Really nice spot to take a short walk and stretch the legs while in Westerly. I love how it's also…read morean arboretum and all the trees are marked with plaques denoting their common and scientific names. There are also a number of interpretive signs that convey some of the history and current uses of the buildings. There are a number of war monuments and some cool sculptures. We especially enjoyed the sculpture "The Runaway Bunny" by Margaret Wise Brown. Love that the park was founded by a woman, Harriet Wilcox. Opposite the park, there is a nice mural with her image and apparently a quote by her "The People Shall Have Their Park". Respect. The park is open dawn to 9pm. Street parking.

Wilcox Park is one of Westerly's best kept secrets. Probably not for locals, but for out of towners…read morelike me I adore this place. I go at least a few times a year. It feels to me like I am in in a European park, with fountain, statues, and carefully sculpted ponds, with bench seating throughout. It's a large space with winding walking paths. Much nicer in the summer when everything is in full bloom but even in the winter or early spring on a sunny day it still has a lot to offer a nature buff like myself. You can park on the street for free and access the park at different points. Definitely worth a visit particularly in the warmer weather.

Such a great library. Everyone is helpful, its cozy and quiet. Its also beautiful. So lucky to live…read morenear this place. They also have two cats.

A magnificent library…read more The idea fom this stunning building started back in 1891 when Captain Elihu Spicer decided that his home town needed a library. So he donated money and ideas and by 1894 the Mystic and Noank Library was open for business. The good Captain Spicer started out as a cabin boy at an early age and eventually became masters of several ships and acquired quite a fortune. He became a philanthropist in his later years and spread his wealth around generously. The library that was built is absolutely magnificent. Granite was moved by barge from quarries in Ct., sandstone from Ma., marble from as far away as Africa and tile floors from Italy. This is more of a palace than a library and the building is worth seeing even if you have no interest in books. The place is stunning both inside and outside. The building was expanded in 1951 and another 6,000 ft were added in 1992. The architects did a fantastic job and the venerable building retains its stately, archaic and majestic flavor but has all the conveniences and amenities of a modern library. Truly the best of the old and the new. A grand place to savor, enjoy and be amazed at, libraries like this will never be constructed again.

A window to the…read moreworld The Ashaway public library was established back in 1871 when a group of people in the area decided the town needed a public reading room. In 1907 the library moved into it's present location and has been modernized and expanded throughout the years. In recent years two major additions has dramatically increased it's size and capabilities. Although not still not a large library by many standards, the Ashaway Library offers the usually reference materials, biographies, history, mystery and classics. Plus more than 40 periodicals and audio and video tapes. Like most of the smaller community libraries, Ashaway has programs for kids, book discussion groups and lots of annual events like book, bake and plant sales. Holiday strolls, sing alongs, teddy bear picnics, ice cream socials are also put on throughout the year. A lot of things going on in this place besides just books The librarians working here were exceptional friendly and helpful and went out of their way to tell me the history of the library and town. The library is only partially government funded and most of the financial resources come from volunteer fund raising, local businesses, individual contributions and philanthropic foundations. Ashaway is a great model of how a small local library should operate.

The Wheeler Library is gorgeous and was once the town's public school, but before that, it was a…read moreprivate school. The upstairs was used as dormitory space, and the restoration retained much of the beautiful woodwork. Meanwhile, the downstairs is inviting and the renovation is more recent but attention has been paid to making it quite attractive after it having served as an office space for many years. Be sure to catch the many busts of famous people on the second floor and also the monthly artist's exhibits.

Lions schools and…read morebusts The Wheeler Library was open in 1900 from money donated by the Wheeler family. Constructed with huge blocks of granite it had a duel purpose. The upstairs served as a lovely library while the bottom floor was an elementary school house. The arraignment lasted for almost 50 years until the town decided to get rid of the 15 little one room school houses and consolidated them into one large regionial school. So the school left and the library expanded into the entire building. Most of the library is now on the first floor and the higher level is a grand room with absolutely stunning widows. cool old photos and lots of busts of old dead guys. The library is lovely in an odd sort of way. Very square and symmetrical, the huge granite blocks look like that will last forever. Not as elaborate as many other libraries but it definitely looks solid and two cool lion statues guard the entrance. The inside is a different story. The first floor has the books and usual library stuff along with a very pleasant librarian but a trip upstairs is what really amazes. A huge open hall with stunning windows and ceiling and cool stuff whenever you look. A few old books are up there but it's most open space. I suspect they use the area for lectures and concerts. The library had some major renovation in 1992 and is a useful and practical facility. But it's the buildings uniqueness that makes it so cool. There are no other library that look quite like this one.

I have been a member of this library for 66 years, and it has grown with the public it serves into…read morean amazing local treasure. The librarian and all of the personnel bend over backward to provide the very best customer service possible, and the selections are always fresh and exciting. In addition, the special programming is fun for adults and kids alike.

A beautiful building in…read more a beautiful borough The Stonington Free Library is located in a lovely building that was built way back in 1900. This was in the time before most towns were broke and when they still had money to spend on making libraries more than just warehouses to store books. The building would be a cool place to visit even if it didn't have any books at all. The site selected was where the famous Wadawanuck Hotel stood a few years before. This was when Stonington was still a hopping transportation center with a multitude of steam ships and trains stopping here between Boston and New York. Before things changed and Stonington became a the quiet little borough it presently is. The library is relatively small by the standards of larger towns but has been expanded several times over the decades but still managed to keep it's charm and unique character. It was built to be more than just a place to store books and that idea has never changed throughout the years. Sure the library has books, a whole bunch of books. plus the usual periodicals, computers, videos, Cd's and other mundane library stuff. The library also has a nice children's department and has various lectures, events and demonstrations. Of course the friendly and smiling small town librarians are present to assist and eager to help with any question or difficulty. But the magic of this library isn't in the books but the wonderful building located in a wonderful and historical town literally surrounded by water. A great place to read, do research or just walk around, look, smell the ocean, and wonder what this town was like a hundred years ago when the library was built.

Friendly staff and cozy environment! Great place with many activities available. There is something…read morehere for people of any age and staff are always happy to help.

My boyfriend and I are avid readers who are on a mission to visit every library in Rhode Island -…read moreand since I am a Yelper, I feel compelled to write a review for each and every one! Cross Mills Public Library is smaller than some of its sister libraries on the Ocean State Libraries network, but don't be fooled by the pastoral setting and diminutive size - this is actually the library with the nicest staff I've been to thus far on my journeys, and they also have lots of books I hadn't been able to find at my local library branch in Newport! The library is located in picturesque Charlestown, RI, right next to an old schoolhouse and a church that looks like it's from the 1800s. The library itself is very quaint, with many windows to let in lots of natural light, and plenty of seating to catch the rays on a sunny afternoon. We curled up with stacks of books today and wiled away the day reading. It was pretty perfect! In addition to the books, they also offer a robust selection of community programming and classes for all ages, including a cooking club, free concerts, and a Minecraft after school club for kids (we heard the squeals of excitement coming from the computer lab on the lower level - bless Tyler, the awesome librarian we met, for keeping the kids occupied and entertained as leader of the group!). We look forward to coming back for some of the concerts during the summer! They also have a great book sale every summer, so keep an eye out if you live in the area and want to get some new reading material for cheap! I really enjoyed our visit to Cross Mills, and look forward to coming back soon!

Slowing down time…read more The Preston Public Library was started in 1898 and still does a whole lot of things that it did for decades.. You can read a book, do some research, ask the friendly librarian stupid questions or just sit and relax. The difference now is that the library has five computers for public use and free wifi and other modern amenities. The Preston Library also offers a great kids area and all kinds of different programs ranging from arts & crafts to story telling. Things don't change much in a small town like Preston and that is usually a very nice thing. The library manages to keep it's small, quaint and unassuming feel of the 20th century while offering the latest technology of the 21st. .

I have not been to the library for a decade. I came by with my teenage son. He is very picky about…read morebooks and needed to write a Senior essay for school. He has ADHD so it's very challenging for him to read and remain focused. The two librarian were so impressively patient and knowledgeable. They worked hard with him to pick his interest. They managed to find him two great books. And I walked out with a new library card and new book. I'm so excited to start reading again.

A whole bunch of…read more Bills The history of the Ledyard, CT area is filled with Bills. Not only is this library named the Bill Library but another Bill Library is in the nearby town of Groton. All these Bills makes the history a bit confusing. The beginning of the Ledyard Bill Library actually started in 1878 when a fellow named Ledyard Bill decided that a Civil War monument would look nice in town. So he got together some money and erected a nineteen foot high obelisk and stuck it on a little plot of ground near the town center. Ledyard's brother Henry Bill liked the monument so much that figured that a library would look nice in front of it so he donated the money to have one built. The obelisk now stands behind the library. The library today is quaint, pleasant and pretty impressive for such a small town. Like most small town libraries everyone is friendly and the library has lots of programs and demonstrations. The other Bill library in Groton was donated by Frederick Bill in memory of his two sisters and curiously also has an obelisk in the back of it. The Bill Library is a nice part of the town's history. It's pretty cool that what started out as an obelisk turned into a library.

Took a road trip out here this holiday break to check out the sea food market and the lobster bouy…read moretree what a treat to run into this lighthouse!! The architecture is beautiful!!! The views are breathtaking along the shore line of the east lawn!!! Of course in December it was chilly and we missed being able to tour the lighthouse and the captain house by a week , but we will be back in the fall when we can get into the home . We were able to tour the grounds! I look forward to getting back up there to see this beautiful piece of historic architecture!!!

From the owner: Celebrating Stonington's more than 350 years of history with America's first lighthouse museum The…read moreStonington Lighthouse, National Historic Landmark The Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House Museum, Richard W. Woolworth Library, events and more.