Home - New Bedford Whaling Museum

Visit NBWM

Ignite your curiosity and discover the vibrant stories of our region through an interactive journey into art, history, and science. From massive whale skeletons to hands-on maritime adventures, it’s a family-friendly experience that truly brings the spirit of exploration to life.

 

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Visit NBWM

At the New Bedford Whaling Museum, we like things big—step aboard the Lagoda, the world’s largest half-scale model of a whaling bark. Then walk beneath full whale skeletons of four species—right, blue, humpback, and sperm—to experience their immense scale and compare their unique forms.

 

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Proteanna: Susan Heideman

Artist Susan Heideman explores organic, ocean-inspired forms that evoke both real and imagined invertebrate life, suggesting primordial creatures drifting in deep waters. Her Proteanna series features vibrant, large-scale, hand-embroidered works layered with paintings and constructions, creating richly textured, almost three-dimensional environments that immerse viewers in an imaginative underwater world.

 

On View: May 29 - November 1, 2026

 

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Open Doors

OPEN DOORS: The Museum is building a premier Welcome & Exhibition Center that's slated to open in 2027. Thanks to a $500,000 challenge match put forward by the Jacobs Family, your gift today will have double the impact!

Gifts of $1,000 or more are eligible for our commemorative paver program.

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Upcoming Programs

Celebrate dynamic public programs with live music, gallery talks, artist demos, and hands-on activities inspired by our exhibitions—creating connection, creativity, and the vibrant culture of our region.

 

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Image Credit: Hugh Fanning

Forging Independence - Building a Nation

This exhibition introduces invites visitors to form connections between historical events and pressing issues of today, to consider what ideas are embodied in the terms and ideas of Independence and Nationhood.

 

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New 3D film!

Shark Kingdom

Shark heroes and conservationists Jess Cramp, Liv Rose and Cristina Zenato lead this epic family adventure into the kingdom of sharks, where we’ll come face to face with these ancient and awe-inspiring animals and learn how our future is intertwined with theirs.

 

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Upcoming Programs

Local History Guild is the NBWM’s quarterly Zoom program, an informal discussion about art, history, science and culture related to the museum’s mission, collection, and the surrounding region. This September, NBWM invites a group of historians and art historians to share their research on textiles in the nineteenth-century northeast.

An engaging discussion about the 2026 Massachusetts Great Reads title Nothing More of This Land: Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity by Joseph Lee.

Moby-Dick Book Club

September 15, 2026 - November 17, 2026

Join the Moby-Dick Book Club, a virtual three-part series exploring Herman Melville’s iconic American novel. Whether you’re reading it for the first time or returning to it with fresh eyes, all are welcome to take part in engaging, thought-provoking conversations led by some of the world’s leading Melville scholars.

Join the New Bedford Whaling Museum for an exclusive Members Day Trip of a whale watch with Captain John Boats in Plymouth, Massachusetts! Join us on the journey as we head out to Cape Cod Bay and Stellwagen Bank, a marine sanctuary and one of the primary feeding grounds for humpback, fin and minke whales.

Tickets

Online ticketing is now our primary method of selling admission. Discounted admission tickets can only be purchased onsite.

Museum & 3D Movie Price
Adults $28
Seniors (65+) $26
Youth $18
Museum Members $4

 

Museum Only Price
Adults $24
Senior (65+) $22
Youth $14
Museum Members FREE

 

Hours

Open: Mon–Sun, 9am–5pm.

Become a Member

Members enjoy free admission year-round and many other benefits. Before you purchase your admission ticket, CONSIDER BECOMING A MEMBER!

Extend Your Admission

Bundle your visit to the New Bedford Whaling Museum with admission to either the Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum or the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center to save at both attractions. Buy or learn more at our Admission Desk.

Guides
Plan your visit using the Museum's Visitors Guide (also available in Chinese, French, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish).

Download the Bloomberg Connects app for our gallery guide including audio, images, video, and an interactive map.

Exhibitions

Museum Store

Online ticketing is now our primary method of selling admission.

Adventures at sea, science, history, art, cookbooks, kids' books, and more — the Museum store has something for all the book lovers on your list.

Choose from prints available at 1000 Museums, or request prints of artworks in our collection.

Shop all of our gifts. The Museum store has hundreds of items available, you're sure to find the perfect gift for that special someone on your list!