New Bedford Whaling Museum

Mrs and I had been trying to figure which museum we'd like to go to next.  Initially we had planned to go to The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, but we decided against this due to the Saint Patrick's Day Parade in South Boston (aka Southie) and The Boston Flower Show.  Instead, we reserved the pass from the Falmouth Public Library for the New Bedford Whaling Museum in New Bedford, MA.

I was late in getting up having worked a double shift on Saturday, and we were in no rush to get there.  New Bedford is a short drive of about 20 miles.

We arrived in the city to find the road we were supposed to take blocked by a police cruiser and two officers waving us on.  We had inadvertently landed in New Bedford at the tail end of their full and half marathon.  The streets and sidewalks around the historic district were busy with runners and spectators making their was back to their vehicles.  Luckily we had the car's in-dash navigation system on (only it's second use) and it re-directed us through the streets.  New Bedford is an old city indeed made in good part because of whaling.  The museum itself is 107 years old.  In 1996 the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park was established.

We were quite surprised to find cobblestone streets.  Despite our many years here on the Cape, we have never ventured to this part of New Bedford.  When I was a kid we would take our meat chickens to a poultry processor in the city, but he was on the north side of I-195.  In fact, the business is still there, only under different ownership.

We found a fantastic parking spot on the street right in front of the museum (a runner vacated the spot as we were looking for one).  We spent a couple hours in the museum and then walked around the historic district a little bit.  We had coffee and a bowl of clam chowder at The Celtic Coffee House which is directly across the street from the museum and took note of while we were exploring the museum.

The museum was great and while I am glad we no longer whale (there probably would not be any left anyway, at the rate they were being taken back then) I'm glad to have taken in a little bit of the history that made our area.  So, if you're in the area put this on your list of places to see.

Some shots from the day, though I am limiting severely what I could put up due to my uncertainty with the museums policy on publishing images of their displays.

 Main entrance to museum.

Some old business signs on the main floor of the museum.

Model of sailboat, main floor.

 View (of our parking spot!) from second floor of the museum above the main entrance.

 Blue whale skull.

 Sperm whale skeleton.

 Sperm whale with a small whaling craft.  this is about how close the whalers would have to be to harpoon them according to the staff member who was talking us through the display.

 

The following four images are taken from the observation deck on the museum.

Celtic Coffee House.  Great old building.  Good coffee and clam chowder.  We will be back here.

 Cobblestone street.

 National Park Visitor Center and former court house.