People walking along a wooden boardwalk beside a harbor with a red and white lighthouse - maritime history sites

Self-guided · city, Massachusetts

Maritime History Sites in New Bedford, MA

Lighthouses, shipwrecks, life-saving stations, wharves and canals, the history of the coasts, lakes and rivers.

New Bedford has a population of about 95,078. The record for this chapter of history is uneven, and some of it is hard to read. That is a reason to go and see it, not a reason to skip it.

A group of people walking towards a light house - maritime history sites — Photo: Timothé Durand on Unsplash

People standing near white concrete lighthouse during daytime - maritime history sites — Photo: Adrien Delforge on Unsplash

A woman in a red dress is walking towards two lighthouses - maritime history sites — Photo: Lucas Gallone on Unsplash

On the record near New Bedford, MA

The 12 nearest

29 listed sites on the record match maritime history sites within 30 miles of New Bedford, MA, out of 397 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles.

Lightship No. 114under a mile from the center of New Bedford · Structure · New Bedford · listed 1990National Register of Historic Places
ERNESTINA (schooner)under a mile from the center of New Bedford · Structure · New Bedford · listed 1985National Register of Historic Places
Merrill's Wharf Historic Districtunder a mile from the center of New Bedford · District · New Bedford · listed 1977National Register of Historic Places
Palmer Island Light Station1.5 miles from the center of New Bedford · Building · New Bedford · listed 1980National Register of Historic Places
Butler Flats Light Station3.0 miles from the center of New Bedford · Structure · New Bedford · listed 1987National Register of Historic Places
Cleveland Ledge Light Station12 miles from the center of New Bedford · Structure · Bourne · listed 1987National Register of Historic Places
Borden Flats Light Station13 miles from the center of New Bedford · Structure · Fall River · listed 1987National Register of Historic Places
Coram Shipyard Historic District15 miles from the center of New Bedford · District · Dighton · listed 1998National Register of Historic Places
Nobska Point Light Station17 miles from the center of New Bedford · Structure · Falmouth · listed 1987National Register of Historic Places
Bristol Ferry Lighthouse17 miles from the center of New Bedford · Structure · Bristol · listed 1988National Register of Historic Places
Hog Island Shoal Lighthouse18 miles from the center of New Bedford · Structure · Portsmouth · listed 1988National Register of Historic Places
Sakonnet Light Station19 miles from the center of New Bedford · Building · Little Compton · listed 1983National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of New Bedford, MA. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Maritime History in New Bedford, step by step

1
Read the short history of the period for this area
2
Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter
3
Visit the nearest site and read its full record
4
Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest
5
Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in New Bedford, MA ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in New Bedford, MA?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near New Bedford, MA?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in New Bedford

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In New Bedford, MA the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in New Bedford, MA are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.