New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
Photo: Rolf Müller, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Thirteen blocks of a whaling city: the sailors' chapel from Moby-Dick, granite-block streets, and the house where Frederick Douglass got his name.
Written for ages 4–12.
Researched from this park's own sources. Nobody's walked it yet.
Read this bit out
Ships sailed from this harbor to hunt whales, and were gone for years at a time. The oil they brought back lit so many lamps that New Bedford was called the City That Lit the World. And in a house on Seventh Street, a young man who had just escaped from slavery stayed with a family called the Johnsons. There were too many Johnsons in town already, so Mr. Johnson suggested a name from the book he was reading. Douglas, with an extra s: Frederick Douglass.
One of your three free places, or the Explorer Pass. What that costs
Before you go
- Time there
- Plan on about an hour and a half at the park.
- Parking
- The visitor center is at 33 William Street. Park at a city meter on the street or in the Elm Street garage. Walking the park and the visitor center are free; the Whaling Museum charges its own admission ($24 for adults).
- Underfoot
- Thirteen blocks of city sidewalks and streets paved with granite Belgian blocks. They are uneven, so wear sturdy shoes and watch little feet.
- Stroller
- A stroller works on some of it.
- Bathrooms
- There are bathrooms.
- Food
- Cafes all around the park downtown, and a quiet garden at the visitor center to sit in during its open hours.
25 challenges written for this place
A game deals seven to fifteen of them, so no two visits are alike.
9 things to spot, 4 things to work out and 3 things to climb, cross or balance on.
Every game includes this one
Johnny Cake Hill
Find the street called Johnny Cake Hill and walk all the way up it.
A few of the others
Upside Down
Find something growing or hanging upside down.
Somebody Fixed This
Find something outside that somebody has patched up or repaired.
Old Next To New
Find something old standing right next to something brand new.
Smallest Door
Find the smallest door you can. It does not have to be for people.
Look Up
Find something interesting higher than a grown-up can reach.
The Sailors' Chapel
Find the little chapel where whalers came to sit before they sailed away for years.
The rest are a surprise — that's the whole point.
Also around The South Coast
Copicut Woods
Fall River
516 acres of shady woods with Miller Lane, a 150-year-old cart path lined with stone walls, and a quarter-mile Discovery Trail built for strollers.
Fort Phoenix
Fairhaven
The remains of a Revolutionary War fort, a universally accessible beach on Buzzards Bay, a playground, and a hurricane barrier to walk along.
Play this at New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
Free. Works with no signal once you're there.