New Bedford is considered the home of whaling’s history in America — and now, home to the worst aquarium ever. In 2020, a Google user left a one-star review of the New Bedford Whaling Museum coining that phrase. Last fall, the museum began selling shirts and hoodies with the review on the back and a whale skeleton on the front. Now, the design is capturing national attention.On Wednesday night, the CBS Evening News ran a segment about the merchandise after WPRI, Providence’s CBS affiliate, covered the story Tuesday. Sales are booming.Overnight, a slew of buyers rushed to get their hands on the merch, seemingly proud to represent such an accolade.Customers placed 738 online orders, mostly for “worst aquarium” merchandise, between the broadcast Wednesday night and 2:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon, according to Annelise Conway, the chief engagement officer at the Whaling Museum. On Thursday, orders for the week were up 250% compared to the week prior.
Amanda McMullen, president and CEO of the New Bedford Whaling Museum, said the review has been folklore among the staff for a while, always providing “a good chuckle.” In 2020, there was no aquarium at the museum. What it lacked in live aquaculture, it makes up for in skeletons, including those of a 66-foot blue whale, a 37-foot humpback whale, a 49-foot North Atlantic right whale, and a 48-foot sperm whale — all in all, a few more bones than guests typically want to see in an aquarium.Emily Roznoy, the designer of the merchandise and the visitor experience manager at the Whaling Museum, said she had heard staff jokes about putting the infamous review on a T-shirt. When she saw a barbecue restaurant selling shirts that contained a similarly condemning review (one star, “no vegan options”), she made the design a reality. The review appears on the back of T-shirts, crewneck sweaters, and tote bags; a drawing of the museum’s sperm whale skeleton adorns the front.
