Top Museums

Rhode Island’s museums span from the extravagant Gilded Age summer cottages of Newport, such as The Breakers and Marble House, to Providence’s academic institutions like the RISD Museum and Brown University’s Haffenreffer Museum. Visitors can explore 17th-century history at Smith’s Castle, maritime engineering at the Herreshoff Marine Museum, and specialized collections at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. These sites preserve the state's architectural heritage, industrial legacy, and diverse artistic contributions within historic mansions and modern galleries.

The Breakers

The Breakers is a Gilded Age mansion located at 44 Ochre Point Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island, US.

Rhode Island School of Design Museum (RISD Museum)

Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design is an art museum in Providence affiliated with the Rhode Island School of Design, in the U.S.…

International Tennis Hall of Fame

The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States.

Marble House

Marble House, a Gilded Age mansion located at 596 Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island, was built from 1888 to 1892 as a summer cottage…

The Elms Mansion

Completed in 1901 for coal magnate Edward Julius Berwind, this Classical Revival mansion was modeled after the mid-18th-century Château d'Asnières in France. It features a notable collection of Renaissance ceramics, 18th-century French furniture, and extensive sunken gardens.

Rosecliff Mansion

Commissioned by silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs and designed by architect Stanford White, this 1902 mansion is modeled after the Grand Trianon at Versailles. It contains Newport’s largest ballroom and served as a filming location for the 1974 film The Great Gatsby.

Newport Art Museum

The Newport Art Museum, founded in 1912 as the Art Association of Newport, is located at 76 Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island.

John Brown House

The John Brown House borders the campus of Brown University at 52 Power Street on College Hill in Providence, Rhode Island.

Chateau-sur-Mer Mansion

Chateau-sur-Mer is one of the first grand Bellevue Avenue mansions of the Gilded Age in Newport, Rhode Island.

National Museum of American Illustration

The National Museum of American Illustration, founded in 1998, is the first national museum to be devoted exclusively to American…

Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology

The Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology is Brown University's teaching and research museum.

Governor Henry Lippitt House Museum

The Governor Henry Lippitt House is a historic house museum at 199 Hope Street on the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island.

Smith’s Castle

Smith's Castle, built in 1678, is a house museum at 55 Richard Smith Drive, near Wickford, a village in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.

Herreshoff Marine Museum

The Herreshoff Marine Museumis a maritime museum in Bristol, Rhode Island dedicated to the history of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company,…