THE GOVERNMENT NEWS DESKSTATE & NATION TRAVEL
National parks, historic sites and practical visitor updates, directly from the National Park Service.
NPS sources checked 10/3/2026, 3:10:02 PM Eastern
Due to construction, the Slater Mill is closed to the public until further notice. The indoor Visitor Center is closed, and all tours are cancelled. There are currently no restrooms available onsite. Park grounds remain open for visitors. A temporary contact station with basic visitor services will be set up outdoors. Rangers will provide informal interpretation of the site.
Official NPS source
The Washington-Rochambeau Trail introduces the All-American Road Trip; an America 250 initiative encouraging travelers to experience New Jersey’s Revolutionary War sites and follow the historic 1781 Franco-American march to Yorktown. The campaign launches alongside new national interest from Ken Burns’ The American Revolution.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service’s Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route NHT launches the All-American Road Trip, a major America 250 initiative inviting visitors to explore the historic 1781 march of American and French forces to Yorktown. Coinciding with renewed interest from Ken Burns’ The American Revolution, the campaign highlights living history events, educational programs, partnerships, and travel opportunities across the 680-mile trail, beginning in Newport and connecting communities from Rhode Island to Virginia.
Official NPS source
Learn about all the happenings around Blackstone River Valley NHP and Roger Williams National Memorial this summer.
Official NPS source
National trails enthusiast and lifelong explorer Frank Kos has accomplished a remarkable feat: visiting 30 out of 32 of our nation's national scenic and historic trails, each documented with a photo beside the trail’s official signage. What makes his journey extraordinary is his long-standing commitment not only to exploring segments of each trail, but also to creating a personal archive of memories through photographs and stories shared in a hand-crafted scrapbook chronicling decades of travel across America.
Official NPS source
Learn about all the happenings around Blackstone River Valley NHP and Roger Williams National Memorial this spring.
Official NPS source
Read all about the latest updates at Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park and Roger Williams National Memorial
Official NPS source
Get all the latest updates on happenings at Roger Williams National Memorial and Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park
Official NPS source
“Laboring for Freedom: African Americans in the Blackstone River Valley” is a collaborative exhibit created by Stages of Freedom staff and the National Park Service. This exhibit highlights the contributions of Black laborers from Providence to Worcester, with a focus on the early decades of industry up through the Civil War.
Official NPS source
Happy summer! Here's our most recent newsletter - find out what's new for summer and fall at Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park and Roger Williams National Memorial!
Official NPS source
Now in its sixth year, River Bend East Songwriters Festival continues to highlight the best regional songwriting talent found throughout New England. The 2024 River Bend East Songwriters Festival will occur over Labor Day weekend, from Friday, August 30— Saturday, August 31, 2024, at Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark, 67 Roosevelt Ave., Pawtucket, RI 02860, along the banks of the beautiful Blackstone River. All events are FREE and ample parking is available. Bring chairs and blankets to relax and enjoy; no registration is required.
Official NPS source
Happy spring! Here's our most recent newsletter - find out what's new for spring and summer at Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park and Roger Williams National Memorial!
Official NPS source
On Saturday, May 11, 2024, the public is invited to the First Strike Festival at Old Slater Mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Come for a day of live music, history, and family friendly fun. Hosted at 67 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket, RI, from 12:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. This is a free event.
Official NPS source
As you will read in this quarterly newsletter, we are gearing up for spring programs and projects as we add several new staff members, thanks to Inflation Reduction Act funding that allows us to temporarily increase our ranks for a few years. We are growing, and we would welcome you growing with us!
Official NPS source
Happy holidays, everyone! It’s hard to believe I am already writing the introduction to our fall/early winter/holiday newsletter, since it seems like only a few months ago we were ringing in New Year 2023.
Official NPS source
Happy summer to you all -- what a summer it has been so far! We are celebrating the installation of new interpretive signage in Slatersville. Many thanks to the research and planning of our Interpretation and Education staff and the hard work of our Facilities & Maintenance staff. We have been enjoying public programs with the help of our three dedicated science interns and one archaeology intern.
Official NPS source
Late spring is a wonderful time of year at our two parks, not only because of the colorful flowers and trees blooming in our beautiful landscapes, but also because of the re-opening of visitation at Blackstone River Valley NHP and the many in-person programs and special events we are able to hold for both parks as the weather warms into summer.
Official NPS source
We're happy to report that Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park and Roger Williams National Memorial have been having a very busy winter. Here is our most recent newsletter with updates about what has been happening and some highlights of the upcoming 2023 season. We look forward to see you as the days continue to get longer, the flowers bloom, and the sun warms our afternoons. As always, visit our website and social media for the latest updates. Most sincerely, your National Park Service Staff.
Official NPS sourceA new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 6,675,119 visitors to national parks in Maryland spent $246.6 million in the state in 2021. That spending resulted in 2,940 jobs and had a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $344.3 million.
Official NPS sourceJoin a Park Ranger for a guided walk through Webster's Historic District. All ages are welcome, and no registration is required. Participants should meet in the lobby of the Gladys E. Kelly Public Library (2 Lake St., Webster, MA).
Official NPS sourceJoin a Park Ranger as we discuss the "Remaking of the Landscape" around Slater Mill. Old Slater Mill, America's first cotton-spinning mill, still stands along the Blackstone River, a reminder of Pawtucket's industrial past. But the landscape that surrounds the mill has been remade numerous times over the last 233 years of the mill's existence. On this tour we will use historic photographs, maps, and archeological findings to discover how this landscape has evolved from a rural landscape, to an industrial center, to a landscape marked by the effects of Urban Renewal. Meet outside of the Old Slater Mill (67 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket, RI),
Official NPS sourceAdin Ballou and William Francis Draper were both from Hopedale, MA. During the American Civil War, one was an ardent pacifist while the other served in the Union Army. Most who lived in Hopedale at the time of the Civil War fell somewhere between pacifism and fighting. In this program, we will investigate how the Civil War created a complex dilemma for those living in the Hopedale Community at the time of the war. How did a community of ardent abolitionists and pacifists navigate the Civil War?
Official NPS sourceNational Historic Trail
This 680-mile-long trail follows the paths taken by George Washington's Continental Army and Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau's Expédition Particulière during their 1781 march from Newport, Rhode Island, to Yorktown, Virginia. France's support in America's struggle for independence was vital to victory at Yorktown. The trail commemorates that victory and the lasting Franco-American friendship.
Connecticut · Delaware · Maryland · Massachusetts · New Jersey · New York · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · VirginiaNational Historical Park
The Blackstone River powered America's entry into the Age of Industry. The success of Samuel Slater's cotton spinning mill in Pawtucket, RI touched off a chain reaction that changed how people worked and where they lived. Learn how this revolution transformed the landscape of the Blackstone Valley and the United States. The Visitor Center at Old Slater Mill is closed for the winter season.
Massachusetts · Rhode IslandNational Memorial
"I acknowledge that to molest any person, Jew or Gentile, for either professing doctrine, or practicing worship meerly religious or spiritual, is to persecute him, and such a person (whether his doctrine or practice be true or false) suffers persecution for conscience." -Roger Williams, 1644 Banished by the English and saved by the First Peoples, Roger Williams founded Providence here in 1636.
Rhode IslandNational Historic Site
Touro Synagogue, a building of exquisite beauty and design, steeped in history and ideals, and one of the most historically significant Jewish buildings in America, was designated a National Historic Site in 1946. Dedicated in 1763, it still serves an active congregation and each year greets over 30,000 visitors who come to see the magnificent interior and hear its remarkable story.
Rhode IslandDestination directory sourced from NPS state listings, October 3, 2026. Official NPS directory