Because of New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, residents and visitors understand and appreciate New Bedford’s commercial fishing industry and its role in the economy, history, and culture of the region. The Center provides a gathering place for the fishing community, honoring its past, celebrating its present, and supporting its future. The Center is a gateway to the working waterfront and a must-see destination for visitors to the region. It is a well-used resource for students and teachers, writers and researchers, fishing community members, and the general public and is recognized regionally as a leading cultural institution.