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Providence is the capital and largest city of Rhode Island, set at the head of Narragansett Bay where the Woonasquatucket and Moshassuck rivers join to form the Providence River. Roger Williams founded the settlement in 1636 after being banished from Massachusetts for his religious views, naming it in gratitude for God's providence and establishing a colony built on freedom of conscience. Providence grew into a busy colonial port, and in the 1800s it became a powerhouse of jewelry and silverware manufacturing, textiles and machine tools.
Today Providence has about 190,000 residents and is known as the Creative Capital. Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) give College Hill a youthful, artistic energy, and the city has one of the best restaurant scenes in New England for its size, from Italian classics on Federal Hill to inventive dining downtown. Benefit Street's Mile of History holds one of the finest collections of colonial and Federal-era homes in the country, and the white marble Rhode Island State House crowns the skyline with one of the world's largest self-supporting marble domes.
The city's signature event is WaterFire, when more than 80 bonfires blaze on braziers in the rivers downtown at night, accompanied by music as boats glide past. The RISD Museum holds an excellent art collection, Roger Williams Park offers a zoo, botanical center and lakes, and the Riverwalk and Waterplace Park show how the city uncovered its rivers in the 1990s. Newport's mansions and beaches are less than an hour away.
An art installation of about 80 bonfires lit on braziers in the rivers of downtown Providence on selected evenings from spring to fall, accompanied by music, gondolas and crowds along the riverwalk. Full lightings stretch from Waterplace Park through downtown. Check the schedule and arrive at sunset for the lighting.
A restored 1928 movie palace downtown, originally the Loew's State Theatre, with an ornate gilded interior and a Wurlitzer organ, now hosting touring Broadway musicals, concerts and comedy. It seats about 3,100. Book tickets early for Broadway tours and arrive early to admire the lobby.
A white marble capitol completed in 1904, with one of the largest self-supporting marble domes in the world, topped by the Independent Man statue, and an interior with the original Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington. Free guided tours run on weekdays. Book or join a tour at the visitor desk.
A mile-long street on College Hill known as the Mile of History, lined with restored 18th and 19th century homes, churches and public buildings, including the Providence Athenaeum and the RISD Museum. It is one of the finest collections of colonial architecture in the country. Walk it slowly and look for the historic plaques.
An Ivy League university founded in 1764 on College Hill, with historic buildings around the Main Green, the John Carter Brown Library, the David Winton Bell Gallery and lively Thayer Street nearby. Campus tours start at the admission office. Walk through the Van Wickle Gates area and the Main Green at your own pace.
The museum of the Rhode Island School of Design, with a wide-ranging collection from ancient Egyptian art and a Japanese Buddha to Impressionist paintings, American furniture and contemporary design. It is on Benefit Street. Allow two hours and check for reduced or free admission evenings.
An independent membership library founded in 1753 and housed since 1838 in a Greek Revival building on Benefit Street, where Edgar Allan Poe courted poet Sarah Helen Whitman. Visitors may browse the historic reading rooms for free. Speak quietly and look for the rare book collection and art on display.
Providence's historic Little Italy, centered on Atwells Avenue with its pinecone arch, with Italian restaurants, bakeries, delis, cafes and a piazza with a fountain at DePasquale Square. It is especially lively in the evening. Come hungry for dinner and pick up cannoli or Italian groceries to take home.
A neighborhood on the east side near the waterfront, with Wickenden Street lined with antique shops, vintage stores, coffee shops and casual restaurants, and the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier nearby. It has a long Cape Verdean and Portuguese heritage. Stroll the street in the afternoon and stop for coffee.
A large Victorian park in the south of the city with lakes, gardens, a carousel, botanical greenhouses, the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium and the Roger Williams Park Zoo. Fall brings the popular Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular. Plan a full day to combine the zoo with a walk around the lakes.
An urban park downtown built around a circular basin where the Woonasquatucket and Moshassuck rivers meet, with an amphitheater, cobblestone riverwalks and Venetian-style footbridges. It is the center of WaterFire events. Take a gondola ride or simply walk the riverwalk to the State House.
A small park on College Hill with one of the best views over downtown Providence and the State House, home to a large statue of Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island, whose remains are buried at the site. It is a quiet spot for photos. Come at sunset for the best view of the skyline.
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Rhode Island, United States
Rhode Island, United States
Rhode Island, United States
Rhode Island, United States
Rhode Island, United States
Rhode Island, United States
Rhode Island, United States
Rhode Island, United States
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