Johnson & Wales Culinary Arts Museum to Open for Two-Day-Only Public Exhibition

The Johnson & Wales Culinary Arts Museum in Providence, Rhode Island, is opening celebrations early for the 250th anniversary of the United States next year. On Oct. 30 and 31, the museum will host a special two-day ticketed tour and tasting event featuring an exhibition of cookbooks from across Rhode Island dating back 200 years. Tickets are $25 each.

The Culinary Arts Museum has been closed to the public since 2017. Behind its doors, however, lies a vast assemblage of more than 165,000 artifacts related to the evolution of food in American culture, according to a Boston Globe report. Some of the treasures in the collection include handwritten recipe books from one of JFK's favorite chefs, a French cookbook dating to around 1680, old bars from notable Manhattan restaurants, and menus that detail America's food tastes over the centuries. 

Rare items include a menu from President Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural ball.

The museum's “Coat Wall” is a veritable who's who collection featuring chef coats from notable Johnson & Wales alumni, including celebrity chef Tyler Florence, chef Mark Ladner, chef Derek Wagner of Nick's on Broadway, and James Beard Award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein.

One of the oldest objects in the museum's collection is L'école Parfaite des Officiers de Bouche. This 17th-century cookbook is attributed to Jean Ribou, a scholar and food critic. The book was designed to teach various culinary skills, from basic cooking to baking and jam-making, as well as the duties of a maître d' and a sommelier.

“Everything we have here tells a story,” said the museum's curator, Erin Williams, in a statement shared with HeyRhody. “Food connects us to each other, to our communities, and to the history of this state.”

Beyond the cookbooks, visitors to the two-day event will also discover artifacts from some of Rhode Island's most recognizable food institutions. According to HeyRhody, objects include the Ever Ready Diner that once served Providence locals, a Sweenor's Chocolates kettle, and an HJ Astle steam table built in Providence. 

Search the Culinary Arts Museum's collections in its online catalog.