Block Island Historical Society

For more about the history of Block Island, drop by the Block Island Historical Society (Old Town Rd., New Harbor, 401/466-2481, dgasner [at] ids [dot] net, www.blockislandinfo.com, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. daily late June–early Sept.; 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Sat.–Sun. Sept.–June, free), which maintains a series of well-labeled exhibits on 16th- and 17th-century farming and household life, as well as several rooms set up in the style of the island’s heyday of Victorian tourism.

Manisses Farm

Block Island’s agricultural past comes alive, sort of, at Manisses Farm, also known as Abrams’ Farm (Spring and High Sts., 401/466-2421, www.blockislandresorts.com, daily dawn–dusk, free), an exotic animal farm at the Hotel Manisses with llamas, camels, Highland steers, and Zeke the zebu (a breed of cattle from India that is the oldest known).

North Lighthouse

Though its location isn’t as dramatic as its southern cousin, the 55-foot-tall granite North Lighthouse (Corn Neck Rd., 401/466-3200, www.lighthouse.cc/blockinorth, early July–early Sept., $2) is located on a rocky beach a half-mile’s walk from the road. Inside, a small museum details the history of Block Island shipwrecks and rescues.