Herreshoff Marine Museum / America's Cup Hall of Fame is a facility celebrating the history of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company and yachting in the area. It offers guided tours, various educational programs, including sailing lessons and boat-making classes, lectures and more. The America's Cup Hall of Fame portion of this facility honors distinguished individuals in the America's Cup yachting competition. Please visit the website for more information on the museum, its programs, membership rates and related information.
The historic South County Museum was founded in 1933 in a barn in Wickford, North Kingstown. It then moved to the Knight Farm on Scrabbletown Road finally moving to its current location on Canonchet Farm in 1984 due to the expansion of Route 4.
Owned by the Town of Narragansett, this 174-acre property was once home to the 12th Governor of Rhode Island, Col. William Sprague. Rich in history from 1695 - 1950, there are seven exhibit buildings to explore at the museum. The Metz Building is the largest exhibit facility showcasing the msueum's Victorian Kitchen, the Maritime Exhibit and the General Store.
The Carpentry Shop houses a great collection of old tools and old-fashioned power tools. There is also the Robinson Family Cemetery on property, one of Rhode Island's historical cemeteries where Governor William Robinson rests.
Walk inside the museum's 19th Century One-Room Schoolhouse and you'll be transported back through time to days when old, one-piece wooden desks and slate chalkboards welcomed the children. As you wander the property you will be surrounded by lush flower and herb gardens. During the spring, watch the sheep get shorn on its living history farm. The Blacksmith Shop reveals tools and artifacts such as horseshoes that are on display and the Print Shop is both an exhibit and the home of Museum Press, which uses 19th- and 20th-century letterpress technology to produce posters and flyers for the museum.
With more than 20,000 items in its many historical collections, the South County Museum will offer you and your family hours of fascinating learning on grounds that are authentically reflective of the Victorian Era.
The South County Museum is seasonal, with admission to the general public from May through September.
Established in 1950, the Norman Bird Sanctuary is a non-profit wildlife refuge that plays a vital role in environmental education and "place-based science" in Rhode Island. The 325-acre refuge is the largest open space preserve in Newport County. It is home to over seven miles of hiking through diverse habitats as well as many special and educational events throughout the year.
Linden Place is the centerpiece of Bristol's historic downtown, waterfront district. The property was designed and built for General George DeWolf by Rhode Island architect Russell Warren in 1810. The property stayed in the DeWolf family until the mid-1980's when the last living grandchild put the mansion on the market. In 1989, Friends of Linden Place, a non-profit organization purchased the property and today keep the mansion, the carriage barn built in 1825, the ballroom, the beautiful gardens and all buildings on the property in pristine condition.
Step back in time and explore one of the finest examples of Federal Period Architecture with its striking portico, intricately carved banisters and stately columns. The history behind the property is fascinating from George DeWolf's middle of the night departure and subsequent swarming of the mansion by the townspeople of Bristol to a mansion where Presidents were entertained. Today the mansion is open to the public and is frequently used for weddings and special events. Come and see what makes Linden Place one of Rhode Island's favorite treasures.
The New England Wireless and Steam Museum is a gem tucked into a corner of East Greenwich that is better known for residential neighborhoods than for a significant collection of steam engines and the world's oldest surviving wireless station.
Nevertheless, the museum, which is completely supported by an enthusiastic team of volunteers, offers living history to any and all who make arrangements to visit. Once a year, usually the first Saturday in October, the museum opens for a "Yankee Steam Up." On that day, hundreds of people come to see the engines in action and many bring along their own steam engines to display.
Among the pieces on display is the last surviving George H. Corliss steam engine, built in Providence. The driving force behind the museum remains its president, Robert W. Merriam.
