Great Outdoors Day Sunday, July 21!

How often do you and your kids get outdoors? New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park will collaborate with partners and friends to celebrate being outdoors at Great Outdoors Day on Sunday, July 21. This free event takes place at Buttonwood Park from 12:00 noon to 4:00 PM. In addition to New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, other exhibitors will include New Bedford Parks, Recreation and Beaches, Buzzards Bay Coalition, New Bedford Community Rowing, Trustees of Reservations, and New Bedford Art Museum. Great Outdoors Day will take place adjacent to the playground. Free parking is available nearby.

Learn how to row on a rowing machine, explore urban birds, bugs, and play 19th century outdoor games with Ruth and Abby, the 1850s ladies. Explore hands-on crafts with New Bedford Art Museum’s iconic purple artMOBILE, or join a family nature scavenger hunt using binoculars, magnifying glasses and more!

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park was established by Congress in 1996 to help preserve and interpret America’s nineteenth century whaling industry. The park, which encompasses a 13-block National Historic Landmark District, is the only National Park Service area addressing the history of the whaling industry and its influence on the economic, social, and environmental history of the United States. The National Park visitor center is located at 33 William Street in downtown New Bedford. It is open seven days a week, from 9 AM-5 PM, and offers information, exhibits, and a free orientation movie every hour on the hour from 10 AM-4 PM. The visitor center is wheelchair-accessible, and is free of charge. For more information, call the visitor center at 508-996-4095, go to www.nps.gov, or visit the park’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/NBWNHP.