Blackstone Valley history & outdoor adventures make great fun for kids
Chase Farm
100 Great Road
Lincoln, RI 02865
Phone: 401-333-1100
This 118-acre dairy farm is preserved as a green space and is used for activities such as summer concerts. Also on site are a butterfly garden and the Hannaway Blacksmith Shop, which is open several times a year for blacksmithing demonstrations. Open from dawn to dusk.
Glocester Greens & Goats
1535 Snake Hill Road
Glocester, RI 02857
Phone: 401-567-8872
These farmers raise gourmet salad greens and mini-Nubian goats. Children and adults are welcome to hold, pet, and feed the goats. The owners are eager to teach kids about kids and allow them to spend ample time with the animals. Gift shop sells salad greens, goat milk soap, and skin care products.
Slater Memorial Park Carousel
Newport Avenue (Route 1A)
Pawtucket, RI 02861
Phone: 401-728-0500 ext. 252
The stately grounds of this park include an early carousel by Danish immigrant Charles I. D. Looff. The carousel boasts 42 horses, three dogs, and a lion, camel, and giraffe; they are some of the earliest examples of Looff’swork. Rides are a mere 25 cents. Open during warm weather: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Call ahead for changes in hours.
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.
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.