Complete information about visiting New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park is now on National Park Planner!
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in New Bedford, Massachusetts, was established by the U. S. Congress in 1996 to commemorate the history of the whaling industry, the fifth most valuable industry in America prior to the discovery of petroleum in 1859. New Bedford was chosen as the home for the park because it was the world’s leading whaling town in the 1800s. The park consists of a variety of attractions in a thirteen-block area of downtown New Bedford. Inland attractions include the National Park Service Visitor Center where you can pick up park brochures and other information, plus peruse a small museum that covers the history of New Bedford and the creation of the park; the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the world’s largest American whaling and maritime museum; and the Seamen’s Bethel, a church filled with memorials to sailors who died at sea. The Bethel was made famous after being the setting for a scene in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. Melville lived the life of a whaler himself for 18 months, departing out of New Bedford in January 1841 aboard the Acushnet.
NEW BEDFORD HISTORIC DISTRICT WALKING TOUR
RANGER GUIDED TOUR OF NEW BEDFORD HISTORIC DISTRICT
ROTCH-JONES-DUFF HOUSE AND GARDEN MUSEUM
DIRECTIONS AND CONTACT INFORMATION
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Last updated on November 25, 2025
