Coggeshall Farm Museum
Coggeshall Farm Museum is a living history farm on 48 acres of coastal land beside Colt State Park in Bristol, recreating the daily life of tenant farmers on a 1790s Rhode Island salt-marsh farm. Since July 2025 it has been run by Old Sturbridge Village. Standard admission is $10 for adults and $5 for ages 4 to 17, it opens on set days (mostly weekends), and dogs are not allowed.
Coggeshall Farm at a Glance
What You See There
The museum describes itself as a recreation of the daily experience of tenant farmers on a late 18th-century salt-marsh farm, told through live interpretation, historic structures, heirloom plants and heritage-breed animals. Its interpretation focuses on the 1790s, the decade between the American Revolution and the Industrial Revolution, known as the Federalist Era. On standard admission days, costumed staff give demonstrations of daily farm work. RI DEM's Colt page calls it a living history museum representing farm life in the 1790s.
2026 Hours
Coggeshall does not open every day, and its schedule changes through the year. As posted by the museum for 2026, and subject to change:
- July 5 – September 27: Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., standard admission with demonstrations and costumed staff.
- October: general admission October 3 and 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; self-guided visits October 4 and 11, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; "A Coggeshall Halloween" October 17, 18, 24 and 25, 1 to 5 p.m.
- November: Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for general admission; Sundays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for self-guided visits.
- Weekdays in spring and fall: school field trips and education programs on select days.
The museum asks visitors to confirm hours before coming, and it is open rain or shine.
Tickets
Standard daytime admission, as posted: $10 adults, $5 youth (4–17), free for children 3 and under. Members get unlimited standard admission. Coggeshall is a Blue Star Museum: active-duty military and veterans and their families (up to six people) get free standard admission, with 25% off for others in the party, shown at the door with military and photo ID. New England teachers can buy one adult ticket and get one free, or buy one adult ticket at half price, with a teacher ID. Discounts are at the door only. Special events like the Halloween program are ticketed separately.
Getting There and Parking
The museum's address is 1 Colt Drive, Bristol, RI 02809; it suggests typing "Coggeshall Farm Museum" into a GPS. Parking is in one of the museum's fields, marked by signs, and the museum's lot can only be reached from the Poppasquash Road entrance. That is different from the main entrance to Colt State Park on Asylum Road: the museum says you cannot reach the farm directly from the park, so follow Poppasquash Road to Coggeshall Farm Road instead. It also warns that a GPS set to 1 Colt Drive may send you to the wrong entrance. On DEM's park map, the farm is labelled beside the park office, next to Area 2.
Rules for Visitors
The museum's own policies, which are stricter than the state park's:
- No dogs, except guide dogs.
- Carry in, carry out. The grass is food for the livestock and must stay free of plastic and trash.
- Do not feed, pick up or chase the animals without a staff member's permission, and stay out of pens, pastures and barns.
- Do not climb stone walls, fences or trees.
- No alcohol or smoking.
Picnics and Accessibility
You are welcome to bring a picnic lunch; the museum has several picnic tables, or you can spread a blanket on the meadow overlooking the salt marsh. The terrain is a mix of flat, hilly and uneven ground and can be rough, especially when wet, snowy or icy. Some visitors manage with a wheelchair, walker or stroller; others find it difficult. The historic farmhouse is ramped at one entrance, and the museum asks visitors who need accommodations to email ahead.
How the Museum Began
When the State of Rhode Island bought the Samuel P. Colt estate in 1965, the purchase included the 48-acre farm now known as Coggeshall. With the 18th-century tenant farmhouse facing possible demolition, members of the Bristol Historical Society asked Governor John Chafee for permission to turn the farm into a museum. The society signed a lease in 1968 and began building new outbuildings; by 1973 the project had outgrown the society, and Coggeshall Farm Museum was incorporated as its own nonprofit. Coggeshall and Old Sturbridge Village began a partnership in January 2020 and merged in July 2025; Old Sturbridge Village now provides leadership and manages daily operations. The park history covers the Colt estate.
Pair It With Colt State Park
Walk the state park's paved paths and lawns before or after a farm visit; entry and parking at Colt are free, and its picnic tables need a permit only from April through October. Remember that dogs that are welcome in the park are not welcome at the farm. See parking, picnic areas and things to do in Bristol.
Coggeshall Farm Museum FAQ
How much does Coggeshall Farm Museum cost?
Standard daytime admission is $10 for adults and $5 for youth ages 4 to 17, and free for children 3 and under, as posted by the museum for 2026. Members, and active-duty military and veterans with their families, get in free.
When is Coggeshall Farm open?
On set days. In 2026 the museum opened weekends from July 5 to September 27, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., then on selected October dates and Saturdays and Sundays in November. Check the museum's hours page before you go.
Where do you park for Coggeshall Farm?
In the museum's field lot, marked by signs, which can only be reached from the Poppasquash Road entrance. The address is 1 Colt Drive, Bristol, RI 02809.
Are dogs allowed at Coggeshall Farm Museum?
No. Coggeshall Farm Museum does not permit dogs, except guide dogs, for the safety of visitors and its farm animals.
Who runs Coggeshall Farm Museum?
Old Sturbridge Village. The two museums began a partnership in 2020 and merged in July 2025, and Old Sturbridge Village now manages Coggeshall's daily operations.
Facts checked against the RI DEM page for Colt State Park on October 18, 2026.