The “Lively Experiment” continues as communities around the state mark the nation’s Semiquincentennial
On July 4, 2026, the nation officially turns 250 years old, and people around the country have been celebrating, commemorating, and cross-examining this milestone. Locally, organizations have been highlighting Rhode Island’s role in the birth of the United States of America, as well as showcasing a spectrum of stories about the people who built this country. They range from the Indigenous communities that have lived on Aquidneck Island for millennia, to the colonial settlers who revolted against British rule, to the Black militiamen who fought in the Continental Army, as well as the Irish immigrants who helped fortify the new nation. The stories also include the communities that have arrived here in more recent decades, diversifying the Ocean State even more and adding to the rich culture that now defines it in 2026.
We’ve rounded up a selection of local exhibitions and programs marking this milestone and celebrating local people and stories; there is much to engage with and explore this summer, whether you’re a history buff or just curious to learn more about Newport County. For additional resources, and a calendar of statewide events, visit rhodeisland250.org.
ONGOING PROGRAMS
EXHIBITION: “OCCUPIED! Newport and the Fight for Independence”
Through Dec. 31 | Newport Historical Society, 82 Touro St., Newport | newporthistory.org
Valued for its deep-water harbor and strategic location, Newport changed hands more than any other major seaport in North America during the Revolutionary War. Continental, British, and French forces occupied the town during the conflict. At the outbreak of the war, Revolutionary forces seized control of a divided community. British forces occupied Aquidneck Island in December 1776, and for three years Newport was again part of the British Empire until their departure in October 1779. The following July a French force arrived from across the Atlantic to support the fledgling United States. Those troops departed Rhode Island in June 1781, for Yorktown, Virginia, where they played a pivotal role in the decisive battle that secured American independence.
EXHIBITION: “Newport in the Age of Revolution”
Through Jan. 31, 2027 | Redwood Library & Athenaeum, 50 Bellevue Ave., Newport | redwoodlibrary.org
Drawn largely from the Redwood’s Special Collections, along with the participation of the Newport Historical Society and significant Rhode Island collectors, the exhibition traces the arc of Newport’s role during the nation’s formative years.
EXHIBITION: “Revolution Reimagined: Evolving Stories from Newport’s Past”
Through Nov. 1 | Rosecliff, 548 Bellevue Ave., Newport | newportmansions.org/events
This exhibition explores how diverse Newporters experienced the tumult of the Revolution and how artists, writers, and community organizers from Newport later defined our understanding of the war in innovative, often radical ways that met the challenges of their times. The exhibit revisits the commemorative fervor inspired by the celebrations of the country’s 1876 Centennial and 1976 Bicentennial. While some romanticized the past, others turned America’s war for independence into a rallying cry for revolutions in their own time, bringing us closer to fulfilling the promise of America.
PERFORMANCE: “Loyalty or Liberty: Tales from Revolutionary Newport”
Through Sept. 1 | Hunter House, 54 Washington St., Newport | newportmansions.org/events
“Loyalty or Liberty” will immerse audiences in the period between 1778 and 1781 at Hunter House. The play’s main characters include the stranded Loyalist wife, Sarah Wanton; an enslaved married couple, Dinah and James; and Admiral de Barras, a Frenchman who spent his life in the navy. The characters, based on real occupants of Hunter House, also interact with other historical Newport characters such as Peggy Champlin, the daughter of a wealthy local merchant; Count Axel von Fersen, a Swedish aide de-camp to French commander Rochambeau; and Thomas Wickham, Sarah’s brother-in-law. The play highlights the difficult choices faced by many during the American Revolution and explores themes of freedom, honor, duty, and love in times of uncertainty.
EXHIBITION: “From 1776 | 2026: The Newport Restoration Foundation Reflects on the American Revolution”
Through Dec. 27 | Rough Point, 680 Bellevue Ave., Newport | newportrestoration.org
In commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the United States, this exhibition looks at the period of the formation of the American nation and sense of identity through the lens of objects, stories, and houses in the NRF’s collection and tells the story of the organization’s founding on the eve of the American Bicentennial. “1776 | 2026” reflects on the NRF’s role in shaping an understanding of Newport’s colonial past and invites guests to contemplate the city’s next 50 years. The exhibit highlights objects from the NRF’s Newport furniture and material culture collection, archival records, 18th century manuscripts, photographs, historical tools, needlepoint, and fashion to focus on the themes of American identity, American craft and artistry, and preservation and commemoration.
EXHIBITION: “Revolutionary Vernon House: Commemorating America’s 250th Anniversary”
Through Sept. 27 | Vernon House, 46 Clarke St., Newport | newportrestoration.org
This exhibit tells the stories of people connected to Vernon House who played a significant role in the American Revolution. They include Cato Vernon (ca.1759-unrecorded), a ship carpenter and Revolutionary War hero who joined the 1st Rhode Island regiment — also known as the Black Regiment — in 1778 and Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau (1725-1807), the leader of the French allied forces, as well as the people who helped preserve Vernon House so the building and its stories may be shared today.
EXHIBITION: “Bones of the Statue of Liberty: Structural Elements Removed During 1984-1986 Restoration”
Permanent exhibition | Belcourt of Newport, 657 Bellevue Ave., Newport | belcourt.com
On July 4, Belcourt of Newport, the Gilded Age mansion turned museum dedicated to life, culture, and music, will open a landmark exhibition of metal artifacts removed from the Statue of Liberty during her historic centennial refurbishment. The new exhibition, “Bones of the Statue of Liberty,” represents the first time many of the relics, which have been under private stewardship and preservation for 40 years, have been displayed to the public. They include: railings from the pedestal’s stairway; a gigantic cog from statue’s maintenance and rescue elevator; and lamps that lit the exterior (which will cast their glow on the display). Of note: Belcourt was designed by Richard Morris Hunt, the architect responsible for the Statue of Liberty’s massive pedestal. The new exhibit will also showcase objects made with Statue of Liberty infrastructure copper harvested during the restoration, including The Liberty Bike, built in 2004 by Orange County Choppers for the television show American Chopper. The one-of-a-kind motorcycle is clad in copper and features wheel rims resembling Lady Liberty’s face and a gear lever made from cable that once powered the statue’s torch.
SELF GUIDED TOUR: Patriots and Loyalists in Newport’s Common Burying Ground
Through Nov. 30 | Common Burying Ground, Farewell St., Newport | rhodeisland250.org
Newport was an important city during America’s war for independence. Visit the marked graves of loyalists, patriots, soldiers, and politicians who lived and died in the fight for freedom. Pamphlets are provided in boxes at the entrances to the site.
EXHIBITION: “Revolutionary Little Compton”
Through October | Little Compton Historical Society, 548 Main Road, Little Compton | littlecompton.org
The exhibit will be displayed outdoors at the Historical Society and at select sites in the community from July to October. Banners will feature fascinating, well researched information exploring the often-harrowing, Revolutionary-era experiences of Little Compton’s men, women, and children and the sacrifices they made for freedom. In addition, “Revolutionary Little Compton” will be available in book form in late summer.
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
SPECIAL EVENTS: A Viewing of the Declaration of Independence
July 8, 10 a.m. – noon | Historical Society Resource Center, 82 Touro St., Newport | rhodeisland250.org
July 19, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Audrain Automobile Museum, 222 Bellevue Ave., Newport rhodeisland250.org
Enjoy a special viewing of the Declaration of Independence from the Rhode Island State Archives as part of a county-wide tour and Rhode Island’s ongoing commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. The rare archival document offers an opportunity to engage directly with Rhode Island’s revolutionary history and how the ideals of independence were communicated and preserved for the public. The event includes an opportunity to speak with content experts about the Declaration of Independence’s significance in Rhode Island’s and the nation’s history.
SUMMER LECTURE: “From Revolution to Ramparts”
Sunday, Aug. 16 | Fort Adams State Park, 80 Fort Adams Drive, Newport | fortadams.org/events-summer-lecture/
In partnership with the Museum of Newport Irish History, the Fort Adams Trust is presenting “From Revolution to Ramparts,” a lecture exploring the critical — and often overlooked — role of Irish and Irish-American individuals in the American Revolution. Providing a unique focus on Rhode Island and Fort Adams, historian Christian McBurney will connect Revolutionary-era history with the life experiences of the laborers, soldiers, and craftsmen who helped shape both the fort and the nation.
