New Bedford Whaling Museum

Address
18 Johnny Cake Hill
New Bedford, MA United States Get Directions
Website https://www.whalingmuseum.org/

Events at this venue

Today

  • Cândida Film Screening, Live Performance & Conversation

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    The closing weeks of Morabeza: Cape Verdean Community in the South Coast will be marked by a special film screening, live music, and conversation. The exhibit will be on view […]

  • February Vacation Week at the Museum

    February Vacation Week at the Museum
    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    Travel back in time during February school vacation week at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Each day features themed activities, hands-on crafts, story times, and an afternoon movie. Museum highlights include the Lagoda whaling ship, Kid’s Corner play space, Sailor’s Nook pretend play area, interactive sand table, whale skeletons, and more. Monday, Feb. 16 | […]

  • First Fridays: Down to the Sea in Ships Screening

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    A screening of the 1922 silent film "Down to the Sea in Ships" will open the 2026 First Fridays series. The movie was filmed in and around New Bedford, and […]

  • 76 Days Adrift – Film Screening & Q&A with Executive Producer Robert Sennott

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    From Academy Award–winning Executive Producer Ang Lee comes 76 Days Adrift—a gripping, immersive documentary that tells the extraordinary survival story of Steven Callahan, author of the New York Times bestseller […]

  • Educator Open House at the Whaling Museum

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    A free open house for educators will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 3, from 4–6 p.m. Teachers and guests can view new exhibits. Information will be shared about tours and student activities. Museum staff will be available to discuss field trips and classroom resources. Activities will be offered during the program, including a sample squid […]

  • Secretary of Communities Vanuza Barbosa Visits New Bedford

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    Newly appointed Secretary of Communities Dr. Vanuza Barbosa will visit New Bedford on Saturday, Jan. 17. Barbosa will appear at the New Bedford Whaling Museum at 3:30 p.m. The visit […]

  • 2026 City of New Bedford Inaugural Ceremony

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    The New Bedford City Council School Committee and Board of Assessors will hold the 2026 City of New Bedford Inaugural Ceremony at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. It will […]

  • Melville Scholars’ Dinner & Lecture ft. conservation biologist and award-winning author Joe Roman, Ph.D.

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    New Bedford Whaling Museum will kick off its 30th annual Moby-Dick Marathon weekend with the Melville Scholars' Dinner and Lecture on Jan. 2, 2026, in the Harbor View Gallery. The special evening begins with a cocktail reception at 5:15 p.m., followed by remarks from museum president Amanda McMullen. At 6:00 p.m., keynote speaker Joe Roman, […]

  • 30th Annual Moby-Dick Marathon

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    The Moby-Dick Marathon is back for the 30th year, honoring Herman Melville’s novel and New Bedford’s whaling history. The mid-winter traditions open Friday, Jan. 2, with a Melville Scholars Dinner and Lecture, the only ticketed event. Conservation biologist Joe Roman delivers the keynote. Free public programming begins Saturday morning with Stump the Scholars, followed by […]

  • New Year’s Eve with Toe Jam Puppet Band

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    Kids and families can ring in New Year’s Eve at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Toe Jam Puppet Band will perform in the Jacobs Family Gallery and lead an evening […]

  • AHA! Night | NB Festive ft. the South Coast Children’s Chorus

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    The New Bedford Whaling Museum hosts a free holiday performance by the South Coast Children’s Chorus during AHA! Night NB Festive on Dec. 11. Songs are from the chorus’s Hear My Voice season. The program highlights youth voices and messages of peace, unity, and community. Free museum admission is offered from 4 to 5 p.m. […]

  • Winter Brass – A Festive First Friday at New Bedford Whaling Museum

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    New Bedford Whaling Museum will close its First Friday series with Winter Brass, a seasonal program featuring Southcoast Brass Band and its New Orleans-inspired sound. Visitors can move through the […]

  • “Sailing Towards My Father,” One Man Play About Moby-Dick

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    "Sailing Towards My Father" is a one-person play about Herman Melville, written and directed by Carl A. Rossi. It follows Melville from youth to later life and focuses on his […]

  • 3rd Annual Giving Tuesday Holiday Cocktail Party

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    PACE will hold its 3rd Annual Giving Tuesday Holiday Cocktail Party on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The fundraiser features […]

  • John Ashton, Jr., Massachusetts Militia Bass Drum, ca. 1820. White pine, vellum, oak, rope, leather, and ferrous metal, 23 x 23 inches, NBWM 00.134.6

    Forging Independence | Building a Nation exhibit

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    Opening Dec. 1, 2025, Forging Independence explores key events in the South Coast region during and after the American Revolution, from 1760 to 1830. The exhibition highlights moments such as […]

  • Moby-Dick Virtual Book Club

    Moby-Dick Virtual Book Club
    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    The New Bedford Whaling Museum will host its first virtual Moby-Dick Book Club this fall. The free three-part series is moderated by assistant curator Marina Wells. It will feature discussions with seven nationally recognized Melville scholars. Sessions run on the third Tuesday of September, October, and November 2025, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. They are […]

  • Sailors’ Series: Young Sailors, Big Horizons: Talk & Discussion

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    "The Sailors’ Series: Young Sailors, Big Horizons" is on Nov. 12, 2025, at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., followed by welcome remarks, a panel discussion, audience Q&A, and […]

  • Tracing your Ancestors: Researching Cape Verdean Genealogy

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    Researchers and archivists will share experiences tracing family histories. Participants will learn tips and tools on how to find family branches. The free online program focuses on Cape Verdean-descended families. […]

  • First Friday: Punk Meets Classical, The Legge Family Jam & More

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    Experience a genre-bending night of music at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on Friday, Nov. 7. Cellist Ian Legge, known as “The Punk Cellist,” blends classical skill with punk energy. […]

  • The Captains’ Coup: Activist Journalism on the Portuguese Revolution

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    Professors Daniela Melo and Timothy Walker will present highlights from their new scholarly edition. The illustrated talk explores the role of activist journalism in documenting the downfall of Europe’s longest-standing […]

  • Bank of America “Museums on Us” Weekend

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    Bank of America’s Museums on Us program brings free general admission on Saturday, Feb. 7, and Sunday, Feb. 8. Show a Bank of America, Merrill, or Bank of America Private […]

  • Deep Sea Monsters: Halloween Day at the Whaling Museum

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    Spend a Halloween-themed afternoon at the Whaling Museum. Explore maritime history with a spooky twist. Hear about the “monsters” sailors claimed to see. Join a scavenger hunt with not-so-scary whales. Watch the undersea adventure in the animated film "Deep." Many sea creatures described by sailors came from real animals seen briefly at sea. Fear and […]

  • New Bedford Lyceum with Bill McKibben

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    Author, educator, and activist Bill McKibben has spent decades turning climate science into action. In his keynote, "Solar, Society, and the Shifting Climate," he discusses solar energy, climate justice, and the power of community. He blends data, stories, and hope to offer both insight and direction. The keynote concludes a two-day climate program at the […]