Rhode Island Museums and Culture

The Culinary Arts Museum at Johnson & Wales University is the premier museum devoted to the preservation of the history of the culinary and hospitality industries.

Founded in 1822, the RIHS is the fourth-oldest historical society in the United States and is Rhode Island’s largest and oldest historical organization. In Providence, the RIHS owns and operates the John Brown House and Museum, a designated National Historic Landmark, built in 1788; the Aldrich House, built in 1822 and used for administration and public programs; and the Library of Rhode Island History, where archival, book and image collections are housed. In Woonsocket the RIHS manages the Museum of Work and Culture, a community museum examining the industrial history of northern Rhode Island and of the workers and settlers, especially French-Canadians, who made it one of the state’s most distinctive areas.

The mission of Providence Children's Museum is to inspire and celebrate learning through active play and exploration. <br> The Museum welcomes children and adults of all backgrounds and from all communities. Its focus is on serving southern New England children, ages 1 to 11, and the adults who care for them.

Step back through Newport's past at this institution that's been safeguarding the region's story since 1854. Inside, you'll find an impressive compilation of manuscripts, portraits, fine silver pieces, period furniture, and decorative arts that tell the town's narrative across generations. The genealogical records here have earned respect far beyond local circles. Winter visits offer a particularly quiet, reflective atmosphere—perfect for browsing through centuries of artifacts without the usual crowds, letting the history settle in as snow falls outside.

The New England Wireless and Steam Museum museum is entirely volunteer and therefore our efforts are mainly directed to hosting scheduled groups such as school classes, engineering societies, club or association meetings etc. We do not have the staff to handle walk-in visitors except by prior arrangement. If you are from away, Thursday is volunteer day, and there are usually people here on that day from 9AM to 4:30PM, but please call (401) 885-0545 or email [email protected] for an appointment.

Built in 1913 and finished the following year, this East Greenwich landmark channeled Medieval design principles into its sturdy brick facade. For nearly eight decades starting in 1918, the structure served as home base for Rhode Island's Guard units until the final departure in early 1996. Walking through during winter months, you'll notice how the historic architecture holds its own against the cold New England weather, creating an almost fortress-like atmosphere inside. The space now houses a Military & Naval Museum packed with artifacts spanning generations, and the building itself earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance and role in the state's defense history.

From its founding, the Seabee Museum and Memorial Park has stood on its own, collecting grants from federal, public, and private sectors. The majority of funding received to date has been from the MCB-6 Association, other Seabees, the Rhode Island State Preservation and Historical Society, the Federal HUD Office, and a Federal Grant from the Department of Defense (allowing Seabee Reserves to perform a full summer training program here). While this may sound significant, it’s only a small percentage of the bricks and mortar required to complete this tribute to the "Original Home of the Seabees."

Located on the Blackstone River in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Slater Mill is a museum complex dedicated to bringing one of the most exciting and significant periods of American history to life. Visitors to the site experience a time when an America of small farmers and craftsmen were poised to turn the country into the industrial leader of the world.

Take a step back in time. Visit the authentically restored and furnished 1750 home of the Stuart family and learn about the life of one of America's best-known portraitists, Gilbert Stuart. The Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum is situated on 23 acres in the woods of Saunderstown, Rhode Island on a beautiful millpond and stream.

Welcome to the National Museum of American Illustration, where artworks from the ‘Golden Age of American Illustration’ and from other eras are presented in the ‘Gilded Age’ architectural frame of Vernon Court (1898). Visitors can appreciate the American Imagist Collection as a medley of beautiful pictures, but also as a historical overview of a unique culture.

The mission of the Quonset Air Museum (QAM) is to preserve, interpret and prsent Rhode Island's aviation through thorugh collections, research, education and exhibits.

Home for the Museum since 1916, the Griswold House is a National Historic Landmark and an Official Project of Save America’s Treasures. Designed in 1862 by famed architect Richard Morris Hunt, it was completed in 1864 for John N.A. Griswold, a China Trade merchant and financier. Griswold House was Hunt’s first major commission in Newport and is the premier example of American Stick Style architecture. Hunt went on to design many of the grand cottages of Newport’s Gilded Age, including The Breakers, Marble House, and Ochre Court.<br> The Griswold House currently houses restored rooms, galleries, a children’s art classroom, administrative offices, a lecture hall, and the Griffon Shop. The surrounding park and sculpture garden is used for many outdoor programs during the summer months.

This mansion was built in 1773 by James Mitchell Varnum, a lawyer who entered the Revolutionary War and served as one of General George Washington's Continental Army Brigadier Generals. Varnum was later Major General in command of the entire Rhode Island Militia. The museum is furnished with period furniture and features many historic artifacts.

Coggeshall Farm Museum is a living history farm set on 48 acres in Bristol, Rhode Island. The museum depicts Bristol's agrarian life in the year 1799 through live interpretation, historic structures, and heirloom plants and animals.

Dating back several centuries, Smith's Castle remains today a Rhode Island and American treasure.

The mission of The Whitehall Committee of The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is to preserve, protect, interpret and keep as a perpetual memorial, Whitehall, the home of Bishop George Berkeley from 1729-1731.

Discover Jamestown's most visited landmark with its panoramic views of Narragansett Bay. Located on the southernmost tip of Jamestown, Rhode Island, the Beavertail Lighthouse museum features a collection of information, artifacts, and conversation about the history and site of the third-oldest lighthouse in North America. Come and enjoy New England hospitality as you engage with lighthouse history and with interesting elements of Narragansett Bay’s maritime science, technology, art, and culture.