Varnum Armory Museum

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Varnum Armory Museum The armory contains an extensive military museum focusing on RI history. There are ample rentable fa

There are ample rentable facilities for private and public functions.

Join us at the Varnum Armory Museum for this free public lecture event on Tuesday, November 17 at 6:00 PM. Doors open at...
10/21/2026

Join us at the Varnum Armory Museum for this free public lecture event on Tuesday, November 17 at 6:00 PM. Doors open at 5:00 PM.

The Varnum Armory Museum is excited to announce our "Rhode Island in the Revolutionary War" panel signage has been insta...
09/26/2026

The Varnum Armory Museum is excited to announce our "Rhode Island in the Revolutionary War" panel signage has been installed.

Paid for by generous donations from the Kimball Foundation and BankNewport, the new exhibit tells the story of Rhode Island’s remarkable role in the American Revolution, from its early resistance to British rule and the occupation of Newport to the fighting on land and sea, including the Battle of Rhode Island and the service of the First Rhode Island Regiment.

It also explores the experiences of ordinary Rhode Islanders, the enormous human and economic costs of the war, and the complicated legacy of a Revolution that promised liberty while not extending it equally to all. Together, the panels show how a small colony played an outsized role in the struggle for American independence.

This new American Civil War exhibit will be on display for the FREE OPEN HOUSE! Tour the Varnum Armory Museum on Sunday,...
08/15/2026

This new American Civil War exhibit will be on display for the FREE OPEN HOUSE! Tour the Varnum Armory Museum on Sunday, August 16!

These relics date to March 14, 1862 and the Battle of New Bern in North Carolina. This battle was a major early Union victory during Brig. Gen. Ambrose Burnside's North Carolina Expedition. Roughly 12,000 Union troops attacked about 4,000 Confederates defending fortified positions south of New Bern. After several hours of fighting, Union forces broke the Confederate line, captured the defenses, and occupied New Bern, which remained in Union hands for the rest of the Civil War. Total Union casualties were about 471: 90 killed, 380 wounded, and 1 missing.

Rhode Island’s 4th and 5th Rhode Island Infantry participated, with the 4th Rhode Island playing a particularly important role in breaking the Confederate position with a bayonet charge. Contemporary/regimental accounts give somewhat differing figures, but a commonly cited accounting for the 4th Rhode Island is 10 killed and 25 wounded, with 5 of the wounded later dying.

Many thanks Paul Oliveira, the generous donor of these amazing pieces!

There's some high-stakes, hardcore textile conservation going on at the Varnum Armory Museum. The conservation team cont...
08/15/2026

There's some high-stakes, hardcore textile conservation going on at the Varnum Armory Museum. The conservation team continues to stabilize and put back together this hand-painted silk Newport Elks Lodge banner from the late 1800s.

With regret, it's time to take down the Varnum Armory Museum exhibit of Bugler William Lewis' American Civil War musicia...
08/15/2026

With regret, it's time to take down the Varnum Armory Museum exhibit of Bugler William Lewis' American Civil War musician's shell jacket and return it to Pamplin Historical Park in Virginia. We're grateful for the longer term loan!

It has been a privilege to display and share Lewis' inspiring story. That said, we still have his albumen photograph, so William's sacrifice will continue to be shared with our visitors.

Thanks to our donors, the Varnum Armory Museum now has this 1778-dated 2nd Rhode Island Regiment muster roll signed by G...
07/31/2026

Thanks to our donors, the Varnum Armory Museum now has this 1778-dated 2nd Rhode Island Regiment muster roll signed by General James Mitchell Varnum!

This historic document will be properly framed and matted next week before going on display ahead of our next open house on Sunday, August 16, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission is free. The museum is at 6 Main Street, East Greenwich, Rhode Island.

Preservation is progress at the Varnum Armory Museum! This 43rd NY Officer's kepi from the American Civil War is misshap...
07/24/2026

Preservation is progress at the Varnum Armory Museum! This 43rd NY Officer's kepi from the American Civil War is misshaped as it appears to have hung on a hook for over a century. We built a form that (with some added humidity) will eventually bring the cap back into shape and make the embroidered Infantry horn visible again.

The Varnum Armory Museum received this interesting donation along with this note:"Please find enclosed in this box, a pi...
07/23/2026

The Varnum Armory Museum received this interesting donation along with this note:

"Please find enclosed in this box, a piece of hardtack cracker that is a commemorative souvenir. It once belonged to Frederick William Fisher (December 26, 1874–December 10, 1935).

He was a sergeant with the RI Infantry Regiment in the late 19th century. He married Leita V. Haskins (1875–1964) of Lonsdale, RI in 1900. Sergeant Fisher gave this commemorative hardtack cracker to Miss Haskins before they married.

I am happy to donate this hardtack cracker to the Varnum Armory Museum. Perhaps museum patrons will enjoy viewing it when it is on display.

Thanks,
Tom Hunter"

Address

6 Main Street
East Greenwich, RI
02818

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