On Friday, May 1, the museum hosts First Friday, staying open late from 5 to 8 p.m., with Boo City performing in the Harbor View Gallery at 6 p.m. Admission is $25. Providence-based Boo City has a genre-blending and refreshingly original sound. Their music moves between country blues, indie rock, reggae, retro soul, and folk, […]
A free virtual program with historian Marla R. Miller takes place Thursday, April 30, from noon to 1 p.m. Registration is required. Miller is a distinguished professor of history at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her work focuses on women’s labor before industrialization. The Needle’s Eye won a national award. "Betsy Ross and the Making […]
The New Bedford Whaling Museum will host a lifelong learning course on the history of photography from 1839 to 1900. The program includes six weekly 80-minute virtual sessions starting March 9. It ends with an in-person workshop and curator-led tour on April 27 at the museum. Schedule: March 9 — Photography’s origins, 1839 March 16 […]
Join artist Heidi Whitman for an in-gallery talk on Sunday, April 26, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Museum admission applies. She will discuss her installation, “Ahab’s Head: American Vengeance,” on view through May 3, 2026. The work draws on Moby-Dick and reflects about themes of obsession, dread, and violence. […]
April School Vacation Week: Our Shared Planet runs April 20–24, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Each day features themed activities, crafts, and story times focused on the ocean and environment. Guests can tour the entire museum, including the sand table, whale skeletons, Kid’s Corner, the Lagoda, and more. Daily […]
This free virtual program is on Friday, April 17, from noon to 1 p.m., at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Prior registration is required. Art historian Erin Pauwels will talk about her new book, "Napoleon Sarony's Living Pictures: The Celebrity Photograph in Gilded Age New York." Pauwels teaches at Tyler School of Art at Temple […]
The New Bedford Film Festival runs April 9 at 8 p.m. through April 12 at 10 p.m. Various experience passes are available. Festival highlights include independent film and emerging storytellers while supporting the city’s creative economy. Programming includes short and feature films, student work, music videos, episodic pieces, documentaries, and public service announcements. Screenings and […]
Our Sisters’ School will host “When Data Tells a Story: Art, Climate, and the Future We Shape” at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on Thursday, April 9, at 5 p.m. during AHA! Night. The free program highlights a partnership that brings together students, scientists, fishermen, and artists to explore ocean science and climate change through […]
AHA! Night: Project Planet, Explore Our Ecosystem, is on Thursday, April 9, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Whaling Museum. Enjoy free admission and full gallery access from 4 to 5 p.m. during AHA! Night. Visitors can pick up a scavenger hunt card and search for hidden whales throughout the museum. Programs from 4 […]
The next First Friday at the Whaling Museum is on April 3 with a live performance by Providence-based band Texas Street Revival. Doors open at 5 p.m. The program begins at 6 p.m. and runs about 90 minutes. Tickets are $12.50 for members and $25 for the general public. The band blends blues, funk, and […]
Homeschool families are invited to Homeschool Day on Tuesday, March 31, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Activities focus on art, history, science, and culture. Discounted admission is $10 for students ages 4 to 18 and $12 for adults. Children under 3 are free. General admission includes the Kid’s […]
Author Eric Jay Dolin will discuss his book "Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution" on Thursday, March 26, from noon to 1 p.m. at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Admission is free. Dolin is the author of 17 books, including Leviathan: "The History of Whaling in America," "A Furious Sky: The Five-Hundred-Year History […]
Secret Mall Apartment tells the true story of eight Rhode Island artists who secretly built and lived in a 750-square-foot apartment inside Providence Place Mall for four years. Directed by Jeremy Workman and executive produced by Jesse Eisenberg, the film shares never-before-seen footage and reveals the group’s identities for the first time. What started as […]
Feel the rhythm of Latin jazz at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. On First Friday, Jesús Andujar y Su Grupo Sazón perform a mix of salsa, cha-cha, merengue, and Latin jazz. Doors open at 5 p.m. Music starts at 6 p.m. in the Harbor View Gallery. An open dance floor and dance leader for all […]
New Bedford Whaling Museum will host an online “Art Talks!” conversation with Magda C. Leon on Friday, March 6, from noon to 1 p.m. Leon, a Guatemalan-born multidisciplinary artist based in Providence, works in printmaking, installation, and social practice. She describes her bicultural identity as “De aquí y de allá.” The conversation will center on […]
Keynote speaker Richard V. Reeves will present “The Silent Crisis: Addressing the Educational Struggles of Boys and Men” on March 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The talk explores the academic and social challenges facing boys and men. Reeves is a nationally recognized researcher, author, and speaker. His work spans journalism, […]
Author Jeffrey C. Fuhrer will discuss his book “The Myth That Made Us: How False Beliefs about Racism and Meritocracy Broke Our Economy and How to Fix It” on Thursday, Feb. 26, from 1 to 2 p.m. The virtual program is free with registration. Führer is a nonresident senior fellow in Governance Studies at the […]
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 through Feb. 24 at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Program begins at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, in the Harbor View Gallery. Admission is free […]
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 | […]
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 follows a 19th-century whaling family. Footage documents early maritime life in the region. Live accompaniment is included. A brief historical context is provided before the […]
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 Adrift: 76 Days Lost at Sea. On the night of February 4, 1982, Callahan’s small vessel collided with a whale in the Atlantic Ocean. With […]
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 […]
An opening program for "Forging Independence | Building a Nation" is on Thursday, Jan. 22, at 6 p.m. at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The new semi-permanent exhibition marks the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. It looks at regional stories that shaped the fight for independence and the nation that followed. New Bedford Mayor […]
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 provides and opportunity to meet the secretary and share perspectives from the New Bedford community.
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