St. Ann Arts and Cultural Center
Rhode Island's Sistine Chapel
Home of the largest collection of fresco paintings in North America
84 Cumberland Street, Woonsocket, RI
LLC members only | No refunds
With a ceiling sixty-five feet high, enormous bell towers and a sprawling nave, St. Ann's church was a massive structure when it opened for its first mass in 1918.
“This was the hub of the community. All around here were tenements, and people would flock to the church,” says Petrucci. “The church provides entertainment and socialization, as well as religious service. Next door, they built St. Ann’s Gymnasium. It had a vaudevillian theater with 750 seats, workout room, running track and bowling lanes. It had a library with 1,000 books, all in French. Everything was all brand new, and it became part of the community.”
There are many great pictures on their website. There are many wonderful pictures on their website. Providence Journal's article from Easter Sunday has a wonderful article about this amazing church. Yankee Magazine said St. Ann's is the Sistine Chapel of America – a must see!
Depending on how many questions we have, the tour will last about an hour. The tour starts at 11 AM. Please meet Pat Nickles and Ruth Mills at the main entrance by 10:45 AM.
NOTE: The main entrance includes a fairly long flight of stairs but there is a small elevator available at the far side of the building from the parking lot. There is a small parking lot on one side of the building. We can also park at the funeral home across the street if there are no services being held. There is more parking available at the Plaza Center, 68 Cumberland Street, next to the Center.
Directions to 84 Cumberland Street, Woonsocket: Route 146 North toward Woonsocket. Take route 99 North to the end. Go left at the light onto Route 122 (Mendon Rd). Continue straight for about 1.5 miles. The Center will be on the right (look for the twin towers). Note that while the outside of the building is not that impressive, the inside is stunning.
Nearby restaurants that are open for lunch:
Kay's at 1013 Cass Ave
River Falls at 74 South Main St
Ciros at 42 Cherry St