February Dock-u-mentaries: Sustaining Sea Scallops
Friday, February 16 | 7:00PM | New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park (33 William Street, New Bedford) | FREE
Join us for our February Dock-u-mentary, Sustaining Sea Scallops! This 2016 documentary produced by the Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF) explores how fishermen and scientists along the East Coast – from New Bedford, MA to Seaford, VA – work together to ensure the survival of Atlantic sea scallops. 35 minute film followed by Q&A with CFF staff.
Dock-u-mentaries are free and are hosted in the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park auditorium at 33 William Street in Downtown New Bedford.
Register here (please select one free ticket per family or couple): https://bit.ly/3vGbSjp
Questions? Contact programs@fishingheritagecenter.org or call (508) 993-8894
Lobster Days 2024
Thursday, February 22 | 11:00am – 3:00pm | FHC (38 Bethel Street, New Bedford) | FREE
You’re invited to Lobster Days 2024! Explore one of New England’s favorite crustaceans at New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, Thursday, February 22 and Friday, February 23 from 11am until 3:00pm! Local lobstermen Dave Casoni and Steve Holler will be on hand to answer questions about commercial lobstering and lead lobster biology demos. Lobsterman and tugboat captain Bruce Gifford will also be showcasing some of his authentic lobster boat models.
PLUS, try your hand at making a lobster hat or a lobster hand puppet and enjoy lobster-themed story time throughout both days. All Lobster Day programming is FREE and open to the public!
Lobster Days 2024 is made possible through the generous support of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association as well as Mass Cultural Council.
Lobster Days 2024
Friday, February 23 | 11:00am – 3:00pm | FHC (38 Bethel Street, New Bedford) | FREE
You’re invited to Lobster Days 2024! Explore one of New England’s favorite crustaceans at New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, Thursday, February 22 and Friday, February 23 from 11am until 3:00pm! Local lobstermen Dave Casoni and Steve Holler will be on hand to answer questions about commercial lobstering and lead lobster biology demos. Lobsterman and tugboat captain Bruce Gifford will also be showcasing some of his authentic lobster boat models.
PLUS, try your hand at making a lobster hat or a lobster hand puppet and enjoy lobster-themed story time throughout both days. All Lobster Day programming is FREE and open to the public!
Lobster Days 2024 is made possible through the generous support of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association as well as Mass Cultural Council.
Fishing Heritage Center Closed to the Public
Friday, March 8 | All Day | FHC (38 Bethel Street, New Bedford)
New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center will be closed to the public all day on Friday, March 8, for a private event. The Center will resume normal public visiting hours on Saturday, March 9.
Special Program: Unusual Catch Day
Saturday, March 9 | 1:00pm – 4:00pm | FHC (38 Bethel Street, New Bedford) | FREE
An FHC tradition is back! Fish are not the only things that come up in a fisherman’s net. Fishermen routinely pull up a variety of objects, including glass bottles and fine china, wreckage from sunken ships, unexploded bombs, and even real life sea monsters! Stop by the Center on Saturday, March 9, from 1:00pm to 4:00pm and bring your own unusual catches or view others’ at FHC’s version of Antiques Roadshow. Maritime archeologists will be on had to help shed light on these interesting finds. Public welcome!
March AHA! Night: Herstory
Thursday, March 14 | 6:00pm | FHC (38 Bethel Street, New Bedford) | FREE
Celebrate Women’s History Month at FHC! Join us on March 14 to learn about Herstory, an intergenerational oral history project pairing high school and college students with older women with ties to New Bedford’s fishing community. Meet project participants and hear stories from the working waterfront, past and present.
Funding for Herstory is made possible through the generous support of the Association for the Relief of Aged Women and Women’s Fund SouthCoast.
March Dock-u-mentaries: Saving New England Fisheries
Friday, March 15 | 7:00PM | New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park (33 William Street, New Bedford) | FREE
Join us for the final Dock-u-mentary film screening of the Fall/Winter series! Saving New England Fisheries is a 2016 documentary film that explores the rise and fall of the Atlantic Cod fishery in the Gulf of Maine, and follows the fishermen, scientists, environmentalists, and local restaurateurs who are fighting to save this famous New England species. Duration: 56 minutes.
Dock-u-mentaries are free and are hosted in the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park auditorium at 33 William Street in Downtown New Bedford.
Register here: https://bit.ly/3SI5PT0
Questions? Contact programs@fishingheritagecenter.org or call (508) 993-8894
Swordfishing on the SouthCoast
Thursday, April 11 | 5:00-8:00pm | FHC (38 Bethel Street, New Bedford) | FREE
FHC invites you to the opening of our newest exhibit, Stand Clear the Line: Swordfishing on the SouthCoast, on Thursday, April 11. Explore the fascinating world of commercial swordfishing and discover the stories of the people who sailed in search of swordfish. The exhibit will open to the public at 5:00pm. Then at 6:00pm, members of the public will be invited to hear first-hand from local New Bedford fishermen about their experiences catching swordfish on New England’s SouthCoast. The exhibit will be on display until September 30, 2024.
Stand Clear the Line: Swordfishing on the SouthCoast and related programming are supported by Eversource, the Westport Cultural Council Community Grants, A local agency supported by the Helen E. Ellis Charitable Trust administered by the Bank of America and the Westport Community Gift Fund, grants from the Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Marion, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, and Westport Cultural Councils, as well as the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Ongoing Gallery Exhibit: Stand Clear the Line: Swordfishing on the SouthCoast
April 2024 – September 2024 | New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center (38 Bethel Street, New Bedford) | Included with price of admission
Our next gallery exhibit will explore the fascinating world of commercial swordfishing. Swordfish have been an important fishery for New England for over 200 years, and this majestic fish continues to capture the imagination of fishermen from coast to coast. Explore the history of commercial swordfishing from the age of tall ships to modern times and discover the people who sailed in search of swordfish. This exhibit will feature a swordfish pulpit, harpoons and darts, models and decorated swordfish bills, photographs and video footage, and oral histories from some of Massachusetts’ swordfishing families. Stay tuned for more tie-in programs and events, including fishermen talks, film screenings, cooking classes, and more!
This exhibit and related programming are supported by grants from the Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Marion, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, and Westport Cultural Councils, as well as the Massachusetts Cultural Council and Eversource and the Westport Cultural Council Community Grants, A local agency supported by the Helen E. Ellis Charitable Trust administered by the Bank of America and the Westport Community Gift Fund
April Vacation Camp: Go Fish Camp
April 15 – April 18 | 9:00am – 3:00pm | New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park (33 William Street, New Bedford) | Application period now CLOSED
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center are pleased to announce Go Fish Camp, a FREE camp opportunity during April school vacation week for New Bedford Public School students currently enrolled in the 4th grade. Campers will spend a week learning about four of New Bedford’s fisheries: groundfish, lobsters, scallops, and oysters through hands-on science demos, art activities, and field trips to FHC and the New Bedford waterfront. Camp will primarily take place at the National Park’s Corson Maritime Learning Center (33 William Street).
The 2024 application portal is now closed.
