Event

Walking Tour: In the Footsteps of Douglass and Melville, two literary giants!

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park

Fee:

Free. It is free of charge

Location:

The tour will start at the park's visitor center on 33 William Street, New Bedford, MA

Repeating Event

Days:

Every week on Friday

Dates:

May 23, 2025 to October 10, 2025

Time:

10:30 AM

Duration:

1 hour and 15 minutes

Type of Event

Guided Tour
Walk

This walking starts at 10:30 am and ends at 11:50 am


Description

Join Ranger Rufai for an immersive journey through New Bedford, where Frederick Douglass and Herman Melville set foot in 1841—each leaving behind a legacy shaped by this bustling port town.

From the wharves that welcomed Melville’s maritime imagination to the streets that gave Douglass his first taste of true freedom, New Bedford was more than just a stop along their journeys—it was a place of transformation.

Douglass, newly liberated from bondage, wrote, “I was now living in a new world. I was wide awake to its advantages.” His time in New Bedford ignited his fight for justice and equality, cementing his role as one of America’s most powerful voices for freedom.

Melville, inspired by the whaling industry’s grandeur, painted a vivid portrait of the town in Moby-Dick, noting, “Nowhere in all America will you find more patrician-like houses, parks and gardens more opulent, than in New Bedford…All these brave houses and flowery gardens came from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans.”

Follow their footsteps. Hear their words. See New Bedford through their eyes. History isn’t just read—it’s lived. Experience the city that shaped great minds and great movements.

Reservation or Registration: No

There is no reservation or registration required.

Contact Information

Denise Delucia
508 996 4095
Contact Us