
Highest-rated specialty museums in Rhode Island by visitors
Highest-rated specialty museums in Rhode Island by visitors
In 1683, Elias Ashmole, an Oxford graduate and true polymath, founded the Ashmolean, the modern world's first public museum. Stocked with his private collection of artifacts, curios, and special scientific equipment, the goal of the museum was to create a center for practical research and the advancement of knowledge. This, Ashmole felt, was a goal "very necessary to humaine life, health [and] the conveniences thereof."
According to figures from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, there are more than 35,000 museums in the United States today. Their collections encompass everything from modern art, like at the MoMA in New York City, to mustard, like at the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin, and everything in between.
Museums are anchors of our communities. The American Alliance of Museums reports that museums support more than 725,000 jobs and contribute upwards of $50 billion to the U.S. economy each year. Three-quarters of Americans agree that museums are an important part of our civil society and have an important role in promoting knowledge and civic engagement.
Beyond their educational and economic significance, museums are just plain fun. Whether you have a developed interest in natural history or just want to learn a little bit more about funerary history (the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston), there's sure to be a museum that strikes your interest. There's simply nothing else quite like spending an afternoon learning about famous figures, arts and crafts, military history, or what else you fancy.
Here, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated specialty museums in Rhode Island on Tripadvisor as of Aug. 13, 2025. Keep reading to see what unique museums are in your home state. Then, make sure to plan a visit. With many museums facing funding cuts due to the current administration's efforts to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, who's to say how much longer these treasure troves will be available to us?

#17. Hunter House
- Rating: 4.1/5 (51 reviews)
- City: Newport
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#16. Tomaquag Museum
- Rating: 4.9/5 (33 reviews)
- City: Exeter
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#15. The Sailing Museum & National Sailing Hall Of Fame
- Rating: 4.9/5 (21 reviews)
- City: Newport
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#14. Herreshoff Marine Museum
- Rating: 4.5/5 (106 reviews)
- City: Bristol
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#13. Clouds Hill Museum
- Rating: 4.8/5 (28 reviews)
- City: Warwick
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#12. Kingscote
- Rating: 4.4/5 (161 reviews)
- City: Newport
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#11. Newport Art Museum
- Rating: 4.3/5 (103 reviews)
- City: Newport
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#10. Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark
- Rating: 4.6/5 (146 reviews)
- City: Pawtucket
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#9. Audrain Automobile Museum
- Rating: 4.4/5 (246 reviews)
- City: Newport
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#8. International Tennis Hall of Fame
- Rating: 4.4/5 (612 reviews)
- City: Newport
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#7. Rosecliff
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1,060 reviews)
- City: Newport
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#6. Newport Car Museum
- Rating: 4.9/5 (227 reviews)
- City: Portsmouth
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#5. Rough Point Museum
- Rating: 4.7/5 (606 reviews)
- City: Newport
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#4. The Elms
- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,917 reviews)
- City: Newport
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#3. Marble House
- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,805 reviews)
- City: Newport
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#2. Newport Mansions
- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,647 reviews)
- City: Newport
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#1. The Breakers
- Rating: 4.7/5 (6,282 reviews)
- City: Newport
- Read more on Tripadvisor
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Madison Troyer, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.