Rhode Island - Museums and Galleries in Blackstone Valley

Museum of Work and Culture
42 South Main Street
Woonsocket, RI
Phone: 401-769-9675

Open: Hours are 9:30 am to 4 pm on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.

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The Museum of Work and Culture tells the story of French Canadian immigrants who left Quebec to come to work in the mills and factories of Woonsocket. Visitors begin their tour at a rural Quebec farm house and journey through the work day world of Woonsocket's residents from the early 20th century to the present. On the shop floor of a textile mill, from the front porch of a three family tenement, in church, in school, in the union hall, visitors are immersed in a narrative of the working class in America. The museum includes six walk-through displays, two movies, many interactive audio presentations and hundreds of photographs. Cost: Adults, $7; seniors or students, $5; children under age 10, free.

Slater Mill Historic Site
67 Roosevelt Avenue
Pawtucket, RI  02862
Phone: 401-725-8638

Open: December, January, and February for scheduled group visits only; December 26-31, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; March 4-November, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

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Site of several colonial structures, including Slater Mill (1793), birthplace of American industry, the Sylvanus Brown House (1758), and Wilkinson Mill (1810), home to an authentic 19th century machine shop. The site also features a eight-ton working water wheel, constructed in 1826, and regular demonstrations of early textile machinery, hand-spinning, and weaving. Cost: Adults $9; seniors (65 and older), $8; children age 6-12, $7.