The centerpiece of New Bedford, this excellent, hands-on museum remembers the town's heyday as a whaling port. The museum occupies seven buildings situated between William and Union Sts. A 66ft skeleton of a blue whale and a smaller skeleton of a sperm whale welcome you at the entrance. To learn what whaling was all about, you need only tramp the decks of the Lagoda, a fully rigged, half-size replica of an actual whaling bark.
New Bedford Whaling Museum
South Shore
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
26.18 MILES
Three miles south of Plymouth center, Plimoth Plantation authentically re-creates the Pilgrims’ settlement in its primary exhibit, entitled 1627 English…
23.38 MILES
While the peerless position and splendor of the grounds alone are worth the price of admission, this faux-English manor house also contains heiress and…
22.54 MILES
A 70-room Italian Renaissance megapalace inspired by 16th-century Genoese palazzi, the Breakers is the most magnificent of Newport's grandiose mansions…
22.73 MILES
Designed by Horace Trumbauer in 1901, the Elms is a replica of Château d'Asnières, built near Paris in 1750. Here you can take a 'behind-the-scenes' tour…
28.78 MILES
Designed by McKim, Mead and White in 1904, the Rhode Island State House rises above the Providence skyline, easily visible from miles around. Modeled in…
24.39 MILES
Fort Adams is America's largest coastal fortification and the centerpiece of this gorgeous state park, which juts out into Narragansett Bay. It's the…
28.24 MILES
One of the most prominent buildings on Benefit St, the Greek Revival Providence Athenaeum was designed by William Strickland and completed in 1838. This…
22.54 MILES
Oak Bluffs started out in the mid-19th century as a summer retreat by a revivalist church, whose members enjoyed a day at the beach as much as a gospel…
Nearby South Shore attractions
0.02 MILES
Across from the Whaling Museum, this small chapel was a refuge from the rigors and stresses of maritime life. Melville immortalized it in Moby-Dick, where…
13.27 MILES
‘You sank my battleship!’ This cry was ne’er heard aboard the mighty USS Massachusetts, a hulk of a craft that survived 35 battles in WWII, gunning down…
14.7 MILES
Of all Falmouth's beaches, none is finer than Old Silver Beach. This long, sandy stretch of beach attracts scores of college students, families and day…
4. Woods Hole Science Aquarium
14.95 MILES
The small Woods Hole Science Aquarium has little flash and dazzle, but it does have unusual sea-life specimens, local fish and the Homarus americanus (aka…
15.06 MILES
Lovely, ocean-facing Goosewing Beach is the only good public beach, as the prime beach land is privately owned. Parking costs $12 (weekdays) or $14 …
6. WHOI Ocean Science Exhibit Center
15.25 MILES
You'll gain insights into the work of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution at this museum, where interactive exhibits include a full-size model of the…
7. Carolyn's Sakonnet Vineyard
15.51 MILES
This popular vineyard has free guided tours, a seasonal cafe and daily tastings for $14: great value for sampling seven local wines.
16.19 MILES
Saved from the wrecking ball in the 1990s and lovingly restored by the community, Highfield Hall dates from 1878 and was one of the early summer mansions…