New Bedford’s creative, cultural, and business communities come together on the 2nd Thursday of each month to present AHA Moments: inspiring, festive adventures filled with art, music and history as well as eclectic dining and shopping.
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
New Bedford was the mid 19th century’s preeminent whaling port and for a time “the richest city in the world.” Come stroll down cobblestone streets, visit the world’s largest whaling museum, tour a whaling merchant’s home and whaleman’s chapel, and walk a 19th century schooner’s decks. Walk in the footsteps of Herman Melville and Frederick Douglass and learn about a remarkable era.
Pilgrim United Church of Christ/Mercy Meals & More
Pilgrim United Church of Christ is an historic church that welcomes and affirms all people regardless of their age, race, class, ability, gender identity, sexual orientation. Our church service is at 10am every Sunday. Mercy Meals & More is a non-profit human service organization that operates out of the historic Church Home across the street and offers a free breakfast and other services Monday through Saturday each week to those in need from 6:30-7:30am. Both the Church and Church Home buildings were constructed in the late 1800s on the corner of Purchase and School St. as the Trinitarian Church and Booker T. Washington gave a speech at the Church Home in 1895.
Play Arcade
Locally-owned and operated. Over 50 vintage arcade games, delicious food and tasty nostalgic drinks.
Vegan and gluten-free options available. Featuring a relaxing roof deck with views of the harbor (weather permitting).
Bring your kids or bring out your inner kid at Play!
No reservations.
All ages welcome until 8PM.
Queer Arts Council of New Bedford
The Queer Arts Council of New Bedford (QACNB) provides opportunities, networking, and creative avenues for the LGBTQIA+ (queer) communities in South Coast Mass/RI. We work with integrity, persistence, and conversation to create more spaces and visibility for our community. By engaging the legacy of queer-organizing and local partnerships, we help compensate queer creatives and performers for work they can share in their own community.
Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum
As an authentic whaling mansion dating to 1834 and the only estate of this type on its original grounds, the Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum (RJD) shares stories about New Bedford’s history, the families and workers that lived on site, life in the 19th and 20th centuries, and whaling’s impact on the world. The one-acre property includes a formal boxwood rose parterre garden, a boxwood specimen garden, and woodland area, and a 19th century wooden lattice pergola. A Greek Revival mansion sits at the north west corner of the estate, and features period rooms and changing exhibitions. The property is a National Historic Landmark (one of only 2,500 in the entire country). The Museum is open for general visitation, group tours, events, education programs and private rental year-round. The RJD also serves the local schools with curriculum-related field trips. The historic gardens are free to visit seven days a week and the Museum has a modest entrance fee.
Seaglass Theater Company
Creatively staged productions from opera, musical theater and beyond.
Stage Artistry Studios
Stage Artistry Studios’ mission is to provide the highest caliber of performing arts education to students of all ages and abilities, and to foster individual growth in a caring, supportive artistic community.
Thallo – Home & Garden
Thallo offers a variety of nature-inspired gifts for home and gardens. Birdhouses, live plants, terrariums, botanical candles, seeds, dog and cat beds and treats, books, artwork, and so much more!
The Drawing Room
The Drawing Room is a curated art & design shop featuring original work by dozens of New England artisans. Stop in and discover something beautiful.
The First Unitarian Church in New Bedford
The First Unitarian Church in New Bedford is inspired by a long history of tolerance, social responsibility, and spiritual exploration. We envision a congregation in which we practice the principles of our faith. We seek to enjoy peaceful reflection and inspiration in intellectually and spiritually satisfying church services. We aim to embrace the people and efforts of our church community by supporting our children and their programs, our committees and their goals, our staff and their efforts on our behalf, and each other.
We aim to help address the larger community’s challenges in such areas as racial, social, and economic justice; ecological sustainability; education; and support of the arts. We endeavor to reflect in our own growing numbers, the cultural and ethnic diversity of our area. We commit to enhancing our understanding and acceptance of the diverse religious expression present in our greater community, including reaching out to other faiths in mutual respect and with shared goals.
TL6 The Gallery
Owned and operated by artists Arianna Swink and Jenny A Liscombe-Newman, TL6 The Gallery features over twenty different New Bedford-based and local artists. We specialize in custom, handmade art and unique gifts. TL6 has a wide selection of affordable art including pottery, sculptures, clothing, prints, paintings, cards, soap, candles, and jewelry featuring micro-macrame and custom jewelry by Tenacious Lilly. We also carry fine retail lines such as Maruca Handbags, Enchanted Boxes, Jenness Farms soap, as well as hand-blown glass by Elias Studio Glass. Free gift-wrapping and a convenient 90-day layaway plan is available. Most of all, TL6 offers friendly service and affordable art and gifts for every budget!
100 William St.
New Bedford, MA 02745
508-992-8100
Hours: Mon, Tues-Sat 12 noon-5pm,
and open until 9pm on the second Thursday of every month for AHA!
UMass Dartmouth University Art Gallery
UMass Dartmouth University Art Gallery, Star Store Campus in Downtown New Bedford
Workers Art Center
The Worker’s Art Center (WAC) supports the artistic endeavors of working people focusing on social justice, labor and racial justice, and civil rights. WAC presents inspiring and insightful programming which promotes visual art, live music, poetry, movies, creative educational presentations, oral history and storytelling. All are invited to participate!
Your Theatre
Non profit community theatre who, in partnership with WHALE, is opening Steeple Playhouse as its permanent home and as a rentable Performing Arts Center for small to medium sized events. Located at the Historic First Baptist building on William St in Downtown NB, attendees will have access to the rich cultural and commercial assets of the historic streets of New Bedford. Due to open early 2023!!! Contact us if you are looking for reasonable space to host your non profit or private event!
