New Bedford is located in the southeastern part of Massachusetts, just behind Cape Cod. The city itself is actually south of Providence, Rhode Island, due to its positioning on the south shore of Massachusetts. It also happens to be the sixth-largest city in the state of Massachusetts, and is extremely picturesque. One of the major reasons to come to New Bedford is to spend time at the New Bedford Harbor, looking at the ships and watching the tide roll in. The harbor has been an important part of New Bedford for many years, now – the nickname of the town is “the whaling city,” and this is due to the fact that it was one of the most important whaling ports in the world during the 19th century.
Accordingly, a lot of the attractions of the town have to do with the whaling industry. The New Bedford Whaling Museum is located inside of the New Bedford whaling Museum Historical park, which is the largest museum in the country dedicated to the art of whaling and the impact it has had on both animals and humans throughout the years. The museum chronicles the history of the business, and also displays the skeletons of a blue whale, a humpback whale, and a sperm whale.
In addition to a lot of information on whaling, New Bedford also has a very lively downtown district and community of artists. If you’d like to see what the resident creative individuals of New Bedford are up to, be sure to check out the New Bedford Art Museum as well as Gallery X. Both are staples in the local scene and you’ll be able to see the works of many local artists in this way.
New Bedford is a great town to visit in New England that often gets overlooked. It has a beautiful harbor and a city feel, yet is not as crowded as Boston nor as tourist-oriented as much of Cape Cod is. Be sure to stop by this surprisingly large and vivacious city the next time that you happen to be in the area. There is a lot about New Bedford to love – you might just call it one of New England’s best-kept secrets!




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