Categories
Past Events › Tours/Exhibits
Events List Navigation
Where exercise meets history (for kids!)
Looking for a way to explore the city with kids? Slater Mill is taking innovation to the next level with fantastic walking tours of Pawtucket to make the past come alive for young learners. Pack your imaginations and take your kids on a one-mile walk through the artisan settlement of historic downtown Pawtucket on a narrated journey with an excellent guide! Look at the old with fresh eyes and see where the first forge and Jenks’ homesteads were established in Rhode Island, and where waterpower was harnessed long before the big mills were founded. Meets in Slater Mill gift shop at 11 a.m. Program is approximately 1 hour. Admission: $5.00 per person. Light rain or shine.
It’s time for tea at Hearthside House!
Is your family captivated by splendor and lush past of the television sensation Downton Abbey? Experience the elegance of an historical afternoon tea, perfect for a Mother’s Day celebration at Hearthside House. You’ll enjoy a fashion presentation, loads of savories and sweets, and a dose of Downton Abbey! Reserve in advance by calling 401-726-0597 or email info@hearthsidehouse.org. Seating available at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. Admission: $34; $30 for members.
Kids Reading Across RI
Books are the passport to the world and on Mother’s Day weekend, check out the annual Kids Reading Across RI event taking place inside the RI Statehouse, featuring activities, readings, story time, and more for children in 4th-6th grades. Each year, a summer reading theme is chosen to inspire kids to explore the world through books. This year’s theme, Build a Better World, kicks off with the book Save Me a Seat, written by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan. Each family will receive their own free copy of the book. In addition to activities and readings, kids will receive a “passport” upon entry and can get it stamped by visiting different booths and activities. Visit Facebook for more event details (and feel free to share!)
Location: Rhode Island State House, Providence. Admission: Free!
At the event, you’ll find booths and tables hosted by Audubon Society of RI, East Providence Public Library, Kidoinfo, India Association of RI, Providence Children’s Film Festival, RI Children’s Book Award, RI Festival of Children’s Books & Authors, RI Middle School Book Award, Washington County Coalition for Children, Warwick Public Library, Woonsocket Harris Public Library, and more!
Kingston Village Fair Day
In celebration of the annual Kingston Village Fair Day, the South County History Center will be opening the first of three exhibits featuring images from the Allen Collection of glass plate negatives. Enjoy looking at old photographs that aren’t on a screen and explore the center and the grounds. Admission: Free, with tours each half hour.
Discover Lippitt House Museum
At Lippitt House Museum you can choose how you want to visit! From guided tours to self-guided tours, to hands-on Lippitt Labs, each option highlights the museum’s art and architecture and provides a window into Providence’s Golden Age through captivating stories of both the Lippitt family and the domestic servants who lived and worked there. The launch of Lippitt House’s newest exhibit, The Art of Dining, has kicked-off as part of A la Rhody, a year-long program exploring Rhode Island’s food heritage. The Art of Dining shows the early experience of American’s relationship to food: from meals to social customs. (Talk about giving kids a different perspective on dinner time!) See how food and drink were integrated into the rituals of Victorian life at this ongoing exhibit, which is included in the price of admission. Admission: $10 adults; $5 students; free for children 12 and under; free for active military personnel. Open Fridays, 1-5pm; and the third Saturday of the month, 10am-2pm.
The storied streets of Providence
Live in Rhode Island? Have children? Here’s an idea that combines “street smarts” with history: the Rhode Island Historical Society’s 2017 walking tour schedule has launched with loads of new ways to participate, including earlier start times, new routes, and special themes. Help your kids learn about the capital city and at the same time, gain confidence in knowing the “lay of the land” of Providence’s iconic Benefit Street, located on the East Side. Made for walking, exploring and learning, these strolls are a great way to see the city with fresh eyes and hear a story of our city’s center that touches on the past, present, and future. Admission: $15; $12 for seniors; $10 for RIHS members and students, $6 for children 8-17, and free for children under 8. Taking place Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays through Saturdays, beginning in May; tour departs at 10 a.m.
Walk Benefit Street’s history
Here’s an idea that combines “street smarts” with history: the Rhode Island Historical Society’s 2017 walking tour schedule has launched with loads of new ways to participate, including earlier start times, new routes, and special themes. Help your kids learn about the capital city and at the same time, gain confidence in knowing the “lay of the land” of Providence’s iconic Benefit Street, located on the East Side. Made for walking, exploring and learning, these strolls are a great way to see the city with fresh eyes and hear a story of our city’s center that touches on the past, present, and future. Admission: $15; $12 for seniors; $10 for RIHS members and students, $6 for children 8-17, and free for children under 8. Taking place Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays through Saturdays, beginning in May; tour departs at 10 a.m.
Explore the past on foot!
Are your kids little explorers? Get those brains and feet moving with Slater Mill’s fantastic walking tours of Pawtucket that make the past come alive for young learners. Pack your imaginations and take your kids on a one-mile walk through the artisan settlement of historic downtown Pawtucket on a narrated journey with an excellent guide! Look at the old with fresh eyes and see where the first forge and Jenks’ homesteads were established in Rhode Island, and where waterpower was harnessed long before the big mills were founded. Meets in Slater Mill gift shop at 11 a.m. Program is approximately 1 hour. Admission: $5.00 per person. Light rain or shine.
Tea time for American Girl Doll friends!
Step back in time and enjoy the simple pleasures of a relaxing afternoon tea. Or introduce the young girl in your life to an elegant tea event while learning manners in sipping tea, along with history to share with her favorite doll and you. Now in its 10th year, the American Girl Doll Tea Party has become a tradition for families or a new experience for many moms, grandmothers, girls and their dolls. Hearthside’s Tea Party offers an opportunity for girls and their dolls to dress up and attend an afternoon tea with their mom or other relative. Prizes, raffles, a favor for each girl, tours of the house and shopping for a special treat in Hearthside’s Gift Shop. Because of the popularity of the event, two seatings offered each day, June 3rd & 4th, at 12:30 p.m. or 2:30 p.m. Admission: $25 per person. Seating is limited and is always a sell-out. Tickets must be purchased in advance by sending an email to info@hearthsidehouse.org or calling 401-726-0597.
Walk-around Wednesdays
Looking for a mid-week activity with your family? Take the kids for a stroll along the Bristol coastline and hear captivating stories of the original Blithewold Mansion owners, Van Wickle/McKee family. The tour offers families the chance to see the mansion decorated with original furnishings, just as it was when the family lived here. The guided tour continues through the grounds, where trees and colorful gardens are back-dropped by sweeping views of the bay. Your experience concludes with a Q&A, complete with the perfect summer drink: iced tea served on Blithewold’s North West Porch. Admission: Regular admission plus $6 per person.