This is another one of those places I've passed by probably a thousand times and never gave a…read moresecond thought to. But, on this nice holiday I finally stopped by. Tours end in October, which was nice as had the place to myself and could freely roam about. It's a nice place. Couple walking trails, nice waterfront view, and obviously the historical grounds. Would probably be nicer to visit in the summer, but then you have to deal with the crowds. Well worth a trip if for nothing else than the walking trails and the historical aspects.

I had a great experience at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center. The museum does an…read moreexcellent job presenting the history and culture of the Pequot people through detailed exhibits, artifacts, couple of films, and interactive displays. I especially enjoyed learning about the region's Native American history and how thoughtfully the exhibits were organized. I will say that I did find myself walking through some parts more than once - it could just be me not being able to find my way around easily, but I didn't find it easy or intuitive to navigate. The Pequot village was definitely my favorite part. Walking through the recreated village felt immersive and realistic, and it really brought the history to life in a meaningful way - especially listening to the audio guide. The attention to detail made it easy to imagine what daily life may have been like centuries ago. Overall, it was an educational and memorable visit -- 4 out of 5 stars!

Always learning something new at the MPMRC! Came in for "The Art of Storytelling" which was a great…read moreexperience with one of the amazing educators as she told two stories at the gathering place. Once finished had plenty of time to view the exhibits, watch the educational movies and explore the museum in its entirety. If you are ever in the area, ensure to stop in for a visit!

A great spot. $2 for general admission, $5 if you want to see the planetarium show too. Even with…read moreits small size you can't go wrong with those prices. As I said it is on the small side, in a hurry you could do the musuem in 15 minutes, and even taking your time it could be done in half an hour. There are plenty of displays, but not much in terms of factual information compared to other musuems. Check this place out, even if its not your thing for the price you can't go wrong.

Only 2 handicap parking spots and the entrance had steps where the door opens towards you are you…read moreare trying to come in. $2 admission is not bad and staff are friendly. So if you need an ADA parking spot, show up early and there's one in each of the parking lots adjacent to the building.

An Absolute Must-Visit Treasure in Westerly!Discovered this outstanding venue while walking the…read morehigh street, and it blew past all expectations! The Living Shark Museum perfectly blends fascinating movie memorabilia, deep educational exhibits, and vital conservation work. No matter which of these topics you love, you will leave thoroughly impressed. Do not miss this local gem!

An interesting spot to cool your heels, browse a few exhibits about sharks and shark biology, and…read moreadmire the extensive collection of Jaws memorabilia. Sadly, there are no living sharks in the Living Shark Museum, but you'll see plenty of shark models, shark teeth and (yes) jaws, shark egg cases, South Sea weapons made with shark teeth, and lots of Jaws movie stuff. It's a small place, only 3 exhibit rooms on the second floor off of High St and won't take long to peruse (but long enough to cool off in the summer or warm up in the winter). Plus, it's absolutely free of charge!

I'm a museum person and this one definitely didn't disappoint. I appreciated the grounds which were…read moreabsolutely stunning and opened up directly to the water. All of the staff there were amazing as well. The museum had a small but serviceable section on Jaws and I appreciated the movie clips that they had. As a history teacher I appreciated the sections on the history of the island and the shipwrecks around the area. Overall we spend about a little over an hour there. It was a nice time but for $21 for adults I did find it to be on the higher end of museums I've been to. But if you're in the area and have the time I do recommend stopping by.

As a visitor staying on the island with family we decided to give the indigo dye process a chance…read more Although it was humid and warm outside the view, cold water for drinks and an interesting activity made it bearable. Each person was able to experiment using indigo leaves and dye on silk and cotton fabric. Instructors encouraged all participants to be creative and have fun. I would recommend this activity for young adults through those who are retied. It's a way of combing fun and learning in an activity. I would highly recommend this class for others. Go check out other classes available at the MVM.

Came here tonight (8:30) because we had a visitor from Hawaii staying with us for a couple of…read moreweeks. Thought this would make an interesting outing. I have been here a few times before but never on a night that had an event planned. I was expecting to see some of the Perseid meteor showers but instead we were informed by the volunteer in front that there was a special event in the observatory's theater. A spokesperson from NASA was here with a presentation about the James Webb Space Telescope. The asking donation price was $5. I'm happy to give that! It was standing room only by the time my group got in. The presentation was so informative. I learned a lot of things. Like how they were able to origami fold the tennis court sized telescope into a space shuttle only to unfold in space while still traveling tens of thousands of miles per hour. All of the mirrors can move and auto correct themselves to adjust to what they're focusing on. Also what was amazing was that they used really thin layers of Mylar like material and the air passing through each of these layers was able to change the temperature from about 240°c to -130°c We were each able to try out an infrared gun on our hands (covered by a tarp) to see that the infrared gun could see through and our hands would be visible. After the presentation we were able to grab some NASA swag and I was totally geeking out. My son only took 1 small sticker. It was dark in there and I just grabbed a handful. Don't worry! He said that he had more for everyone if the table ran out so I didn't leave any one empty handed. After the presentation we headed back to the observatory. The telescope was pointed at a binary star system. I don't remember the name. We were lucky to see anything because the sky had a thin veil of clouds. While still in the park- driving home- the full moon was so glorious. With thin ribbons of clouds swirling around it- it looked like a sunrise. But more mysterious. Almost monochrome. I would have definitely snapped a pic if I weren't driving. I plan on coming here a lot more. This is such a gem! I recommend coming to Ninigret during the day so you can learn to navigate to the observatory easier. It is pitch black. They also ask that once you make it into the park that you turn off your head lights and only drive with your running lights. There is a parking lot to the right of the observatory. Other Astronomy enthusiasts are usually on the lawn in front of the observatory so please do not have your headlights on. The observatory is kind of a tight space. And it's dark. It's a circle but enter on the right. Halfway around inside there will be a sign in book. The book generally sits on top of a donation box. The telescope will be pointed at something and usually it will stay in that position. On slow nights they can point it somewhere else as long as everyone has had a chance to see and most of them show an interest in seeing something else.

An awesome little spot within a park in south county. It's a little observatory for us nerds that…read morelove space things. Saturn was clear that night so there was a long line of people waiting to see it. I was surprised at how many people were out there lined up to get a glimpse of the planet. It was complete darkness out there so you could see millions of stars and the Milky Way with your own eyes. I saw 3 satellites and a couple of shooting stars! We waited in line for about 30 minutes before we got inside the observatory. It's a small dome with a large telescope inside. There were two men working in there and we were able to look through the telescope for a few minutes. You could see the the blue planet with rings around it; it was so clear! It's a brilliant and fascinating experience. And the coolest part, it was free! If you have a chance, go check it it!

I had never heard of this museum, but I got a tour as part of training for the visitor center…read more I am so glad I went. The house is an immaculate Victorian piece with over 25 rooms and about 3 stories. Wayne, our tour guide was very knowledgeable and he said that many times, people with specific interests come to the museum to learn more about certain pieces (people come to learn about clocks, rugs, paintings, wood furniture, Asian pieces, bathrooms, etc). The museum has been used in several TV shows like The Gilded Age and Treasures Inside The Museum. General entrance is $12 per adult and the best thing is to call them to schedule a tour. Well worth it.

Stunning architecture, furniture, and history behind this high design Victorian house. Our tour…read moreguide was a family member and so wonderfully passionate and fun! Enjoyed the tour and recommend anyone to visit!!

First time exploring Providence, and while sadly was only here for one day, this was one of the…read morebiggest recommendations I got for an attraction to see. And coming through here, yeah, I can definitely see why. The RISD Museum has a really amazing and eclectic assortment of works from many different eras and locations, and you are certain to find something here to pique your interest. In one building, I went from seeing some ancient Egyptian, Roman, or Chinese statues, to Renaissance and early-modern paintaings, Victorian and Gilded age furniture, an assortments of modern and contemporary works, plus several rotating exhibits which had some very fascinating subject matters. The entire building has a somewhat strange floorplan, but this leads you to explore, discover, and find your path through the exhibits in different ways, almost like working through a puzzle to find some hidden treasures. And if you take your time, the museum can easily eat up half a day at least. As for a couple things to keep in mind; Parking can be a little tricky right close to the museum itself, as there are some street spaces nearby and paid parking garages. But frankly, downtown Providence is so nice that I'd advise parking further away and enjoying a lovely walk over along the canals. Admission price is very reasonable, but Sundays are apparently free entry days (or at least was when I visited). So yeah, if you only have a couple hours to kill in this town, the RISD Museum is very much worth a visit. Hope others can come and enjoy this amazing spot.

The RISD Museum in Providence is one of those places that catches you off guard with how much it…read morehas to offer, especially if you are not already familiar with it going in. I found the building spanning six floors, and the spaces were well organized throughout, giving each piece enough room to be appreciated properly without the galleries ever feeling sparse or rushed. It is the kind of museum where I could spend a couple of hours moving through it and still feel like I left things unexplored. The collection is the main reason to visit, and it covers a genuinely impressive range, from ancient artifacts and historical portraits all the way through to modern and contemporary works. The curation does a good job of making those transitions between periods feel intentional rather than disjointed, and the rotating exhibits add a reason to come back beyond what is already on permanent display. The Liz Collins exhibit drew a lot of attention during its run and was a strong example of how well the museum handles contemporary work alongside its more classical holdings. Staff were present and approachable throughout the floors, and coat lockers near the entrance were available, a small but appreciated detail on a longer visit. The building was easy to navigate even on a first trip, and the overall experience felt well managed without being overly structured. One thing worth knowing before planning a trip is that Sundays offer free admission to all visitors, which makes it an easy addition to a Providence weekend without having to think twice. Weekday visits run quieter if you prefer more space and a slower pace through the galleries. For a museum connected to an art school, it holds up as one of the stronger art museums in the region and is well worth the time.

I was visiting family in CT and they wanted to bring me here. Upon entrance, staff were very…read morefriendly and helpful with schedules and must sees. I immediately noticed a newfoundland safety rescue presentation and couldn't miss it. There were at least 10 dogs set up for various rescue scenes. It was interactive for children and a sight for dog lovers. Pets and slobber came free. The village experience was interesting, the ship tour and interactive chant/rope pull was also fun to watch. Food was delectable even if water just couldn't stay cold in the heat. We missed the boat ride by a couple minutes so caught the newfoundland show again (not the least bit mad). I'm a little old for a late night Lego movie, but the set up would be perfect for children! I can't wait to go back with the younger kids in our family.

This maritime museum is huge, sitting on a 19-acre piece of land. It is immersive, recreating a…read more19th century seafaring village. Entrance fee is $35 for adults and $33 for seniors. They have flexible re-entry so you can go out and come back if you want to eat or do some things outside. You can see a fully operational shipyard, restored coastal village with some shops open and with active staff telling you about the crafts and other facts about the area: blacksmiths, printers, woodcarvers, etc. You should wear comfortable shoes since you will do a lot of walking on dirt roads, gravel, and wooden docks. The gift shop has shirts, sweaters, books, magnets, mugs, caps, and many other items. There are also places where you can eat here. Parking space is ample on the other side of the road (across the museum). The museum is interesting especially if you want to learn about maritime history and life back in the day. Shops are different; however, there can be a feeling of repetition after visiting one shop after the other.