Collection includes domestic artifacts, military, maritime, Warren items, two journals of Luther Cole, a section of a whaling log of the ship Chariot, a George Washington signature and the papers of L. E. Simmon, a naval officer and Warren resident who was also the son-in-law of James Maxwell. The collection also includes Native American artifacts excavated from Burr's Hill Park, which overlooks the eastern shore of the Warren River.

Culinary Arts Museum at Johnson and Wales University
315 Harborside Blvd.
Providence, RI
Phone: 401-598-2805

Open: Tuesday – Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Monday and major holidays

A visit to the Johnson & Wales Culinary Arts Museum in Providence will excite your senses and pique your appetite for art and artifacts about food service and cookery. Indulge in the edible art of food presentation and see the Dinner at the White House exhibit, and then travel through time by tracing the history of American cooking. Experience our 4000-square-foot diner exhibit, including The Little Chef Diner, a play area for kids, and the Every Ready diner, a 1926 diner which operated in Providence.

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John Brown House Museum
52 Power Street
Providence, RI 02906
Phone: 401-273-7507

Open: September 5- December 30, Tuesday-Friday, tours at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.; Saturdays, tours at 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 and 3 p.m.; January- March, tours at 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 and 3 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays only.

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One of America's grandest mansions when completed in 1788, the house at 52 Power Street was home first to John Brown, a businessman, patriot, politician, China trade pioneer, and slave trader who participated in the debates and practices that shaped the new nation. Group, school, and special tours are available by appointment. Cost: Adults, $8; seniors and students, $6; children age 7-17, $4.

Museum of Art at Rhode Island School of Design
224 Benefit Street
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: 401- 454-6500

Open: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; third Thursday monthly until 9 p.m.

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Exhibits focus on historic art and design. Included are items and exhibits from ancient Greece and Rome, 18th-century Europe, ancient Egypt, the Middle Ages and 19th-century American decorative art. Cost: Adults, $8; seniors (age 62 and older), $5; youths (age 5-18), $2; college students, $3; free, Sunday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; third Thursday, 5-9 p.m.; Friday, noon-1:30 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day and July 4.

Museum of Natural History and Cormack Planetarium
Roger Williams Park, 1000 Elmwood Avenue
Providence, RI 02907
Phone: 401-785-9457 ext. 221 401-785-9457 ext. 221

Open: Museum open daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Planetarium open school vacation weeks and Saturday-Sunday with shows at 2 p.m.

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Rhode Island's only natural history museum and home to the state's only planetarium. The museum offers regular exhibits, events, and attractions. The Planetarium features a state-of-the-art Zeiss star projector and an enlarged domed ceiling on which the stars are projected. Cost: Museum admission is $2; planetarium admission is $3. Children under age 4 are not permitted into the planetarium.

Museum of Work and Culture
42 South Main Street
Woonsocket, RI 02895
Phone: 401-769-9675

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

Providence Children's Museum
100 South Street
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: 401-273-KIDS

Open September-March, Tuesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; April-Labor Day, daily, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and every Friday evening in June, July and August.

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A museum for children featuring hands-on exhibits for all ages, pre-school to teens. Cultural and science exhibits and a gift shop highlight interactive activities and exhibits.

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

Open to the public March through December

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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.

Warwick Museum of Art
3259 Boston Post Road
Warwick, RI 02886
Phone: 401-737-0010

Open: Tuesday-Saturday, noon to 5 or by appointment.

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A selection of changing exhibits of the works of artists, both past and present. Cost: No admission charge; donations are welcome.

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David Winton Bell Gallery of the List Art Center at Brown University
64 College Street
Providence, RI 02912
Phone: 401-863-2932

Open: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, 1-4 p.m.

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Part of Brown University, the gallery contains art exhibits of both contemporary and historical works.

Governor Henry Lippitt House Museum
199 Hope Street
Providence, RI 02906
Phone: 401-453-0688

Open: May-October, Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tours on the hour; last tour at 2 p.m.; tours also by appointment

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A Victorian mansion built in 1865, it is a National Historic Landmark. Home of two Rhode Island governors. Intricately decorated and furnished with authentic pieces from the Victorian period. Cost: Adults, $10.