Join the New Bedford Whaling Museum for a day trip to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. Enjoy a private curator-led tour of the exhibition Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone, plus free time to explore the museum, have lunch, and visit Salem.

An ode to New York’s Penn Station and one of its longest-running businesses, “The Petal Pusher” is a reflection on the economics of love (and desperation), and it’s a testament to a bygone era. At its heart, this is a story about love, loss, and family.

AHA! Night. Designed for all ages, this lively evening invites families, young adults, and lifelong learners to explore the museum through hands-on activities, gallery discoveries, poetry, and art-making.

Join us in-person or on Zoom as we welcome Museum Members to the 123rd Annual Members’ Meeting.

John Gonsalves, sportscaster at WJFD-FM, moderates a dynamic panel of soccer experts exploring the sport’s deep roots in the SouthCoast.

Learn about the award-winning biography that restores William Monroe Trotter to his essential place next to Douglass, Du Bois, and Malcom X in the pantheon of American civil rights heroes from author Kerri Greenidge.

Join us for a special after-hours evening at the New Bedford Whaling Museum exclusively for members.

Artist and Smith College Professor Emerita Susan Heidman will discuss her decades long career and artistic process in creating her Proteanna series, a collection of works that explore the bio-morphic shapes of the ocean’s “in-between entities.”

This isn’t a typical concert—expect an interactive, community-driven experience where the audience becomes part of the music. Help shape the setlist, react to short musical ideas, or influence the direction of a tune. Your energy becomes part of the performance, making each show unique and alive.

The New Bedford Whaling Museum welcomes author Will Sofrin to share the extraordinary story of the USCGC Eagle. Discover how this 1936 German vessel, originally the Horst Wessel, was seized as a war prize and transformed into a training ship for US Coast Guard officers.

Author Carol Gardner’s newest book The Divided North traces two Maine families, one Black and one White, as they navigate the turbulent nineteenth century. Their experiences reveal what it meant to live in a free state during the age of slavery.

With sweeping views of the New Bedford harbor, The Jethros will light the fuse for a sparkling celebration—delivering big sounds, feel-good rhythms, and irresistible energy that will have you on your feet and dancing all night long.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 11, as the New Bedford Whaling Museum hosts its annual summer fundraiser. Join us to celebrate the season and support the Museum’s programs and educational initiatives.

Join us for a special after-hours evening at the New Bedford Whaling Museum exclusively for members.

In a warming Arctic, Alaskans are leading efforts to adapt, innovate, mitigate loss, and protect life. Edited by Francesca Du Brock, learn about the book that grew out of an Anchorage Museum exhibition and offers a vital toolkit for resilience in uncertain times.

Experience an evening of endurance at the Whaling Museum’s Sailors’ Series! Captain Jerome Rand shares the gripping tale of his solo, non-stop circumnavigation aboard the Mighty Sparrow—a 271-day, 29,805-mile voyage around the globe without touching land.

On a warm summer evening in our charming seaside city, escape into the New Bedford Whaling Museum and enjoy stunning harbor views, live music, and culture. August’s First Friday brings together art, community, and the Putnam Murdock Quartet—perfect for an evening out.

In art and text, author Sarah Crabtree and illustrator Melissa Philley focus on the story of NB businessman William Rotch (1734-1828) and demonstrate the power of comics to illuminate the power of the archive, the contingencies of narrative, and the motivations of historical actors.  

Kick off your Labor Day weekend at the New Bedford Whaling Museum with an evening of art, culture, and high-energy live music as part of our popular First Fridays series. Enjoy full Museum access and explore the galleries at your leisure before the music begins. Live Music performance by The Catnip Junkies Band starts at 6:00 PM in the Harbor View Gallery.

This eye-opening rethinking of nineteenth-century American history reveals the interdependence of the Northern industrial economy and Southern slave labor, as told by historian Seth Rockman, and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for History.

This September, become part of a global celebration of cinema! Join over 100,000 film lovers in 500+ cities across six continents to watch the Finalists’ Films in the 29th Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival—and cast your vote to help decide the winners!

Join us in conversation with artist and retired Professor of Fine Arts Adrian Tió, who will share his artist’s journey and the story behind a selection of his work that will be on view in an upcoming book arts exhibition at the Whaling Museum.

Join special guest travel host Maria Lawton for an unforgettable exploration of São Miguel culture, cuisine, and breathtaking landscapes.

Learn how both the notion of a Maine “fishing community” and the relationship the people of Maine have with the natural world has changed over time from author Janna M. Smith.

Celebrate National Authors’ Day at the New Bedford Whaling Museum with a special event honoring the writers and illustrators who bring maritime history and coastal culture to life. Browse a curated pop-up book sale from the Museum Store, meet select authors, and enjoy book signings with select authors.

Celebrate hip hop at the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s First Friday! Curated with 3rd EyE Unlimited, the night features a live DJ, dance, spoken word, and art in the Harbor View Gallery. Join us for an evening of rhythm and local talent on the waterfront.

Join author Jen Rose Smith to think about ice—glaciers, snow, snowflakes—in material ways, scientific ways, cultural ways, and to approach ice through a critical lens that puts the politics of race and indigeneity and the violence of dispossession and racialization at the center.

May Babcock is an eco-centric artist that creates paper works and sculptural forms from natural materials she sources from local environments. Join us in conversation as she shares her process in creating works for her New Ecologies series, a collection of sculptural paper forms constructed from sites around New England.

Close out the 2026 First Fridays series with the ocean-inspired sounds of The Whale Guitar and Sharks Come Cruisin’. Enjoy energetic sea shanties, a cash bar, and light bites in the Harbor View Gallery. Don’t miss this celebration of maritime community!

Presented in conjunction with the exhibition New Ecologies: May Babcock (on view November 20, 2026–April 18, 2027), this special evening program brings together film, contemporary dance, and conversation to explore how artists respond to changing landscapes and emerging ecological systems.

Journey through uncharted literary waters and explore Melville’s epic in bold new light with writer and literary historian Steve Mentz.

Each January, the New Bedford Whaling Museum hosts a celebrated live reading of Moby-Dick. The annual Marathon draws global enthusiasts—both in-person and online—to share in this remarkable literary tradition.