Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park is made up ofsixunique sites that tell the story of the American Industrial Revolution. You'll want to start your visit to the park at Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark (67 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket, RI). At this site you can tour the mill, read exhibits that talk about the history of the park, and watch an 8 minute introductory video. You can also grab Junior Ranger books, pamphlets, maps, and get your passport book stamped.
From there you can visit any number of the park's other sites spread across the Blackstone Valley. Learn more about all there is to see and do, hours of operation, and other important information below.
Old Slater Mill
Visit Old Slater Mill
67 Roosevelt Ave
Pawtucket, RI 02860
Come visit the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. Slater Mill, first constructed in 1793, was a water-powered cotton spinning mill financed by the Brown family of Providence. Samuel Slater, an English immigrant, working with local mechanics, successfully replicated English textile machines here in the United States in 1790. Children worked in the mill becoming among the first hourly wage earners in our country. The wooden mill, now named Old Slater Mill, houses a visitor contact station with exhibits. Tours are also offered of the mill by Park Rangers.
The site is also home to the Wilkinson Mill and Sylvanus Brown House. At this time, both of these facilities are closed to the public.
The grounds surrounding these three historic buildings are open daily from dawn to dusk year round. Interpretive panels spread across the grounds explain the site's history and importance.
Operating Schedule:
Winter Schedule (December 15 - April)
Visitor Information Station: Closed
Park Grounds: Open (Dawn - Dusk)
Please Note: Although the mill is regularly closed to the public during the winter months, special tour groups, field trips, and special programs can still be scheduled. Please see our education page to schedule a specialty trip or field trip or check out our park calendar for upcoming events.
Spring/Summer Schedule Coming Soon!
Please check back to this page for updates on Old Slater Mill's operating schedule for 2025.
For visitor safety, tours of Old Slater Mill will be modified or canceled if the heat index is above 87 degrees Fahrenheit. A shortened 10 minute Ranger talk will be offered at the normal tour times. Visitors will have a brief period of access to the main part of the mill. For the latest weather information, call 401-725-8638.
If you are looking to book a special group tour of Old Slater Mill or are a teacher or student check out our education page for more information.
Kelly House Museum of Transportation and Blackstone Canal
Visit the Blackstone River State Park and Ashton Village
1075 Lower River Road
Lincoln, RI 02865
Located along the banks of the beautiful Blackstone River, Blackstone River State Park and Ashton Mill Village demonstrate the natural beauty and industrial heritage of the park. At the Blackstone River State Park, visitors can tour the Kelly House Museum of Transportation which tells the story of the evolution of transportation at this site. After visiting the museum, visitors can walk around the grounds, check out the pollinator garden, and read interpretive waysides along the Blackstone Canal and Blackstone River. On select days, visitors can also stop by the recreated historic barn for special Ranger-led programs.
Visitors to the park can also walk, bike, or snowshoe (weather permitting) along the Blackstone Bikeway and explore the natural beauty of the Blackstone Valley. Check out the NPS Mobile App for a self-guided walking tour of the site.
A short walk across the Bikeway bridge will bring you to Ashton Mill Village. Visitors can see the four-story Ashton Mill which produced textiles at first made of cotton and then later made of fiberglass for over a century. See worker housing and other elements of a classic Rhode Island System Mill Village. (Please Note: None of the structures in Ashton Mill Village are open to the public. Most are private residences. Please be respectful of the privacy of those who live in this community).
Park grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk year round. Restrooms and drinking water are currently not available at this site.
Captain Wilbur Kelly House Museum of Transportation (Operating Schedule)
This museum is operated by the RI Department of Environmental Management. It is open on a limited, seasonal basis. Visitors will find indoor exhibits on the Transportation Revolution and an orientation video. Kelly House Junior Ranger books and badges as well as other information are available during operating hours.
Winter Schedule (October - Spring 2025)
Park Grounds: Open Dawn to Dusk, daily
Kelly House Museum: Closed
Summer Schedule
Check back for updates about the 2025 operating schedule
Slatersville Birdseye View Map
Visit a Mill Village
If you are still eager to learn more about the Blackstone River Valley, visitors can tour one or more of the three remaining mill villages that comprise our park. At these locations, visitors can acquire a unique stamp for each location and take a self guided tour. Interpretive signage is also available in each of these sites. Occasional Ranger-guided programs are hosted in these sites. Please check the park's calendar for a list of free public programs.
Slatersville
Discover America’s first planned mill village, the blueprint for the other villages in the Blackstone Valley: Slatersville, Rhode Island. The village John Slater created in 1807 is easily walkable and a great example of all the parts of mill village construction.
The Slatersville stamp is available at:
North Smithfield Public Library
20 Main Street,
Slatersville, RI Click here for hours of operation
Whitinsville
Whitinsville has several eras of mill housing, each built to support an expansion of the massive Whitin Machine Works. Learn more about the work of Whitinsville’s machinists by reading signs located throughout the downtown area.
The Whitinsville stamp is available at:
Whitinsville Social Library
17 Church Street,
Whitinsville, MA Click here for hours of operation
Hopedale
Hopedale began as a commune and became the home of Draper Corporation, America’s largest loom manufacturer. View some of the finest worker housing in the Blackstone Valley, then walk through the Parklands - the recreation area built by the Drapers for their workers around the Hopedale Mill Pond.
