New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Center

GENERAL INFORMATION

The only facility within New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park that is operated by the National Park Service is the main Visitor Center located at the corner of North 2^nd and William streets. A parking garage is just a block away at 51 Elm Street, and I recommend using this as your parking option instead of trying to deal with metered street parking.

The Visitor Center is housed in the Old Bank Building from 1853. Over the years it has also been used as the office of the Third District Court of Bristol, a candy factory, a shirt factory, a machine shop, and a piano warehouse. The building was restored in 1978 and reopened once again as a bank. It has served as the park’s Visitor Center since 2000.

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OPERATING HOURS

• 9 AM to 5 PM
• April–December: Daily
• January–March: Wednesday through Sunday
• Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day

Times can always change, so before making travel plans be sure to get the current schedule on the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.

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AMENITIES

• Ranger-staffed information desk where you can pick up a variety of brochures, including walking tours of various New Bedford neighborhoods
• Meeting place for a Ranger-guided tour of the New Bedford historic district
• Large exhibit area
• Park film
• Gift and Souvenir Store
• Restrooms

Information desk and gift store

PARK FILM

A 23-minute film titled The City that Lit the World is shown every half hour. The film focuses on the human side of the whaling industry and the economic impact it had on New Bedford. This is a great way to get a glimpse into the lives of those who worked on the whaling ships and how their meager existence contrasted to the wealthy ship owners who never risked their lives at sea, yet took home most of the profits. The film also touches on the whaling culture of the native Arctic people.

EXHIBIT AREA

The Visitor Center houses a rather extensive exhibit area dedicated to the whaling industry as it pertains to New Bedford. It consists almost exclusively of information panels—there are very few artifacts on display. This is in marked contrast to the New Bedford Whaling Museum, a privately owned museum that covers the entire history of whaling and has a huge display of artifacts, including whale skeletons and actual whaling boats. While the Whaling Museum is certainly the better of the two, the exhibits at the Visitor Center provide a wealth of information about New Bedford and New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.

The exhibit area is divided into three distinct sections. Near the National Park Service desk is a timeline of the whaling industry and information panels on the different attractions in the park such as the Seamen’s Bethel, the Mariners’ Home, the historic Waterfront, and the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

Exhibits on the attractions at New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park

A second room contains exhibits on New Bedford and the type of men who entered into the whaling business, similar to topics covered in the park film. You can read about the lives of whalers through excerpts from some of their diaries. The discrepancies in pay between the ship owner, the captain, and the crew are also detailed.

Exhibit on the diversity of those who worked in the whaling industry

If you plan on taking the self-guided New Bedford Historic District Walking Tour, be sure to visit the third exhibit room before starting your journey. Here you will find details on all of the buildings you will see along the way, as well as information on their restoration. Starting in the 1960s, plans were made to tear down the old buildings to make way for a highway and other urban renewal projects. Some of the highly dilapidated buildings were leveled, while others that were still in good condition were moved to new locations, often filling in the vacant spaces left by the demolished buildings.

Exhibit on the historical buildings in New Bedford

Before and after restoration photos of the Gilbert Russell Warehouse

SCHEDULING YOUR TIME

The casual tourist should plan to spend an hour at the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Center. This allows time to see the film, talk with a Ranger to get the lay of the land, and look through the museum. For those who want to read all of the information, add an additional half hour, 1.5 hours in total.

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