Presidents Day 2026 In RI: What’s Open, Closed

Presidents Day on Monday is a federal holiday, but that doesn’t mean every government office in Rhode Island will automatically be closed.

Most public schools and private schools in Rhode Island are closed on Presidents Day.

If you need to run to the DMV or take care of any other government business, you may find the doors locked and lights off. Most states, but not Rhode Island, make Presidents Day a holiday for workers, with exceptions including those who perform essential services. Even in states that recognize Presidents Day as a holiday, not all counties and cities give workers a day off.

See also: Rhode Island Lawmaker Seeks to Rescind 1861 Slavery Amendment Ratification

Banks, the New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, and bond markets will be closed. So will the U.S. Postal Service. Unless they’re typically closed on Mondays, most retail stores will be open as usual. The same goes for restaurants and bars. Some non-retail businesses will be closed, including Patch Media.

Presidents Day is the first free-admission day for national parks of 2026. The day kicks off a revised, more “patriotic” schedule of free entrance days for the year, with notable exceptions of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth. Flag Day on June 14, which is also President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, was added to the schedule of fee-free admission days. Under another change this year, only U.S. citizens and residents.

See also: Rhode Island Secures 174 Acres of Open Space with $1.23 Million in Grants

The National Park Service manages more than 430 designated sites, including national parks, monuments, battlefields, historic sites, lakeshores, and recreation areas. Some places to consider in Rhode Island include:

• Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park
• Roger Williams National Memorial
• Touro Synagogue National Historic Site
• Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail

See also: Rhode Island Rep Reintroduces Bill To Repeal Social Gaming Ban

The upcoming holiday is legally known as Washington’s Birthday, which was celebrated on Feb. 22 until it was moved to the third Monday in February under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which took effect in 1971.

Although the name of the holiday was never officially changed, it became known in the 1980s as Presidents Day, a celebration not just of a single president but of the office of the presidency. Many people also regard it as a holiday honoring both Washington’s birthday on Feb. 22 and President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on Feb. 12.

See also: Rhode Island Attorney General Enhances Health Care Market Oversight

The upcoming holiday is legally known as Washington’s Birthday, which was celebrated on Feb. 22 until it was moved to the third Monday in February under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which took effect in 1971.

Although the name of the holiday was never officially changed, it became known in the 1980s as Presidents Day, a celebration not just of a single president but of the office of the presidency. Many people also regard it as a holiday honoring both Washington’s birthday on Feb. 22 and President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on Feb. 12.

See also: RI Rep Files Bill For Veterinary Telemedicine