10 Art Museums in Rhode Island That You Shouldn't Miss

September 16, 2021 Leonarda Pillsbury

With the perfect combination of great seaside views, colorful local culture, and endless family activities, Rhode Island is a big vacation destination in a small package. Whether you are into art and culture, beautiful seaside sights, or great family-friendly activities, there is sure to be something for you in Rhode Island. If you're staying in Newport, try a breathtaking tour of the harbor in the Schooner Madeleine, or enjoy a bit of history at Fort Adams State Park. The Newport mansions are one of the most popular attractions around, and the nearby Cliff Walk is a great place for a hike. Narragansett is home to the lovely Narragansett Town Beach and Point Judith Lighthouse, and if you hop on the Block Island Ferry you are only a short trip away from Block Island, where you can enjoy the sights of the Mohegan Bluffs or party it up at Capt. Nick's Rock and Roll Bar. Take a drive up to Providence for some great shopping at Providence Place Mall and to visit the unforgettable Roger Williams Park Zoo.
Restaurants in Rhode Island

1. Rhode Island Museum Of Science And Art

763 Westminster St, Providence, RI 02903-4018 +1 401-272-0404 http://rimosa.org
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

Rhode Island Museum Of Science And Art

2. National Museum of American Illustration

492 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI 02840-4127 +1 401-851-8949 [email protected] http://www.americanillustration.org
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5.0 based on 411 reviews

National Museum of American Illustration

The NMAI is currently closed to due renovations, opening in the late Spring. Please check back for additional information at that time. The National Museum of American Illustration (NMAI) is situated in Vernon Court, a Gilded Age mansion (1898). Vernon Court is on the Natl. Register of Historic Places with interiors inspired by the palace at Versailles. The NMAI focuses on original illustration artworks created to be reproduced in books, periodicals, advertising and in other print media. Featured artists include: Norman Rockwell, Maxfield Parrish, Howard Pyle, JC Leyendecker, Jessie Willcox Smith, NC Wyeth and 150 others. Free parking for museum visitors is available in our lot located on Victoria Avenue.

Reviewed By PatrickFitch

As a culture vulture and lover of creative artistry I was amazed at the treasure my friend and I stumbled across while walking around Newport RI this October. I think most people think of Newport R.I. for it’s jazz festival and the city’a unparalleled architectural time-capsules. But how about a fabulous gilded-age mansion as backdrop and home to a museum? Vernon Court on Bellevue Ave is home to The National Museum of American Illustration. This museum offers a unique genre of high quality illustrated art very thoughtfully curated. For me it created a journey exploring Americana through the illustrated narrative. It was incredible opportunity to take a glimpse back into American cultural history and view the past eras through the eyes of artists like Norman Rockwell, Maxfield Parrish, and N. C. Wyeth. We were truly blown away the art and atmosphere of Vernon Court. Well worth a trip Newport RI if you can only see one gilded-age mansion or art museum.

3. WaterFire Arts Center

475 Valley Street, Providence, RI 02908-5613 +1 401-273-1155 [email protected] http://artscenter.waterfire.org
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5.0 based on 4 reviews

WaterFire Arts Center

The WaterFire Arts Center serves as our headquarters, production complex, and multi-purpose arts venue as well as a social enterprise platform strengthening the organization's long-term financial sustainability. One of the unique features of the WaterFire Arts Center is the Main Hall which provides 15,000 sq. ft. of uninterrupted exhibition, performance, and production space with a 40 ft. ceiling.

4. Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art

224 Benefit St, Providence, RI 02903-2711 +1 401-454-6500 http://risdmuseum.org/visit
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4.5 based on 946 reviews

Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art

This innovative and internationally renowned museum showcases more than 80,000 works of art from Paul Revere's silver and caricatures of 18th century Europe, to French Impressionists and the avant-garde works of recent alumni. A 12th-century Japanese Buddha has its own room with benches for meditating.

Reviewed By margatemensch2016 - Coconut Creek, United States

Recently,I returned to Providence and the delighful RIsd Art Museum.I devoted my day to studying its quality European paintings and sculpture.I did not see everything in this art museum that has a broad range of Art.Old Master personal favorites were Spinello Aretino's"Saint Anthony Abbott Enthroned",Jacopo di Cione's"Taking of Saint Peter",Giusseppe Cesari's"Perseus and Andromeda".Aert de Gelder's"Esther and Mordecai",Francisco Collantes'"Hagar and Ishmael".Marinus Van Reymerswaele's"Money Changers",and Giovanni Pannini's"Colliseum".19th Century favorites were Jean Victor Bertin's"Tivoli",Edouard Manet's"Repose",Claude Monet's"Bassin At Argentieul"(awesome French Impressionism),Carolus Duran's"Portrait of Manet",and Edgard Degas'"La Savoissiene".I also savored the fine Gothic and Renaissance Period sculptural works that were on display such as Ivory Diptych from 13th Century France depicting Nativity and Crucifixion,and Tillman Riemenschneider's "Pieta",among others..Kudos to a fine art museum in historic Providence.

62 Prospect St, Providence, RI 02906-1329 +1 401-454-6141 http://www.risd.edu/campus-resources/woods-gerry-gallery
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4.5 based on 2 reviews

Woods-Gerry Gallery

6. Bristol Art Museum

10 Wardwell St, Bristol, RI 02809-1920 +1 401-253-4400 [email protected] http://www.bristolartmuseum.org/
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4.5 based on 2 reviews

Bristol Art Museum

The Bristol Art Museum is a non-profit organization founded in 1963 serving the local East Bay community and Rhode Island from its main location and galleries at the historic Linden Place in downtown Bristol, RI. Our mission is to enrich the cultural life of the community and the people of our region through diverse and contemporary art exhibits.

7. Annmary Brown Memorial

21 Brown St, Providence, RI 02912-9005 +1 401-863-2942 [email protected] http://library.brown.edu/about/amb
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4.5 based on 3 reviews

Annmary Brown Memorial

8. Chepstow

Narragansett Ave, Newport, RI 02840-6954 +1 401-847-1000 [email protected] http://www.newportmansions.org/explore/chepstow
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4.0 based on 59 reviews

Chepstow

An Italianate-style villa built in 1860 on Narragansett Avenue.

9. Warwick Museum of Art

3259 Post Rd, Warwick, RI 02886-7145 +1 401-737-0010 http://www.warwickmuseum.org/
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3.5 based on 11 reviews

Warwick Museum of Art

10. The Portsmouth Arts Guild Center for the Arts

2679 E Main Rd, Portsmouth, RI 02871-2613 http://www.portsmoutharts.org

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