P.T. Barnum is credited with once saying, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” And while any number of PR people may disagree, there’s at least one business making the most of its bad publicity in the funniest way possible.
The New Bedford Whaling Museum took to TikTok at the end of 2025 to vent about a bad review the museum had received from an unhappy visitor. But the people who run the TikTok account for the museum weren’t being petty with their vent; instead, they used it as a unique opportunity to get the facility some more attention in the most hilarious way possible by making merch featuring the bad review.
New Bedford Whaling Museum’s post quickly went viral, and it looks like they sold out almost immediately. Now, the museum has restocked and is once again going viral.
With places like CBS Evening News featuring the story on Facebook, the Massachusetts-based museum is likely to sell out again soon.
@whalingmuseum based on a real google review. buy the t-shirt at the link in our bio! #whales #naturalhistorymuseum #aquarium #history #marinebiology #massachusetts #newbedford #boston #providence #rhodeisland #newengland #skeleton #science ♬ why are so many people using this – lucycrops
A Visitor Gave the Business a 1-Star Review After Misunderstanding Where He Was
The museum shared the original video on Nov. 26, 2025. In the short clip, a woman could be seen walking through the building, saying, “Man, I thought this was an aquarium” to herself. In the next scene, you can read the back of her shirt, which shows the 1-star rating alongside a quote pulled directly from the review that said, “Worst aquarium ever.”
The caption linked to the online store, and people filled the comments with words of support.
“Y’all deserve a raise for this,” one person wrote.
“This is absolutely hilarious,” another person wrote. “I work at a zoo and the unhinged comments/reviews make you laugh and cry.”
Apparently, the review had been left years before the merch arrived, lending a little credence to the saying that revenge is a dish best served cold.
The Merch is Going Viral Again
CBS Evening News covered the return of the museum’s cheeky response to the review, explaining that the shop had gone through multiple restocks to try and keep up with demand. However, the New Bedford Whaling Museum has upped their game in recent years, adding a little aquarium to the facility.
Of course, this aquarium might not get many rave reviews either, since it appears to be just a small tank with a few little fish.
Next Time, the Unhappy Visitor Should Hit the New England Aquarium Instead
If you’re looking for a place to see some aquatic life in Massachusetts, you can go ahead and skip the New Bedford Whaling Museum in favor of a more appropriate destination, like the New England Aquarium.
With 28,500 reviews on Google and a 4.4-star rating, this one is sure to impress even the most discerning visitors…that is, unless they were hoping to visit a museum instead, that is.