How Crowded Is New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in March?

March runs about 0.5× New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park's average month, which makes it a quiet month here — roughly 4% of the park's yearly visitors come in March.

In a typical March the park sees roughly 4,900 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1998 to 2025.

That makes March the 10th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (2.9×) and the January low (0.3×).

On our Best Time to Visit score March rates 44/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated May at 71/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical March weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 47°F and an overnight low around 29°F, with about 5.3" of precipitation and roughly 7" of snow.

That average of about 38°F is cool, so layers and a shorter daylight window matter.

Because June, July and August together draw about 49% of annual visitors, choosing March instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 11.7 hours of daylight in March to explore — between the 9-hour midwinter low and the 15-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2024 drew 18,330 recreation visits, up 7.6% from 17,034 in 2023.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 78.4%, so March may feel a touch quieter than it once did.