Smithsonian MagazineFeb 3, 2026Fervent Fans of 'Moby-Dick' Flock to This Massachusetts City to Read the Book Cover to CoverOnce the whaling capital of the world, New Bedford remembers Herman Melville’s literary masterpiece with an annual reading marathon11 things in this storyNew Bedford Whaling MuseumMuseumAnnual Moby-Dick Marathon begins hereMoby-Dick; or, the WhalePlaceThe now-beloved book, which centers on a sailor seeking revenge against a sperm whale, was initially met with lukewarm…Moby-Dick MarathonFestivalAnnual 25-hour reading of Herman Melville's novelTypeePlaceMelville's romanticized adventure-travel bookLagodaSightLarge model of a whaling shipJohnny Cake HillNeighborhoodLocation of the New Bedford Whaling MuseumSeamen's BethelAttractionChapel for chapters on the prophet JonahAcushnetPlaceShip Melville departed onPilgrim MonumentSightThis 252-foot-7+1⁄2-inch-tall (77.0 m) campanile is the tallest all-granite structure in…Moby-DickPubPequodPlaceRead the full piece at Smithsonian Magazine →
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