Search hotels in New Bedford, MA

Apart from being a good hub for ferries to the islands, New Bedford has some great Victorian architecture and, believe it or not, an absolutely wonderful small zoo: Buttonwood Park Zoo. Worth a visit!

The town center is ok and there are some decent coffee shops. They did have a musical event on the street, which was nice. I would say, it was the east-coast version of Portland, Oregon, and I'm not a big fan of that city.

New Bedford is a gem of a destination! Include nearby Fairhaven in your itinerary!! Between the two towns, you will find more fascinating architecture than you could imagine, no exaggeration. New Bedford is rich with fishing history (Whaling Museum) glass industry (Museum of Glass) art (Art Museum) and don't miss the amazing Public Library (that's a museum in itself!) There's also Seamen's Bethel Church, The Rotch-Jones- Duff House and Gardens, and even the house where the writer of Moby Dick lived. Walk down the original cobbled-stoned Union street for various shopping and outdoor dining. It's an experience that takes you back in time. In Fairhaven, there's Fort Pheonix State Park, where you can see a retired military fort complete with cannons on a bluff, picnic tables, and a wonderful beach to swim and look for shells- all free. But you MUSN'T miss the amazing High School (tours during summer), the Town Hall (yes- the prettiest and most amazing you have ever seen) and the Unitarian Church across the street (tours available). And please don't miss Gene's Famous Seafood in Fairhaven- casual, delicious and generous proportions at fabulous prices-supplied fresh from the nearby docks. Sigh. We ran out of time in our visit before we ran out of things to see.

For anyone interested in our nation's history, New Bedford should be on the itinerary (i.e. Whaling Museum; Seamen's Bethel; Johnnycake Hill; County Street mansions; Saint Anthony's Church; etc.). It's also a great bird's eye view of the nation's top or number one working fishing port. You can't beat the seafood! Want to take the ferry out to Martha's Vineyard... Nantucket? This is the place. Want to go deep sea fishing? This is the place. Like Folk Music? Plan a trip in July for the New Bedford Summerfest. Did I say you can't beat the seafood? It's a shame that local & state political leadership doesn't do more to promote this jewel in the rough! On the other hand, maybe the locals are just fine with that.