Places to Visit in the South Coast

The Long Plain Museum was originally built in 1875 as the Long Plain School House. The school closed in 1972 and the building was then reopened as a local history museum. It is now operated by the Acushnet Historical Society.

The exhibits at Battleship Cove provide the visitor to experience what life for the U.S. Sailor was like during World War II! Major exhibits include the USS Massachusetts, the official war memorial of the Commonwealth. This Battleship sailed the dangerous waters of enemy submarines and surface ships during the days following America’s entry into the War. You can tour her teakwood decks, climb into her large gun turrets, visit the wardroom, berthing and other areas of this internationally known Battleship and museum. The Submarine, USS Lionfish, the Destroyer, USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., PT Boat Exhibits, and the Soviet Missile Ship Corvette, and Army Helicopters, are also among the interesting vessels and military artifacts of Battleship Cove.

Waterfront
Fall River, Ma.
A twenty minute stroll along the Boardwalk hugging the easterly shores of Mount Hope Bay and the Taunton River will lead the visitor to the Bicentennial Park  which offers tennis courts, tree groves, and parking for visitors.

The Carousel at Battleship Cove
508.678.1100 ext. 101 or 102
Built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in 1920, this beautifully restored Victorianera carousel was the centerpiece of the Midway at the former Lincoln (Amusement and Theme) Park in Dartmouth, Massachusetts for 70 years. Soon after Lincoln Park closed in the early 1990’s the citizens of the City of Fall River gathered and worked to restore this antique treasure to its former glory and to provide a new home in a Victorian Pavilion.

Heritage State Park
Waterfront
Located next to the Fall River Carousel, on a scenic 8.5 acres overlooking Battleship Cove and Mount Hope Bay, The Heritage State Park offers a Visitors’ Center, benches, groves of trees, public sailing programs, accessible restrooms, and a three-acre meadow where summer concerts, picnics, and festivals are held.

Lafayette-Durfee House
94 Cherry St.
Fall River, MA 02720
Tel: (508) 821-5946
This circa 1750 authentically restored colonial residence was first-owned by Benjamin Durfee and his descendants. The Lafayette-Durfee House derived its name from frequent visits made to the home by the Marquis de Lafayette who served in Gen. George Washington’s Continental Army as a Major General. The home has been lovingly restored to its original 1750 detail by Miss Caroline Durfee, a direct descendant of Thomas Durfee, and a dedicated group of preservationists. It features authentic period artifacts.

On the hot summer morning of August 4, 1892, wealthy businessman Andrew Borden and his wife, Abby, were brutally slain by a hatchet-wielding murderer.  His youngest daughter Lizzie stood accused but was acquitted of the murders. The beautifully restored Greek-revival home, is  now a classic bed & breakfast. The owners invite all to view their collection of both Fall River and Borden memorabilia. Tours are offered daily. Special arrangements are made for group tours of ten or more people.

Features an excellent collection of ship models and nautical memorabilia. Featured are models, photographs, and other artifacts of the golden age of majestic and elegant paddle-wheel steamships of the Fall River Line which carried passengers on overnight journeys between Fall River and New York City on the 228 mile journey along Mount Hope Bay, Narragansett Bay, and Long Island Sound beginning in 1845. Call for hours and dates of operation.

A replica of the 18th Century “Gates of the City” of Ponta Delgada on the Portuguese Island of San Miguel, Azores. Constructed of stone from the island, dismantled, and sent to Fall River as a gift from the people of Ponta Delgada to the people of Fall River as part of its “Sister City” cultural exchange. The monument serves as a reminder of the immigration by the Portuguese-Azorean people to the Fall River area.

Visit the home of whaling captain William H. Whitfield and learn the story of Manjiro Nakahama, the first Japanese person to live in American after he was rescued from a Pacific island by the captain in 1841. Admission: $5 adults, $3 seniors, $2 students, under 6 years free. Hours are 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. also open by appointment. To make an appointment to visit at times not scheduled, call 508-995-1219.

This lovely public library built opened 1893 in memory of Henry and Abby Rogers' daughter Millicent, displays art, the handwritten manuscript of Mark Twain's Town Hall dedication speech, Japanese artifacts including a samurai sword honoring the town's connection to Manjiro Nakahama and more. Handicap accessible. For more information call 508-992-5342.

June, July, August and by appointment.  Informative display panels teach about a number of important people in Fairhaven’s history. Learn about John Cooke, Capt. Joshua Slocum, Manjiro Nakahama, Henry H. Rogers, Warren Delano II and more. Donations accepted.

A charming Meeting House dating from 1821 and now beautifully restored, the ancient pews, graceful galleries, and its replica of the old high pulpit with sounding board above, carry one back to an age when life in this quiet New England village revolved around the Church and Town Meeting.

Mattapoisett, MA  02739 Info: The tower is open during July and August, Thursdays, 10 a.m. to noon. The grounds are open to the public every day. Contact Bert Theriault via email for more information.

AHA! (Art • History • Architecture) Night is a FREE arts & culture event which takes place the 2nd Thursday of every month in Downtown New Bedford.

Open in 1999, the museum of Madeiran Heritage is the only museum dedicated to the preservation of art and artifacts from the island of Madeira. The museum displays Madeiran art, handmade embroidery, lace, linens, and fine carvings.

The museum offically opened in the summer of 2004.  Some of the  fascinating exhibits are a statue made by a German POW who was being held at Camp Edwards on Cape Cod, Samurai swords from WWII, artifacts recovered from area waters, and photos and biographies of every local serviceman who was killed in Vietnam.

Gallery X is an artist owned and operated community art center that is open to the public free of charge. Gallery X occupies the former Universalist Church, just blocks from the Whaling Museum, National Whaling Historical Park and the city's blossoming entrepreneurial business district. Their 150-seat facility hosts local and national visual and performing artists, musicians and writers.

NBAM is a non-collections-holding institution. Exhibited art and objects are culled from a variety of sources, including artist’s collections, private collectors and cultural institutions. This strengthens NBAM’s ongoing collaborative relationships, and often serves to bring art and objects into view that may not otherwise be available to our public.

The Museum's 107-year history reveals an intimate relationship with the communities it serves. Motivated by civic pride and a desire to preserve the artifacts and narratives of the region, the museum was founded by the children of the progenitors of the American whaling industry. The Old Dartmouth Historical Society was established "to create and foster an interest in the history of Old Dartmouth (now the City of New Bedford, Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven and Westport, MA).

Plan to start your visit to New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park at the national park visitor center. Here, you can pick up brochures about area attractions, view exhibits and the park's orientation film, and plan your day with friendly park staff and volunteers.

The Ocean Explorium is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ocean science education. The Explorium’s education programs, outreach initiatives and public exhibits promote a broader and deeper understanding of the ocean’s influence on humans and our impact on the ocean and its resources.

The museum's growing collection includes art glass made in New Bedford by the famous Mt. Washington and Pairpoint factories, glass from the Midwest and other regions of the country, English and Continental glass, ancient glass, American historical glass, paperweights, studio glass and much more.  The museum is located in a spacious old factory building shared with the New Bedford Antiques Center.

Located in historic New Bedford, Massachusetts on a full city block of gardens, this national landmark was built for whaling merchant William Rotch, Jr. in 1834. The Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum is so named for the three prominent families who resided at 396 County Street. The house and gardens chronicle 150 years (1834-1981) of economic and social life in the city, as reflected in the lives and stories of those who lived and worked at the property.