See & Do
Whale skeletons, a chapel straight out of Moby-Dick and a fort at the end of the South End. Go look at something.
Greetings fromNew
New
Bedford
A working harbor, a pile of history and more malassadas than your cardiologist would like.
The Whaling City. Birthplace of about a thousand guys named Manny. Here's where to go, what to eat and how to find parking downtown. (You won't.)
- The Whaling City
- Moby-Dick started here
- Scallops off the boat
- Fall River wishes
Where to start pick a direction
Six ways into the city. None of them involve a listicle.
Eat
Portuguese bakeries, scallops and linguiça. Where to go and what to order.
Neighborhoods
Downtown, the Ave, the South End, the West End and over the bridge. Learn the difference before you ask for directions.
History
Whaling, Melville and Frederick Douglass. The story of the Whaling City, told straight.
Events
The Feast, and whatever else is worth leaving the couch for.
Getting Here
Routes, parking and getting around on foot. Read it before you get in the car.
Tourist FAQ answered honestly, for once
Straight answers to the questions every visitor asks. You’re welcome.
Is it near Boston?
About an hour. Two if it’s a Friday and Route 24 hates you. Please stop asking.
Why does it smell like that?
It’s the most valuable fishing port in the country, genius. What the hell were you expecting, lavender?
Can I see a whale?
Sure, the skeletons at the Whaling Museum. The live ones wised up about 150 years ago and moved.
What should I eat?
Scallops, a malassada, and whatever the lady behind the bakery counter tells you to get. Do not argue with her. You will lose.
Is this Cape Cod?
No. The Cape is thirty minutes that way and costs three times as much to sit in traffic. Get over yourself.
Is it worth the drive?
Yes, you coward. Park the car, eat something, walk the cobblestones and catch the harbor at sunset. Then go home and brag.
Plan your day
A wicked good day
- Morning: the Whaling Museum, then Seamen’s Bethel. Brush up on your Moby-Dick first if you want to feel smart.
- Lunch: something with linguiça in it. Non-negotiable.
- Afternoon: walk the cobblestones downtown.
- Sunset: Fort Taber, facing the water.
- Dinner: scallops. You’re in the right town.
Don’t be that tourist.
- Wear shoes that can handle cobblestones.
- Acushnet Ave is “the Ave.” Now you know.
- Fairhaven is “over the bridge.” That’s the whole direction.
- It’s “wicked,” not “very.” Practice in the car.
- The gulls will take your lunch. Eat like you mean it.