THE 10 BEST Rhode Island Museums
Museums in Rhode Island
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Museums
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185 places sorted by traveler favorites
- Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.
Speciality Museums • Architectural Buildings
Speciality Museums • Historic Sites
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Upper South Providence
Speciality Museums • Architectural Buildings
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College Hill
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Showing results 1-30 of 185
What travelers are saying
- RYC88Centreville, VA1,315 contributionsIt's hard to wrap your head around all the mansions in Newport, because every single one is so over-the-top. The Breakers takes that to the next level. The Under the Breakers tour is excellent and it's wonderful to be able to see the workings of the house and where the staff made all the "magic" happen. The tour has limited space, so get your tickets online as soon as you know your plans. The main house tour is easy, as you can either read the signs in the rooms; get a printed guide; or use your phone and headphone for the audio tour. We like that there are options. The docents, as with the other mansions, are so knowledgeable and very friendly and helpful. What an amazing place.Written April 20, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Cahyarini H3 contributionsWe visited the Breakers as a family of 3 (young adult), in the afternoon. It was an amazing experience with gorgeous interior and craftsmanship within the mansion. The photos are wonderful, but seeing it in person is definitely a must-see for those who love art, interior, architecture and more.
However, they are doing some construction to the exterior of the mansion, which makes the experience less exciting.
We didn't have a chance to visit the other mansions or do the cliff walk since the weather was grey and rainy. The mansion also stops accepting admissions at 4PM (the cafe closes at the same time too).Written April 18, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - RYC88Centreville, VA1,315 contributionsIt's hard to picture the actual use of all these Newport mansions when you are touring them, but it must have been an incredible sight to see a party at one of them. The Elms, like all the others, is decorated to the hilt and it's a bit overwhelming to see all the art and furnishings and take it all in. It's easy to book your tickets ahead of time and you can bundle all the mansions together on one ticket.Written April 20, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- RYC88Centreville, VA1,315 contributionsThe style was amazing and the marble decor was over-the-top - truly beautiful, all different colors and although each room was opulent and beautiful, it still felt 'cozy'. The lawn has great views of the water, just like all the other 'cottages', but there is the lovely Chinese pavilion to see, too.Written April 20, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- HIZ19 contributionsThis is actually an extraordinary museum, both in the breadth and extent of its collection. To avoid the potential crowds of Sunday (when admission is free) , we went on a cold Saturday afternoon for $15 per head for seniors; this seemed to be a good call, since we never shared any gallery with any more than a handful of other patrons. This is a confusing collection of interconnected buildings; rather than detracting from the the experience, it allows wonderful transitions from one collection to the other. And that range indeed needs some transitions: Contemporary, colonial and modern American; ancient Egyptian, Greek, Asian, Egyptian; Textiles, sculpture, paintings. We kept a good pace throughout, and it still took us three hours, without taking a coffee break at the cafe. Having been to many of the majors: the Louvre, New York Metropolitan, Philadelphia, Smithsonian, I would still include this facility as a well worth the visit.
A tip re parking: the museum is within the RISD / Brown University campus area. It has no no parking area of its own and much of the surrounding street parking reserved for the schools, or is 2hr limit Monday thru Saturday. there are enough pay lots to the north and across the river to the northwest and west several blocks away. We found plentiful free street parking 8 minutes' walk to the southeast on Power street east of Benefit. Hills are steep in that area, and to avoid some challenging effort, If you park on the southeast side, you can enter the museum directly from Benefit street, through Cafe Pearl; though their map mentions this entrance clearly, there is virtually no signage indicating this as a museum entrance from the street; look for the cafe at 224.Written February 24, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - RandyRossRidgetown, Canada11,776 contributionsRough Point is the fifth mansion that we toured in Newport and the final one. As one might expect, it is a beautiful house but it also has a very nice property with lovely gardens - even in the second part of October!
Unlike the 4 others that were run by the Preservation Society of Newport, Rough Point is run by the Newport Restoration Foundation (founded by Doris Duke). Thus, it has a separate fee but it was worth every penny.
Rough Point also is the most beautiful of all the Newport Mansions, as seen from the Cliff Walk. With the little gorge and the flowers, it is just perfect!
Rough Point is actually called Rough Point Museum, even though it is not all that different to tour that the other mansions in Newport. I think that itis called a museum because it does celebrate the life of Doris Duke, the tobacco Heiress who owned the property.Written December 2, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - RYC88Centreville, VA1,315 contributionsIt was very interesting to see this particular mansion, as it really showed the difference between places where people actually wanted to live for the summer vs places designed solely for entertaining. Every room on the main floor was an entertainment space. Then, upstairs were the modest bedrooms, almost an afterthought. We really enjoyed the fabulous exhibit on the African Americans in Newport and their work for freedom and abolition and how they were successful business people fighting to be acknowledged in the town of ultra-rich. The mansion is well worth a visit and definitely provides a different view of the season in Newport and how people approached it.Written April 16, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- RYC88Centreville, VA1,315 contributionsThe place is gorgeous, filled to the brim with about 100 beautiful and amazing cars. Even if you are not a car fanatic, it's just a fabulous place to walk around and admire the beauty. Every car is started at least once a month and none of them are reproductions, they are all originals. There are detailed signs with each that offer all the car fanatic information, as well as little tidbits for those who like cars, but don't need all the nitty-gritty details. The docents are so friendly and engaging. There are also benches/chairs that are high art, so it's not just cars. What a fascinating display - so well done.Written April 20, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- NorthStar096588373801 contributionPlan on 1.5hrs unless you want to read a majority of the player history exhibits. The exhibits and grounds are historically interesting and if you’re a tennis player or fan you should find it a great place to visit.Written October 21, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- LuluMiami, FL6 contributionsThis is one of the most gorgeous art collections in the country, sadly, for ages the museum has been closed due to covid then renovations with no updates ok their website. I do hope they re open one day!Written September 25, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- chris6096Cumberland, RI3 contributionsA group from our condo community took this tour and we were all so impressed! The center is just magnificent with beautiful frescos and rich history. Our guide was informative and entertaining. I would recommend this tour to anyone.Written November 9, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- RandyRossRidgetown, Canada11,776 contributionsWe visited the Audrain Automobile Museum in downtown Newport. We had walked by and driven by several times but didn't go there, in part because it is relatively small - only about 30 vehicles. However, it was really quite interesting. They rotate exhibits every 3 months. The current exhibit when we visited was called, "Stars of 30 Audrain Exhibitions" and it brought back fan favorites from the first 30 exhibitions (over 10 years). The museum was very well staffed with volunteer docents who were very knowledgeable.Written November 30, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- chesa cGrafton, MA67 contributionsWe had a lovely day here with our 6yo, but I'd guess much older would lose interest. It's smaller, but plenty of things kept his interest for a few hours. The historical exhibits were cool and he really liked the water area. We were able to do this for free with a membership we have to another museum - so check at the entrance for their reciprocity program. Parking in their lot is minimal, so be prepared to park on the street and walk a few blocks on a weekend.Written April 24, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- StewfootCalifornia, MD161 contributionsGreat place to learn about the start of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, about how water wheels were used to power mills, and about the first workers strike in the United States.Written October 28, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Lea S57 contributionsWe loved our visit to the Gilbert Stuart Museum. We were amazed to see the number of original paintings by this pivotal artist, as well as the opportunity to visit his birthplace. The historic home and snuff mill surrounded by beautiful gardens were a treat to visit and we also enjoyed a walk on the well marked trails through the grounds. It is WELL worth a trip.Written September 11, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
