Museum of Work & Culture

The Early Transformation - Immigrants

Located in Woonsocket's historic Market Square, the Museum of Work and Culture tells the story of French-Canadian immigrants who left Quebec to come to work in the mills and factories of Woonsocket. Visitors begin their tour at a rural Quebec farmhouse and journey through the workday world of Woonsocket's residents from the early 20th century to the present. On the shop floor of a textile mill, from the front porch of a three-family tenement, in church, in school, in the union hall, visitors are immersed in a narrative of the working class in America. Operated by the Rhode Island Historical Society, the museum includes six walk-through displays, two movies, many interactive audio presentations, and hundreds of photographs. A predominant theme of the museum is the transformation immigrants underwent in "becoming American."