☘️Museum of Newport Irish History opens for the 2026 Season

The Museum of Newport Irish History Interpretive Center is now open for the 2026 season.

For the 2026 season, public hours are 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m., Thursday through Sunday, through the last Sunday in October (closed Monday–Wednesday).

Visitors to the Center will learn about Irish immigration to Newport County from the colonial era to the present, and about the many contributions made to our community by individuals of Irish descent.

Interpretive Center exhibits—including maps, models, photographs, and artifacts—are organized around several key aspects of life in the local Irish community.

Our newest exhibit, unveiled in 2025, is an interactive digital display titled “Tracing the Tides.” This experience allows visitors to delve more deeply into the lives of Newport’s Irish immigrants through a rich, multi-layered narrative, illustrated with historic photos and other images—many not previously available to the public.

Visitor Information:
•The Center is located on Thames Street, just south of Narragansett Ave.
•Free parking is available on the street.
•Admission is free for members of the Museum and by donation for others. 
• If research assistance is required, visitors are advised to make an appointment by writing NewportIrishHistory@gmail.com

Note: Private visits outside of regular hours, including during the off-season, may be arranged with advance notice so we might secure a docent. To inquire, please email: NewportIrishHistory@gmail.com

Celebrating 30 Years in 2026
The Museum of Newport Irish History, a volunteer-driven, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 1996 and now boasts over 900 members.
In addition to operating the Interpretive Center, the organization sponsors numerous educational, cultural, social, and fundraising events throughout the year, including the popular Annual Lecture Series, which has just completed its 24th season.
The organization also restored and maintains the historic Barney Street Cemetery at the corner of Barney and Mt. Vernon Streets, steps from Washington Square. It is the final resting place of many of Newport’s earliest Irish residents. The cemetery was established to support Rhode Island’s first Roman Catholic parish (est. 1828), the forerunner of the current St. Mary’s Church at the corner of Spring Street and Memorial Boulevard.

To learn more or to join the Museum, visit NewportIrishHistory.org, stop by the Interpretive Center during public hours, or write email us at: 
NewportIrishHistory@gmail.com.

(photo by Allan Millora)