ATTRACTIONS

Historic Homes & Buildings

• Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Arboretum
  101 Ferry Road • Bristol, RI 02809
  401-253-2707
  This property includes a forty-five-room mansion and thirty three acres of landscaped grounds and gardens; there are over two hundred fifty different kinds of trees and shrubs growing in the Blithewold collection. The 17th century English manor style mansion contains most of the original furnishings and is on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as being one of the best preserved estates in New England. more...  map

• Bristol County Statehouse (circa 1816)
  260 High Street • Bristol, RI 02809
  Located on the Edge of Town Common
  401-253-0015
  This Federal-style stone building served as one of the five state houses that were used in rotation by the Rhode Island General Assembly; the first floor houses a school library for the adjacent elementary schools, while the second floor courtroom is in the process of being renovated to its original Eighteenth Century grandeur. The historic courtroom also features re-enactments of famous local trials.  map

• Linden Place (circa 1810)
  500 Hope Street • Bristol, RI 02809
  Bristol Historic District
  401-253-0390
  This Federal period mansion was built for General George DeWolf and has hosted four U.S. presidents, was home to the great actress Ethel Barrymore, and was featured in the film "The Great Gatsby." It has long been considered the "crown jewel" of the Bristol historic district. more...  map

• Mount Hope Farm (circa 1677)
  250 Metacom Avenue (Route 136) • Bristol, RI 02809
  401-254-1745
  With over two 200 acres of fields, meadows, pastures, woodlands, ponds, streams and a medley of historic buildings, Mount Hope Farm, a landmark on the National Register of Historic Places; provides its guests and visitors with an environmental and educational experience. Tours are available at the Governor Bradford House May through October, Wednesday through Sunday from noon until 4:00 p.m., as well as during the holiday season. more...  map

Museums & Galleries

• Bristol Historical and Preservation Society (circa 1828)
  48 Court Street • Bristol, RI 02809
  Former Bristol County Jail
  401-253-7223
  This organization offers a library and a vast collection of artifacts from Bristol's three hundred year history, and the curious may call for information and hours.  map

• Bristol Train of Artillery (circa 1843)
  135 State Street • Bristol, RI 02809
  401-521-9136
  This building houses a museum full of rare examples of military weapons, artifacts, shoulder arms, sabres, and other artifacts, as well as documents and other memorabilia dating back to the time of the American Revolution.   map

• Coggeshall Farm Museum
  1 Colt Drive; P.O. Box 562 • Bristol, RI 02809
  Adjacent to Colt State Park
  401-253-9062
  This 48-acre living history museum depicts life on a late 17th century marsh farm. A variety of farm animals roam the grounds while cattle graze in the fields. One can even watch massive oxen handle heavy work. There is also an heirloom garden and a variety of outbuildings to be explored, including a blacksmith shop. Coggeshall Farm is host to the Rhode Island Wool & Fiber Festival, held annually the 3rd Saturday in May. more...

• Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology
  Tower Street Off Route 136 • Bristol, RI 02809
  401-253-8388
  This museum houses artifacts from the native peoples of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, exploring the great richness and diversity of cultures to be found throughout the world; a gift shop is open during museum hours, and educational programs and guided tours are available. more...

• Herreshoff Marine Museum/America's Cup
  1 Burnside Street • Bristol, RI 02809
  Corner of Hope (Route 114) and Burnside Streets
  401-253-5000
  The Herreshoff Marine Museum/America's Cup Hall of Fame is "dedicated to the education and inspiration of the public through presentations of the history and innovative work of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company and the America's Cup competition." The Herreshoff Marine Museum features over 60 significant boats and the Nathanael Greene Herreshoff Model Room, which holds a collection of 500 of Captain Nat's models used to create his designs, including his America's Cup defenders. The museum of the Hall of Fame offers a collection that includes plaques honoring the inductees, half-hull models of challengers and defenders, such artifacts as spars, steering wheels and tank test model hulls, and special exhibits about the America's Cup. more...  map

Science & Technology

• Audubon Society Environmental Education Center
  1401 Hope Street • Bristol, RI 02809
  401-245-7500
  This interactive museum mirrors the ecosystem that surrounds it, and features wildlife exhibits, touch tanks, hands-on displays, a night time cornfield, and the exhibits having to do with the Narragansett shoreline; the piece de resistance is an exact replica of a thirty-five-foot-long right whale. more...  map