exclusive collection are surprisingly inexpensive and come in fours sizes and prices. They can also be purchased online at 1000 Museums New Bedford Whaling Museum Prints.
4. Scrimshaw Weekend
On May 11-13 the Whaling Museum, the scrimshaw capital of the world, will host its 23rd Annual Scrimshaw Weekend – “the world’s only regular forum where collectors, dealers, curators, folk art and whaling history buffs share their interests in the indigenous art of whalers.”
On Friday, will be the Nautical Antiques Show from noon-5:00 p.m. Browse and purchase scrimshaw, logbooks, ship models, nautical instruments, photos and more for $5 or free with the purchase of admission. From 6-8:00 p.m. will be a special VIP cocktail reception where you can get a sneak peek at the Scrimshaw Exhibition and book launch for “Ingenious Contrivances, Curiously Carved: Scrimshaw in the New Bedford Whaling Museum” by Stuart M. Frank.
Saturday, will be filled with Presentation Programs with various speakers interspersed with coffee breaks and a lunch buffet. Guest speakers will include President James Russell, Chicago native John Miklos, Donald C. Boger, M.D., Captain Thomas Conley, Scrimshaw artist Ryan Cooper, James Vaccarino, and Andrew Jacobson. An evening banquet will follow, and the night’s events brought to a close with keynote speaker Jack H.T. Chang, M.D.
The entire event will conclude on Sunday with the Scrimshaw Gallery opening, a field trip through the “Seven Continents, Seven Seas” exhibition led by Stuart M. Frank before the public launch of his book “Ingenious Contrivances, Curiously Carved: Scrimshaw in the New Bedford Whaling Museum.”
For more information, a detailed itinerary, ticket prices, and hotel information go to Whaling Museum Scrimshaw Weekend 2012.
5. AHA Celebrations
Every second Thursday the city of New Bedford celebrates AHA, a showcase for New Bedford’s Architecture, History and Art. The Whaling Museum participates by staying open an extra four hours until 8 p.m. on AHA nights and often has live entertainment in the plaza. This is a very popular, family-oriented event that takes over the entire downtown. Not to be missed!
6. Visit the Library & Archives
One of the best kept “secrets” about the Whaling Museum is their Research Library and Archives. It is America’s largest collection of banking records, and the world’s largest collection of whaling logbooks. 18,000 titles in ten languages of colonial era documents, whaling history and voyages as well as historical documents of the surrounding cities and towns of Westport, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, and Acushnet. The library is comprised of property deeds, newspapers, government documents, banking and business papers, logbooks, pilot charts, rare books, art references and more.
You will encounter many surnames that are familiar to you today, but go back to the foundations of the region. You may even see your own! Names like Hathaway, Howland, Bennett, Gifford, Bourne, Nye, Cummings, and Sherman.
The museum has also made access to their research library catalog online and can be perused at New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library and Archives. An invaluable resource!
7. Volunteer
If you love the local history and museum, you can volunteer, meet new people and promote New Bedford’s rich history by becoming a docent and leading tours. The museum will provide you with a professional orientation and training program. You can apply online, and download their suggested reading list. Check out the museum’s volunteer page for full details.
8. Join the Apprenticeship, Internship or Scholar Programs
New Bedford residents who are a junior or senior at New Bedford High School and receive free or reduced lunch can apply for paid apprenticeship. Those who excel academically, and are interested in their local culture, and arts and science will get hands on experience, write articles for the museum blog site, develop problem solving, organization and team-building skills, and learn to interact publicly.
If you are a college student that has an interest in a specific field of museum work, you may find an opportunity to get theoretical, methodological and practical training through the museum’s College Internship Course. Departments, which are dependent upon availability include Accounting/Financing, Archives & Library, Museum Development & Management, Education and Public Programs, Photography and Digital Archives, Exhibition and Registrar.
If you are an upper level college student or post graduate there are opportunities in one of the three museum programs. The “L. Byrne Waterman Scholarship Program” and the “Conservation Scholarship Program” will give you valuable work experience in the field of research and museum work, furthering your career objectives. There is also a “Visiting Scholar in Residence” program for those who can contribute their expertise from one day to a few weeks. The program is open to those who plan to conduct research in the old Dartmouth region or whaling industry “including academic scholars, public sector professionals in marine science or history-related disciplines, independent scholars, graduate students, writers, filmmakers, and educators.”
To apply or get more information go to Opportunities for Interns, Apprentices, and Scholars.
9. Moby Dick Marathon
Each year the Whaling Museum celebrates their Annual Moby-Dick Marathon with a 25-hour, nonstop reading of the book by over 150 readers. The marathon takes place each January, and is complemented by special exhibits, artwork, slideshows, ticketed buffet dinner, cash bar, lectures, a Q&A and other events and activities. Prizes are given away and the event is accompanied by a live video feed via livestream.
You can read about the 16th Annual Moby-Dick Marathon’s fun filled activities, photos, and video at 16th Annual Moby-Dick Marathon.
10. Current and Upcoming Exhibitions
Last, but not least are the fantastic exhibitions the museum currently has and has coming. Currently there are 17 exhibitions and you can fill an hour or an entire day exploring. Discover the connection between New Bedford and the Azores and the Cape Verdean culture, stroll out on the observation deck to amazing harbor views, climb aboard the world’s largest ship model “The Lagoda”, gaze in awe at the 4 whale skeletons suspended from the Jacob’s Gallery ceiling, and see the amazing Scrimshaw, paintings, and other museum pieces. There is no such thing as a dull day at the whaling museum!
Learn more about the current exhibitions as well as past, upcoming and online exhibitions.
New Bedford Whaling Museum is on 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA 02740. Hours for May – September are 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and open until 8 p.m. every second Thursday of the month for AHA. October – April hours are Tuesday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and also open until 8 p.m. every second Thursday of the month for AHA. Open holiday Mondays, closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Regular adult admission is $14. Seniors are $12, Students $9 and Children are $6. Children under 6 are free. Buy a membership and admission is FREE.
New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library is located on 791 Purchase Street, New Bedford, MA 02740. Hours are Tuesday – Friday 10 – 4 p.m. First Saturday of every month 10 – 4 p.m. Admission for members is always free, non-members $10 however, the library is free for all on the first Saturday of every month. For directions, travel info and parking.