EXHIBIT OPENING: "Monstrous: Whaling and Its Colossal Impact"

Step into the world of 19th-century American whaling with Monstrous: Whaling and Its Colossal Impact, a powerful new exhibition exploring the physical, economic, and human scale of the industry and its legacy.

View hundreds of striking artifacts from the Museum’s renowned whaling collections—many never displayed together before. Harpoons, trypots, and blubber hooks reveal the staggering lengths whalers went to harvest oil-rich blubber and spermaceti.

Historic photographs, vivid paintings, and rare lithographs bring to life the perilous work of hunting and processing whales. At the center of the exhibition is Or, The Whale, a monumental 51-foot mural by artist Jos Sances that immerses viewers in three centuries of American industrialism.

Discover ornate scrimshaw, tools, and personal stories of the people behind the trade—including multicultural crews, Cape Verdean whalers, and pioneering women like Charlotte “Lottie” Church.

Don’t miss this bold and thought-provoking exhibition blending art, history, and storytelling to reveal whaling’s monstrous impact.

You may also like the following events from Mystic Seaport Museum:

• This month, 25th May, 10:00 am, Newfoundland Dog Water Rescue Training in Mystic
• Next month, 12th June, 10:00 am, Mystic Seaport Ship Modelers Model Train Show in Mystic
• Next month, 14th June, 10:00 am, Revolutionary War Encampment in Mystic

Also check out other Arts events in Mystic, Exhibitions in Mystic, Fine Arts events in Mystic.