HARBOR, RECREATION & HISTORY IN MATTAPOISETT
PARKS, BEACHES & RECREATION IN NEW BEDFORD
A historic lighthouse, a boat-filled harbor, quiet state trails, and a shipbuilding past that helped write Moby-Dick — Mattapoisett wears its history right on the waterfront.
Once home to six shipyards that launched 350+ whaleships
90% of residents live within a 15-minute walk of a park
SIGNATURE SPOTS
The places locals bring every out-of-town visitor — all within a few minutes of the village.
Ned's Point Lighthouse
A 39-foot stone lighthouse from 1838 in Veterans Memorial Park — one of the smallest active lighthouses on Buzzards Bay, and the town's favorite sunset spot.
Shipyard Park
The harbor's gathering place — a waterfront gazebo, snack shack, summer concerts, and the heart of Mattapoisett Harbor Days.
Nasketucket Bay Reservation
209 acres of wooded trails, open fields, and rocky shoreline — wide, well-marked paths leading down to a quiet bay beach.
Fort Taber Park
50 waterfront acres, a Civil War-era fort, beach, fishing pier and miles of paths.
Hazelwood Park
23 historic acres sloping down to Clarks Cove, on the National Register.
Brooklawn Park
North End green space with a nature center, trail and Audubon programs.
Salty the Seahorse
A beloved roadside seahorse sculpture from the 1950s and a favorite community photo stop — a quirky piece of local roadside history.
THE WATERFRONT
Mattapoisett Harbor sits at the center of town life — here's where to get on the water.
Mattapoisett Town Beach
A calm village swimming beach near Ned's Point, with a kayak launch — a quiet, mostly-local stretch of Buzzards Bay shoreline.
Town Wharf & Landing
Historic granite wharves with a boat ramp and kayak launch, a small coffee-and-ice-cream shack, and front-row harbor views.
HISTORY & HERITAGE
From 1752 to 1876, six shipyards lined Mattapoisett's waterfront, launching more than 350 whaleships and earning the town a worldwide reputation as one of the finest shipbuilding communities on the eastern seaboard. Its most famous vessel, the Acushnet, was launched here in 1840 at the Gideon Barstow & Son shipyard — and carried a young Herman Melville on her maiden voyage, an experience that would surface a decade later in Moby-Dick. The last whaler built in town, the Wanderer, went down the ways in 1876. That maritime heritage still shapes the village today.
Mattapoisett Museum
Maritime and shipbuilding exhibits, model ships, and village walking tours. Seasonal hours — call ahead.
Third Meetinghouse (1816)
The town's oldest surviving public building, on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mattapoisett Library
A historic library building in the village, hosting community events and programs year-round.
GETTING AROUND
Mattapoisett Rail Trail
A paved, wheelchair- and stroller-friendly path along the bay, with boardwalk sections, beach access points, and benches the whole way. It links directly into Fairhaven's Phoenix Rail Trail — about 14 miles of connected coastal riding and walking between the two towns. Trail parking is off Depot Street.
Ned's Point Lighthouse · 50 Ned's Point Rd | Shipyard Park · 12 Water St | Harbormaster · (508) 758-4191
Want to live near the water and the trails?
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