Seamen's Bethel

Seamen's Bethel is a chapel in New Bedford that serves as a memorial space for maritime workers and their experiences at sea. The walls display memorial tablets dedicated to sailors who died during voyages over the course of several centuries.

The chapel was founded in 1832 to provide spiritual support for sailors embarking on dangerous whaling voyages. It became a place of mourning and remembrance for a community whose economy depended heavily on maritime work.

The chapel takes its name from a biblical concept of refuge and reflects its role as a sanctuary for working sailors. Today visitors can see the simple interior that demonstrates how this spiritual space served the maritime workforce.

Check ahead for current opening days since the chapel serves both visitors and private ceremonies throughout the year. Visitors should approach with respect as this remains an active spiritual space used for weddings and memorial gatherings.

The chapel's interior features a pulpit shaped like a ship's bow that was added in 1961 to match the literary description in a classic novel about whaling. This addition connects the space directly to how readers had imagined it from the written word.