Overview
- The joke began with a 2020 one-star Google review calling the New Bedford Whaling Museum the “Worst aquarium ever,” and staff turned that line into a design created by Visitor Experience Manager Emily Roznoy.
- The design first appeared around Thanksgiving and sold steadily online after a Nov. 26 social post, but a recent restock post and wider media attention sent orders sharply higher.
- Museum leaders say online orders jumped from a typical 15–30 per week to hundreds in recent days, with about 1,000 items sold since the CBS segment and more than 800 new orders reported.
- The surge has strained the museum’s small operations so staff are packing shipments and local printer Cape Cod Textiles is handling production to meet demand.
- The museum reports a wave of supportive five‑star reviews and returning visitors and hopes the viral moment will translate into longer museum stays and interest in a new 20,000‑square‑foot building opening next summer.