The New Bedford Whaling Museum is the largest museum of its kind in the world and the anchor institution of the historic district. Its collections span over 750,000 items: 3,000 pieces of scrimshaw — the largest collection on earth — more than 2,500 whaling ship logbooks, fine art by Albert Bierstadt and William Bradford, and the complete skeleton of a blue whale suspended from the ceiling. At the heart of the building is the Lagoda, an 89-foot half-scale working model of a whaleship built in 1916 that you can climb aboard and inspect in full detail.
The museum expanded significantly after merging with the Kendall Whaling Museum in 2001, absorbing around 70,000 additional artefacts. Its library holds the primary collection of the Melville Society, making this the most important research centre for Moby-Dick scholarship in the world. Allow at least two hours, more if you want to read the logbooks or explore the art galleries. The building is at 18 Johnny Cake Hill, directly opposite the Seamen's Bethel.