I don't wanna use the word Hidden jam because I feel like I've used it a lot especially In Rhode Island. There's so many hidden things here and there that are in plain sight but you can't tell because there's trees and other beautiful things surrounding it. Came here with my husband for a tea event, and the grounds alone were breathtaking and relaxing. There is a trail that you can walk. There's also a gift shop and a pond and it's just also peaceful. Very serene view of mother nature I can see anybody being able to paint at this gorgeous peaceful area. You should definitely go online and see upcoming events. They have whiskey tasting gin tasting tea events if you like tea like I do, and even though I am more of a tequila person, I would definitely come for a whiskey tasting event. The pictures I took do not do it any justice as far as how beautiful the scenery is. When you get a chance, you should definitely come down here and might as well buy a family membership if you have a family so that you can come back more than once. read more

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We enjoyed our visit there. There wasn't a tour guide, but we walked through the museum, which was really interesting and it was cool to see the painting of George Washington and more. The grounds are lovely but small. We looked in the mills and walk around the pond. It was $15 per person and we were there about 30-35 minutes. It was the house he was born in, not where he lived and worked, so it's a bit hard to image him there. But definitely worth spending an hour or so in nice weather. read more

Due to COVID the museum and grounds are closed but we took some great photos from the road. There is a small parking lot directly across the street from the museum building. We didn't encounter another soul the whole time we were here and taking photos. Especially beautiful with the winter snow. Given previous Yelp reviews, I am not sad we missed the tours. We were hoping to find a walkable Main Street in Saunderstown with historic homes similar to Wickford, but we drove around a bit and didn't see anything and ended up driving back to Wickford for a walk. read more

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One of the great landmarks and hidden gem here in RI. The originally furnished home is jammed packed with history and even contains a working snuff mill. The wonder groiubdsof multiple buildings is staffed with the best docents in Rhode Island who present this era of American history to bring it alive! Keep in mind due to COVID-19 there have closings to tours so please check with the website. read more

Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum - Gilbert Stewart Birthplace - Museums Near Me - Saunderstown, Rhode Island

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My fiancé and I went here for a visit in the fall of 2019. It was on my travel bucket list for the state of Rhode Island. First I will say that the museum and the mill and house are so unique and really interesting for fellow history lovers. I was, however, getting frustrated with our tour guide. He was a difficult person to read. He would ask questions to obviously lead into telling us more info on the tour and if we got a question wrong, he sort of made us out to be stupid. In the other hand, with me being a history lover, I knew some things here and there and he never seemed that thrilled if I got a question right. This was tolerable, but my fiancé and I both didn't appreciate our guide staring at my fiancé's chest. He was pretty creepy. Our guide brought down what would've otherwise been a good experience. read more

Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum - Museums Near Me - Saunderstown, Rhode Island

You have seen his art You have seen the work of Gilbert Stuart but chances are you didn't know the artist. If you live in Rhode Island you probably know the name but might not be sure exactly who he was. Gilbert Stuart is one of those people that is famous but in a very quiet way. Gilbert was a portrait artist that painted over 1,000 different people. He did the first 6 presidents as well as several famous portraits of George Washington. In fact his most famous work is the unfinished portrait of George Washington that is on the one dollar bill. The picture is also hanging in many schools across the country. I remember seeing it in virtually every classroom and wonder why it was never finished. Turned out the Gilbert kept it unfinished so he could use it to make other copies of the president and then sell them. He made about a 100 bucks a copy, not bad for the time and even though he always intented to finish the original he just never got around to it by the time he died at the age of 72. Gilbert only lived at his birthplace for a short time before his family moved to more affluent Newport across the bay. However his birth home is still a pretty cool place. His family had the first snuff mill in the colonies and also ground corn for the local farmers. The house and mill are wonderfully restored and in beautiful condition and you get to see what a house and mill built in 1750 looked like when they were new. The tour is a bit pricey at seven bucks but the money goes to a great cause. A docent will take you around and explain the house, the grounds. all the reproduction paintings in the home, and how the snuff and grist mill worked. And everything you could possibly want to know about Gilbert Stuart. A fun and education tour and great way to spend 7 bucks. The Gilbert family was part of colonial history and fortunately some folks were insightful enough to restore and open this great house to the public. Most people might not know who Gilbert Stuart was but they see his art every time they open their wallets. read more

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Have wanted to come here for probably over two years and never made the time until today....and I was not disappointed! Had a lovely 45 minute tour around the place, our tour guide was really knowledgeable and friendly. I especially liked the current exhibit on EM Bannister that for a native Rhode Islander like me, I appreciated seeing art of places that I frequent a lot. The grounds are beautiful and there's even a nature trail that takes probably about 20 minutes to walk with a nice view of Carr Pond. This place has a little bit of everything for everyone! Art, historic homes, colonial engineering techniques and even an herb garden! Definitely worth a visit & the price! read more

Must say I had looked forward to seeing to this place for a long time, thinking it was an artist's home. Finally the opportunity presented itself. This is not where the portrait artist lived and worked; it's just where he was born- so it's a bit of a tenuous connection. The cost was $12 per person, which is a lot for a little house tour. Yes you can see the mill next door too (although not operating) and walk through the woods if you want. Rather odd was their "slide show"- without sound. It had photos of random people standing around- possibly museum volunteers enjoying a picnic? Bizarre. Hadn't seen that in a museum in quite a while, even ones with free admission. Anyway, our tour was led by a very bossy and obnoxious guide who epitomized the term "hysterical society" dame. For example,the grist mill had a window open and a stone underneath it, which I presumed was for people to stand on to look inside. Nooooooo! I was scolded for standing on a rock having a look in the window. I was told that it was an "historic" rock. There was no sign on it saying not to touch or stand on it, nor was it roped off or enclosed in a display case. I have visited museums on four continents and know how to behave in museums. It was a rock. Odd that when we entered the Stuart house the threshold stone said "1770" carved right into it, yet we all stepped on that stone without having to take our shoes off. We weren't allowed to ask a question and were literally told to keep our mouths shut. There was an elderly couple on the tour who might have had mobility difficulties so when it came time to climb some stairs she did not ask if anyone would prefer an easier route. Instead, she spoke about them as if they weren't even there, asking the group if anyone is with them, and ordering them to not take the stairs. Belittling in such an insulting manner- this is certainly not the way visitors ought to be treated.. We visited eight other museums on our trip to Rhode Island and I must say that this one really stood out for the extremely hostile way the patrons were treated. One funny thing was that at the admission desk there are several signs that stated "no refunds" and I thought that odd for a museum. Now I understand why! read more

Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum is a great little piece of American history right here in lil Rhody. The grounds are simple and not too large, easily done in an hour's time. "Museum" is a bit of an overstatement however, it's more like a little house with period artifacts. This isn't the Met or the Louvre by any stretch of the imagination and you won't be needing to take a lunch break mid tour. Visit in the spring and you might be lucky enough to see the herring run in the stream near by or up the fish ladder toward the back of the property. A few times a year, you can see the grist mill up and running as well. Give a call before visiting to confirm hours and facilities are bare minimum, no food concessions but there are picnic tables available if you bring a bag lunch. read more

I grew up in Providence way back when. This was likely the first early American art I saw as my folks were contemporary artists. We make a trip back here every decade. It is always wonderful, and I always learn something new about Stuart and life 300 years ago in R.I. Yes, it is absolutely worth the trip to Saunderstown! Which is a gem for us. Saunderstown. And Stuart. And the Hammonds. And the current inhabitants. We were very pleased to experience the work of Edward Bannister in the gallery that has been added to the museum. Kudos to the museum for highlighting the work of an important artist who happened to be African American/Canadian. read more

Tours start on the hour and take about one hour or so. Admission cost is $10.00 or $5.00 if you get the OSLRI pass from a library that offers it such as Narragansett or N. Kingstown. The tour included the house in which Stuart was born and the two mills-- one for grinding corn and one for grinding snuff. The docent Dave explained a great deal about the history of the property and the life and paintings of Gilbert Stuart. The great news is that this property now has a climate controlled gallery. There were many portraits by Gilbert Stuart on display that are privately owned, so this was a unique chance to see them.Stuart paintings such asPortrait of Sarah Anne Peise and Mrs. William Rotch really show Staurt's skills as a portraitist.Paintings by other famous artists such as Bierstadt, Edward Bannister,Charles Bird King,William Trost Richards,Edward Darch Lewis, Kensett(Paradise Rocks) etc. were also on display. After the indoor tours I went on a twenty minute trail walk. It was dry and well marked ,although keeping an eye out for tree roots and wearing sneakers is recommended. The scenic overlook at Carr Pond was very beautiful but the most breathtaking thing was when a deer suddenly leapt out of the brush a few hundred yards ahead of me. There were also a couple of cute little chipmunks and many birds as they have out several feeders on the property . It was a great way to spend a couple of hours exploring RI history, seeing some art and hiking! read more

Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum - View of the grist mill at the Gilbert Stuart Museum - Museums Near Me - Saunderstown, Rhode Island

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I visited the museum recently and left very impressed! The property is maintained so well (entirely through grants and local donations) and there are so many portraits on display that Gilbert Stuart worked on throughout his life and career as an artist. Our tour guide was really friendly and had so much knowledge to share about Stuart's life and upbringing. It's a fantastic relic of colonial-era New England. read more

We were super excited to go to the Gilbert Stewart Museum, so much so that we'd planned to give a nice donation in honor of my late father in law. When we arrived we were advised the next tour was at 3:00. We didn't really want to wait for the tour we simply wanted to view the "gallery." So we paid the price of a tour for two adults and made our way into the gallery. As we viewed the art (none of which is an authenticated Stuart piece) a woman whom I assumed works with the museum kept quite an eye on us which made us very uncomfortable. We certainly didn't come to pull the great American art heist but to view the work of an artist who meant a lot to my FIL. I found the entire experience to be very unwelcoming and awkward and needless to say we were so taken aback we just wanted to get out of there and did not make the donation. I will send something in the mail but it will be far less than we originally intended to give. This is a lovely setting but the museum is a glorified gift shop. If you work at a non profit you should make your patrons feel comfortable not police them out of your facility. Very bad form on this woman's part. I hope she isn't involved in fundraising for the museum. Please learn some manners and represent this wonderful American artist with dignity instead of suspicion, snobbery and rudeness. read more

Historical place, lovely setting, and an enjoyable tour. The museum features a working mill, as well as the GS birth place (yes, the house - and the room). The mill, a dam, and a fish ladder are not what you would expect - but they're there, they're historical, and they come with the tour. I've seen some other places, but it is nice to see them restored and available for viewing on the tour. The docent/ guide was very knowledgeable, and is dedicated to the ongoing preservation. Three students (ranging from ~10 to 14 yrs old) in period costumes were on premises, and each told a story for part of the tour. It was heartening to see each tell their stories with pride (and to see them doing something besides playing video games!). At many museums like this, the docents can whitewash the stories of the honoree - like they did no wrong. The docent stuck to history & fact so far as we knew (Stuart painted a lot, at least in part because he had money problems - he had 8+ kids and liked the good life too!); I appreciate this candor. As to Emily's comment, I have been on the tour, and see how much care they put into it, and how it would be difficult to join mid-tour. Our tour was 11 people, and we couldn't have squeezed many more into the tiny rooms. With one docent shepherding a tour around the grounds (and with three students to watch), and a nervous young person alone as the cashier in the gift shop, I can see how this would lead to the situation she described. I suggest you do the detour and spring for the $10, it's less than the cost of a movie and much more meaningful. read more

This is a nice little museum that's off the beaten path. I didn't realize that Gilbert Stuart was from RI, so that was interesting. It's a quick visit, as they didn't seem to have a lot of information on him and more information on how people lived during the period. Glad I stopped in, as I live in RI, but I don't think I'd make a specific trip to come here. read more