Embark on an unforgettable literary voyage at the New Bedford Whaling Museum!
Join us in celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Moby-Dick Marathon, the Museum’s world-renowned tribute to Herman Melville’s epic tale of obsession, adventure, and the sea. Each January, readers and Melville enthusiasts from around the globe gather in New Bedford—the very port where Melville himself once set sail—to take part in a 25-hour, cover-to-cover reading of Moby-Dick.
This extraordinary event transforms the Museum into a stage for literature, history, and community. Visitors can immerse themselves in Melville-inspired programs, including thought-provoking conversations with scholars, dramatic performances, hands-on activities for all ages, and behind-the-scenes experiences that bring Melville’s world vividly to life.
The Marathon commemorates Melville’s 1841 departure aboard the whaleship Acushnet—the journey that would inspire one of America’s greatest novels. Thirty years on, the celebration continues to grow, uniting generations of readers, performers, and maritime enthusiasts in a shared quest for the elusive white whale.
Set sail with us in 2026 for this milestone year and experience why the Moby-Dick Marathon remains one of the most beloved literary traditions in the world.
Melville Scholars’ Dinner
FRIDAY, JANUARY 2
Begin the Moby-Dick Marathon weekend in style at the Melville Scholars’ Dinner, an evening of insight, inspiration, and fellowship overlooking New Bedford Harbor. This special gathering honors thirty years of the Moby-Dick Marathon—a beloved tradition that celebrates Herman Melville’s enduring masterpiece and its profound connections to literature, history, and the sea.
Welcome & Introduction | Harbor View Gallery
5:15 PM – Doors open with a brief cocktail reception
5:45 PM – Opening remarks by Amanda McMullen, President & CEO of the New Bedford Whaling Museum, followed by recognition of thirty years of the Moby-Dick Marathon and its place in the Museum’s legacy.
Keynote Address
“Whales, Worlds, and the Wild Imagination: Lessons from Melville to Modern Ecology”
Joe Roman, Ph.D. Fellow and Writer in Residence, Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont
Joe Roman is a conservation biologist, marine ecologist, and editor-in-chief of eattheinvaders.org. Winner of the Rachel Carson Environment Book Award for Listed: Dispatches from America’s Endangered Species Act, Roman has written for The New York Times, Science, Slate, and many other publications. His work has been featured in The New Yorker, Washington Post, NPR, BBC, and more.
A longtime scholar of marine mammals, Roman has explored the ecology, genetics, and history of whales for more than two decades. His research on the whale pump and the great whale conveyor belt has reshaped our understanding of how these giants sustain marine ecosystems, from nutrient cycling at the ocean’s surface to biodiversity in the deep sea on whale falls.
His latest book, Eat, Poop, Die: How Animals Make Our World, captures the grand cycles of life and death in nature—cycles Melville hinted at in his meditations on leviathans, mortality, and the ocean’s mysteries.
Tonight, in the spirit of Melville and in honor of thirty years of marathon readings at the Whaling Museum, Roman will bridge literature and science: exploring how whales nourish worlds, how story-telling deepens conservation, and how Melville’s vision continues to resonate in an age of ecological urgency.
Dinner & Fellowship
6:45 PM – Buffet dinner is served. A celebration of Melville, the living ocean, and the scholars, readers, and dreamers who keep the Moby-Dick Marathon alive.
Tickets: $75 Members | $100 Non-Members
This is the only ticketed portion of the weekend; all other Moby-Dick Marathon activities and Museum admission are free until Sunday at 1:00 PM.
Download the Museum Guide through Bloomberg Connects
to hear a tour by the Melville Scholars.
Watch the 2025 Marathon Below!
Moby-Dick Marathon Program Schedule
SATURDAY, JANUARY 3
9:30 AM – Stump the Scholars | Cook Memorial Theater (Lower Level)
Submit your questions to Melville experts and try to stump them. Hosted by Marina Wells. Special pins for successful stumpers.
10:00 AM – Story Time | East Meets West Gallery (Main Level)
Children enjoy a storytelling session in the coziness of the Kids Corner located within the East Meets West Gallery.
11:25 AM – Moby-Dick Extracts | A Whaling Voyage Around the World / Bourne Building (Main Level)
Melville Society scholars read selected passages. VIP readers seated near the podium.
12:00 Noon – Start of the 25-Hour Marathon | A Whaling Voyage Around the World / Bourne Building (Main Level)
Begins at the stern of the Lagoda with “Call me Ishmael.” Guest readers continue through Chapter 6.
1:30 PM – Father Mapple’s Sermon | Seamen’s Bethel and Harbor View Gallery (Upper Level)
Wristband required for in-person seating. Livestream available in the Gallery. Hymn sheets provided with “The Ribs and Terrors in the Whale.”
1:30 PM – Portuguese Mini-Marathon | Cook Memorial Theater (Lower Level)
Forty-eight readers perform a Portuguese adaptation by Tiago Patricio. Doors open at 1:30 PM; reading 2:00–6:00 PM. Celebration follows in Jacobs Family Gallery.
2:10 PM – Main Marathon Continues | Harbor View Gallery (Upper Level)
Marathon resumes after Bethel reading and continues through the evening.
2:30 PM – Chat with Melville Scholars | Research Library (Main Level)
Informal discussion with scholars in a roundtable setting.
3:00–6:00 PM – Make Your Mark | Classroom (Main Level)
Craft your own bookmark (drop-in self-guided activity). Supplies available while they last.
4:00-5:00 PM – Meet & Greet Drop-in Session with Heidi Whitman | Center Street Gallery (Main Level)
Meet the artist behind Ahab’s Head: American Vengeance, An installation, Heidi Whitman and reflect on Ahab’s obsession in Moby-Dick, and ties to American violence and public discourse.
6:30 PM – Cousin Hosea’s Chowder Hall and Decanter Taproom | Whales Today / Jacobs Family Gallery (Lower Level)
Warm up with complimentary chowder or explore local food vendors (while supplies last).
7:30 PM – Midnight on the Forecastle (Chapter 40) | Cook Memorial Theater (Lower Level)
Live performance by Culture*Park. NEW THIS YEAR: Seats will be assigned by lottery, like Seamen’s Bethel lottery, due to high demand and limited seating capacity.
8:00 PM – Start of Overnight Marathon Reading | Cook Memorial Theater (Lower Level)
NEW THIS YEAR: overnight slots will be in 5-minute slots (as are the daytime slots) to accommodate additional readers.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 4
8:00 AM – The 20th-Hour Treat | Whales Today / Jacobs Family Gallery (Lower Level)
Complimentary coffee and malassadas while, supplies last. Additional food will be available for purchase.
8:00 AM – Marathon Relocates | Harbor View Gallery (Upper Level)
Final leg of the Marathon until approximately 1:00 PM.
9:30 AM – Chat with Melville Scholars | Research Library (Main Level)
Another opportunity for open conversation with scholars.
1:00 PM – Marathon Concludes | Harbor View Gallery (Upper Level)
Museum remains open to the public until 4:00 PM.
