Enjoy Yourselfie at New Bedford’s Brand New Museum

The doors to the SouthCoast's first and only selfie museum are now open.

Paige Jones and Jaslyn Sweetman are the women behind the idea to bring the nationwide phenomenon to New Bedford. Back in mid-March, Jones and Sweetman decided to book an impromptu trip to Miami, hoping for some girl time and to take a few days away from their kids. While there, they visited the Miami Selfie Museum in the Wynwood Art District, where an idea popped into their heads.... Why not bring this unique experience back to the New Bedford area?

"It's not something foreign, but it's foreign to this area," Jones said.

The SouthCoast had never seen a Selfie Museum in its own backyard before, and Jones said she and Sweetman were unsure if that was because no had tried or because no one was interested. Nevertheless, the women pushed on, creating Take2wo, the area's first and only selfie museum, and setting up shop on the second floor of the Kilburn Mill in New Bedford.

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So what can visitors expect from the Take2wo experience? Upon entering, visitors will take two Polaroid pictures, hence the name. They'll get to keep one, and the other will stay at the museum to become part of a souvenir wall. Visitors will then weave through a total of 27 installations, both on built-in walls and free-standing walls, featuring everything from elements of hypebeast culture and a rock and roll room to an 80, 90s themed pink bedroom and rooms based around the four seasons.

Although many selfie museums across the world offer rooms based around summer, fall, winter and spring, Jones said the four-season experience feels different in New Bedford because it allows visitors to get a feel for the SouthCoast at all times of the year.

"We're actually in New England, and we want our visitors and our tourists to experience the four seasons here in the Mill as well," Jones said.

Representation of the SouthCoast community was important to Jones and Sweetman in the creation of Take2wo, so in possibly two of the coolest spots in the entire museum, including its denim wall installation, visitors will find elements that members of the community have contributed.

"The denim is actually made from pants people in the community donated," Jones said. "Your pants could potentially be on the wall."

As visitors leave Take2wo, there's also a chance to "rep your set" by dropping off a business card. Jones said everyone from car dealerships to skateboard shops are represented on the Rep Your Set wall, which allows visitors to see what else the greater New Bedford area has to offer.

After months of planning and preparations, Take2wo opened to the public last weekend, and as attendance grew throughout Saturday and Sunday, Jones and Sweetman knew that the demand for a museum like this was there and that folks were interested in what they had to offer.

Visitors have even started sharing their photos and videos from the experience across social media, and word is traveling fast.

Take2wo is open Thursdays from 4 to 9 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 12 to 9 p.m., and Sundays from 1 to 6 p.m. Visitors must reserve their spot in advance through Take2wo's website, and 50-minute tours of the museum are $25.