Museum of Work and Culture

10/13/2026

📢 The Museum of Work & Culture is excited to announce its latest immersive exhibit, Welcome to the Neighborhood, celebrating the stories, cultures, and community spirit of the many groups who made Woonsocket home in the 20th century.

To celebrate the new exhibit, the Museum of Work & Culture Preservation Foundation invites you to a grand opening event on Saturday, October 24. The 1976-themed party will feature an exhibit ribbon-cutting ceremony along with period food, music, and dance. So dust off your bell bottoms and come dressed in your grooviest ‘70s style!

Get your tickets here: https://checkout.square.site/merchant/W98FGRXG0DR3Q/checkout/A7MCCWAJS6AAGZKHQMGPVETH?src=webqr

10/07/2026

🔮 A recent feature in The Linking Ring, an international magic magazine, takes a closer look at Rhode Island magician and entertainer Lon Cerel and his 50-year connection to Houdini’s history.

The article also offers a glimpse at some of the rare artifacts from Cerel’s collection that will be on display at the Museum of Work & Culture on October 29, including manacles, stage-used apparatus, correspondence, and other pieces connected to Houdini.

Join us for Fifty Years of Escapes, Ephemera, and Houdini Lore: Preserving a Rhode Island Connection as Cerel shares the stories behind these artifacts, Houdini’s connection to Rhode Island, and his own 1976 high-altitude, upside-down straitjacket escape performed 50 years after Houdini’s death.

Thursday, October 29 | 6–8 p.m.
Museum of Work & Culture, Woonsocket

🎟️ Register for the program here: https://www.simpletix.com/e/fifty-years-of-escapes-ephemera-and-houdin-tickets-292865

09/25/2026

Spend your rainy Saturday at the museum for a free Day of Play!

🌧️ What's a better rainy day activity than a free museum day? 🌧️

Tomorrow, Saturday, September 26 from 10am - 4pm, join either RIHS Museum for a free Day of Play full of activities for the whole family!

At the Museum at the John Brown House in Providence, explore the new exhibition, RI’s First Adventure to China. The whole family can test their minds with a hands-on lesson in the ancient game of Go, and young explorers can dive into the design of 1700s China on a special art tour.

At the Museum of Work & Culture in Woonsocket, visitors can tour the museum using a Choose Your Own Adventure guide, participate in an Escape the Mill obstacle course, learn to weave by making a potholder loom, and more.

Just make sure you mention you're there for the Day of Play to get free admission!

09/05/2026

🦭 Meet Chip at the Museum of Work & Culture!

Our Labor Day Open House is getting a special visit from Chip, the Rhode Island FC harbor seal mascot! ⚽

Chip will be at the Museum of Work & Culture on Monday, September 7, from 11:30 am–1:30 pm, ready to meet fans, shake some flippers, and celebrate the final day of How Immigrants Became Icons: The History of Soccer in Rhode Island.

Come explore 141 years of Rhode Island soccer history, say hello to Chip, and enjoy a day of free family-friendly activities at the museum!

📅 Monday, September 7
⏰ Open House: 10 am–4 pm
🦭 Chip: 10:30 am–1:30 pm
📍 Museum of Work & Culture, Woonsocket
🎟️ Free admission

08/31/2026

Labor Day is one week from today- celebrate with us!

Join us Monday, September 7, from 10 am–4 pm for our free annual Labor Day Open House, featuring a full day of history, family activities, film, and soccer!

⚽ Catch the final day of How Immigrants Became Icons: The History of Soccer in Rhode Island in the Landmark Medical Center Gallery. Explore 141 years of Rhode Island soccer history through historic photographs, artifacts, and stories - from the mill-town pitches of 1885 to the professional stadium rising in Pawtucket today.

And don’t miss a special visit from Chip, the Rhode Island FC harbor seal mascot! Chip will be at the museum from 11:30 am–1:30 pm, ready to shake flippers with fans.

🎬 At 1:30 pm, filmmaker Christian de Rezendes will premiere Union Village, a new film exploring the experiences of Rhode Island Quakers during the American Revolution and the difficult choices they faced while navigating their commitment to non-violence. The film is part of Rhode Island’s 250th anniversary commemorations. Registration is required for the film screening, and tickets are free.

Throughout the day, families can also enjoy:
• Hands-on crafts and activities for all ages
• A children’s reading corner featuring books about labor, strikes, and unions
• 25% off all merchandise during our special Labor Day Sale in the museum store

📍 Museum of Work & Culture, Woonsocket
📅 Monday, September 7
⏰ 10 am–4 pm
🎟️ Free admission

08/07/2026

🌟 Save the date for the MoWC's annual free Labor Day Open House!

📅 Monday, September 7th, 10am - 4pm

Guests will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the final day of a special exhibit, view the premiere of an American Revolution film, participate in family-friendly activities, and more!

Stay tuned for more details to be posted!

07/14/2026

⚽ Attention soccer fans & museum supporters! The MoWC will be celebrating soccer in Pawtucket with the opportunity to cheer on Boston Legacy FCin Pawtucket & support the museum and its mission ⚽

Get your tickets here: https://www.gofevo.com/event/RIHSMOWC725

Soccer Game: Boston Legacy FC vs. KC Current

07/09/2026

Museum staff spent the past few days in a Boston recording studio with the Trivium Interactive team! They are filming 10 different professional actors who will bring our new Welcome to the Neighborhood exhibit to life. Stay tuned!

Thank you to the Trivium Interactive team for their great work!

07/07/2026

⭐Attention active military families! We are a Blue Star Museum⭐

07/02/2026

Beat the heat tomorrow at the museum with the Smithsonian Institute Screening: America in Color!

Gear up for Independence Day tomorrow, Friday, July 3, with free admission, a store sale, and a special screening from the Smithsonian Channel. America in Color: Coming to America will be shown to guests at both 11am and 1:30pm. This film explores the immigrant experience in America in the early 1900s, told through colorized home movies and archival footage.

For many immigrants, their first sight of the U.S. is the Statue of Liberty. The iconic structure promises sanctuary, hope, and a fresh start, but they soon learn that America’s arms are not always open. Colorized rare home movies and archival footage reveal the amazing stories of ordinary people who share the same dream. From Caribbean immigrants who settled in Harlem to Italian “radicals” shipped back home to celebrities such as Albert Einstein, see how America changed as immigrants brought new cultures from the margins to the mainstream.

TVPG-V / 48 min

Register now for free at https://www.simpletix.com/e/america-in-color-coming-to-america-smithso-tickets-279324