PROVIDENCE

Annmary Brown Memorial, 21 Brown St. From A.A. to Zouave: Collections at Brown, exhibit honors the treasures of Brown University’s collections — from the coffee pot that launched a thousand Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to a hand-knit cap from a Civil War Zouave regiment. Mon-Fri 1-5 pm.

John Brown House, 52 Power St. 273-7507; www.rihs.org. Hear the stories of Rhode Island’s history as told through the lives of the inhabitants of this “most magnificent mansion,” built in 1788. Guided tours Tue-Fri 1:30, 3 pm; Sat 10:30 am, noon, 1:30 and 3 pm; museum open Tue-Fri 1-4 pm, Sat 10 am-4 pm . $8, 62+/students $6, children 7-17 $4.

John Nicholas Brown Center, Carriage House Gallery, 357 Benefit St., Providence. 863-2896. Beyond the Birds and the Bees: Sexual Education in the 20th Century. Mon-Fri 2-5 pm. Free.

First Baptist Church in America, 75 North Main St. 454-3418. The oldest Baptist church in America was established by Roger Williams in 1638. Mon-Fri 10 am-noon and 1-3 pm, self-guided ($1) tours. Guided tours every Sun immediately after the worship service, 11 am. Groups by appointment only; ample parking and childcare on Sun.

John Hay Library, 20 Prospect St. 863-3723. Permanent collection of toy soldiers. Mon-Fri 9 am-6 pm, Sun 1-5 pm. Special exhibit: Machado de Assis: Reading the Brazilian Master, Then and Now, display of early criticism of the Brazilian literary pioneer’s works.

Providence Public Library, 150 Empire St. 455-8000. Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World, traveling exhibition drawing upon original documents and International Kite Exhibit installed by local kite-maker Tom Casselman . Mon, Thu 12 noon-8 pm; Tue-Wed 10 am-6 pm; Fri-Sat 9 am-5:30 pm; Sun 1-5 pm.

Rhode Island State House, 82 Smith St. 222-2357. World’s fourth-largest self-supported marble dome. Contains the original Rhode Island Charter of 1663, historic portrait of George Washington by Rhode Island native Gilbert Stuart, battle flags and other state treasures. Self-guided tours Mon-Fri 8:30 am-4:30 pm; guided tours Mon-Fri 9 am-noon (must be booked at least a week in advance). Free.

Roger Williams National Memorial, 282 North Main St. 521-7266; www.nps.gov/rowi. A 4½-acre park on the site of the original Providence settlement. Exhibits, information, group programs by request. Daily 9 am-4:30 pm. Free.

BLACKSTONE VALLEY

Slater Mill Historic Site, 67 Roosevelt Ave., Pawtucket. 725-8638; www.slatermill.org. Birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in America. 2008: Sat-Sun 11 am-3 pm. $9, 65+ $8, ages 6-12 $7, younger children free. Special programs: Mommy & Me: Tussie Mussie Workshop, Sat 11 am. Mother/child workshop in during which participants will make a fresh-flower bouquet. Mother/child pair $25, includes all materials. Tea and Tour, Sun 3 pm. $20. Advance registration.

EAST BAY

Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Arboretum, 101 Ferry Rd., Route 114, Bristol. 253-2707; www.blithewold.org. 45-room mansion overlooking 33 acres of landscaped grounds, with gardens, bamboo grove and a 90-foot giant sequoia; views of Narragansett Bay from paths and 10-acre lawn. Self-guided mansion and garden tours Wed-Sun 10 am-4 pm. Grounds and gardens open daily 10 am-5 pm.

NEWPORT

Astors’ Beechwood, 580 Bellevue Ave. 846-3772; www.astorsbeechwood.com. Visitors are transported to 1891 as guests of Mrs. Astor, queen of American society. Actors portray aristocrats and domestic staff who escort guests through the house. Visitors can also hear some of the music of the period performed by the Astor daughters or Nellie Melba, or even stumble upon Cole Porter working on a new song. Victorian Servants Tours Thu 2, 3 pm; Fri-Sun 11-4 pm, on the hour. $20, youth 6-17 $8; family (two adults, two-four children) $50, children 5 and younger free. Reservations encouraged.

Belcourt Castle, 657 Bellevue Ave. 849-1566 days, 846-0669 evenings; www.belcourtcastle.com. Built in 1894 for Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont, Belcourt Castle is the only Newport Mansion where the owners still live in residence and open their home for the public to enjoy a Richard Morris Hunt masterpiece. Guided Tours Fri, Mon 4 pm; Sat-Sun 10 am-4 pm. Ghost Tours Thu, Sat 5 pm. Candlelight Tours Fri, Sun-Mon 6 pm. Evening tours not for children 7 and younger.

Newport Mansions. 847-1000; www.newportmansions.org. Daily 10 am-5 pm; last tour admission at 5 pm, grounds close 6 pm; Breakers opens at 9 am. Admission: five properties (except Hunter House) $31, youth (6-17) $10; The Breakers plus one other property (except Hunter House) $23, youth (6-17) $6. The Breakers $16, youth (6-17) $4 kids; single properties $11, youth (6-17) $4; Hunter House $25, youth $4.

• The Breakers, 44 Ochre Point Ave.

• Chateau-sur-Mer, 474 Bellevue Ave.

• The Elms, Bellevue Avenue.

• Marble House, Bellevue Avenue.

• Rosecliff, 548 Bellevue Avenue.

Redwood Library & Athenaeum, 50 Bellevue Ave. 847-0292; www.redwoodlibrary.org. America’s oldest lending library features antique furnishings and an art gallery with several works by Gilbert Stuart. Mon, Fri, Sat 9:30 am-5:30 pm; Tue-Thu 9:30 am-8 pm; Sun 1-5 pm. Tours weekdays, 10:30 am. Special exhibits: Photographs focusing on the African-American artists, writers and performers that Carl Van Vechten photographed throughout his career and The Harlem Renaissance: Poetry, Prose and Politics, a display of published works from the Redwood collections by various authors of the Harlem Renaissance.

Rough Point, 680 Bellevue Ave. Home of Doris Duke, featuring an art collection of works by Renoir, Van Dyck and Gainsborough. 847-8344; www.newportrestoration.org. Special exhibit: Zoo in the House: Animals in the Doris Duke Art Collection (through Nov. 8). Tue Thu-Sat 9:45 am-3:45 pm. $25, children 12 and younger free.

Touro Synagogue, 85 Touro St. 847-4794; www.tourosynagogue.org. America’s oldest synagogue and a National Historic Site. Mon-Fri 1-3 pm, Sun 11 am-3 pm; tours begin every half hour; last tour at 2:30 pm. $5, 12 and younger free.

SOUTH COUNTY

Casey Farm Plant Sale and Open House, 2325 Boston Neck Rd. (Route 1A), Saunderstown. 295-1030; www.historicnewengland.org. 18th-century homestead overlooking Narragansett Bay. Vegetable, flower and herb plants, children’s activities, Sat-Sun 8 am-4 pm. Free house museum tours after 10 am.

Kenyon’s Grist Mill, off Route 138, Richmond-South Kingstown line. 783-4054; 800-753-6966; kenyonsgristmill.com. 1886 operating historic grist mill. Tours by appointment or by chance.

Old Washington County Jail (Pettaquamscutt Historical Society), 2636 Kingstown Rd. (Route 138), Kingston. 783-1328. Period jail cells and schoolroom; exhibit of artifacts, including women’s hats and fans, toys, textiles and furniture from South County villages. Genealogy and local history research library. Mural by Ernest Hamlin Baker, The Economic Activities of the Narragansett. Tue, Thu, Sat 1-4 pm. $3 donation ages 12 and older.

Seabee Museum and Memorial Park, 21 Iafrate Way, North Kingstown. 294-7223; www.seabeesmuseum.com. Historical displays, military equipment, six vintage Quonset huts and a poured-concrete chapel built by the Seabees. Mon-Fri 10 am-3 pm; by appointment. Grounds open dawn to dusk. Donations.

Smith’s Castle, 55 Richard Smith Drive (off Route 1), North Kingstown. 294-3521; www.smithscastle.org. One of America’s oldest plantation houses (1678). Guided tours by costumed docents. Tours Fri-Sun noon, 1, 2 and 3 pm. Large group tours and special reservations welcome by appointment. $5; $1 children 6-12; members free. Grounds free every day.

Watson Farm Shearing Day, 455 North Rd., Jamestown. 423-0005Heather/Don Minto; www.historicnewengland.org. Historic 265-acre working farm reflecting New England life since the 17th century. The farmhouse is part of a working farm and is not open to the public. Watch sheep being shorn, meet baby lambs and see baby chicks. Demonstrations by spinners and weavers. Watson Farm Quest, a hunt for clues that takes participants through the farm’s scenic pastures and down to the shores of Narragansett Bay.Sat noon-4 pm. $10 per car.

MASSACHUSETTS

Battleship Cove, Exit 5 off Route 195 East, Fall River. (508) 678-1100; www.battleshipcove.org. World’s largest collection of historic naval ships. Five National Historic Landmarks. Massachusetts’ official veterans memorial for WWII and the Korean, Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars. Daily 9 am-5 pm. $14, 63+/AAA $12, children 6-14 $8, children 6 and younger free. Free parking.

Fall River Historical Society, 451 Rock St., Fall River. (508) 679-1071; www.lizzieborden.org. 16 rooms with art and artifacts (including a Lizzie Borden exhibit) from Fall River’s past. Tue-Fri, 9 am-4:30 pm. $6, children 6-14 $4, children 5 and younger free.