There’s An Antique Farm In Rhode Island Where Time Stands Still

Where can you find a historic farm in Rhode Island still operating as if it was the 18th century? Nowhere else but at Coggeshall Farm Museum, a living history museum in Bristol. Coggeshall Farm is a time capsule that lets you step back in time. Everything they do, they do with the authentic tools and materials that were used in the 1790's, from sheep shearing to harvesting to broom making.

Set on 48 acres of woodland, fields and salt marsh, Coggeshall Farm Museum recreates life as it was on a tenement farm in the 1790's.

Antique animal breeds and all kinds of farm animals live on the farm, like steer, sheep, and chickens.

Sheep shearing in the spring is a popular event, and so are the darling baby lambs.

The museum allows staff, guests, and volunteers to get up close and personal with the animals.

Events include a Hearth Cooking Workshop, Woodworking, a Fiber Festival and Craft Fair, Harvest Festival, and Maple Sugaring.

A volunteer demonstrates candle making in the historic farmhouse.

Right now, the sap is starting to flow in the maple trees and they are tapped just as the were in the 18th century.

The temperatures in late February and March are what make the magic happen.

The sap is collected in handmade troughs and poured into buckets.

The sap is then simmered over an open fire until it reaches the right consistency.

The result is Coggeshall Farm's own delicious maple syrup that's truly made the old fashioned way and for sale in their gift shop.

Visitors learn how this New England tradition ties into different topics like abolition and international shipping. Then, you can warm up in the farmhouse by the hearth and enjoy mulled cider and authentic johnnycakes.

Coggeshall Farm Museum is a Rhode Island treasure where time stands still.

Visit Coggeshall Farm Museum at 1 Colt Drive, Bristol. They are re-opening for maple sugaring February 20th through the 25th, and on weekends in March. Maple sugaring is extremely weather dependent, so check their Facebook page for updates