Vacation In Providence Rhode Island
Vacation in Providence Rhode Island with a stay at the Liberty Hotel, and take a tour of the first National Historic Landmark hotel in America.
Providence, Rhode Island is one of the most unique vacation destinations in the United States. It was established as a place of refuge, and as such it has become a place that attracts people looking for more than just a brief escape. Whether it is an urban adventure trying out for the first time zip lining over the city or perhaps a retreat to the Five Sisters Islands, Providence has something for everyone.
Providence, Rhode Island is a great vacation destination for all ages. The city has much to offer visitors who want something new and exciting in their lives. This place has survived through four centuries of dramatic changes in the world and is full of historical sites that are great to explore.
The capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Providence is a major center of commerce and industry along the east coast of the United States. The City has a population of 175,000 that grows to over 450,000 in the Greater Providence-Fall River-New Bedford metropolitan area. The residents and tourist attractions come from all over, at about 1 million people per year, bringing it to about 26 million, which brings them money – also known as economic activity – which helps Providence with businesses and tourism income year round… Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites in Downtown Providence
Vacation In Providence Rhode Island
Providence may be the smallest state capital in America. However, this quaint city has a down-home look and feel that stands out in comparison to other cities. It’s a place where the past is reflected in its architecture and history, while the present is celebrated at its many art festivals and music events. Providence’s culture is deeply rooted in its Portuguese, Jewish and Italian heritage, which is why it’s such a foodie destination for gourmet eaters. And with more than 50 parks downtown, you won’t lack for picturesque strolls through wooded trails with spectacular view of landmarks like Olney Pond and Waterfire also known as the First Fires.
Traveling can be an expensive proposition, especially when you factor in the high costs of airline tickets and accommodation. With a few simple tricks, however, you can enjoy a memorable vacation without going broke. By planning your trip well in advance and securing the right deals, you can save money on hotels and flights. As we approach Thanksgiving weekend, here are 5 vacation ideas to get you on the right track: 1. Visit a Local Holiday Market – Holiday markets remain popular tourist attractions in almost every city around the world. If you want to avoid the crowds and get first dibs on holiday gift giving and stocking stuffers, head to a local market as soon as it opens its doors. Choose from a large number of businesses showcasing their offerings in one location.
At the northern tip of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island’s capital city is wonderfully compact, diverse, and eccentric. Its long history, from its founding by dissidents escaping Puritan Massachusetts to its colorful contemporary politics, may explain the eccentricities. These combine with its wealth of historic sights (entire neighborhoods are designated historic districts) and artistic highlights to make Providence fun to visit.
Visitors who love architecture will be happy in Providence, whose old downtown (called Downcity here) is filled with priceless period architecture. Art Deco and Beaux-Arts buildings and late Victorian terra-cotta facades were spared the ravages of urban renewal and retain beautiful and astonishingly well-preserved decorative details. Downcity’s granite icon, The Arcade, was America’s first shopping mall, built in 1828. Filled with locally owned boutiques and galleries, it’s still a favorite for shopping.
A high-powered student population from Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), and Providence College keep Providence young and vibrant, along with insuring a rich arts and intellectual scene. People here take their restaurants seriously, so be sure and ask locals for dining suggestions — you’ll always get an informed opinion.
For more ideas on things to see and do, read our list of the top attractions in Providence, Rhode Island.
See also: Where to Stay in Providence
Note: Some businesses may be temporarily closed due to recent global health and safety issues.
1. Roger Williams Park Zoo
The 40-acre Roger Williams Park Zoo is not only one of the oldest zoos in the country, but it’s a paragon of modern zoo design and concept. At this kid-friendly and largely cage-free place, you can meet a snow leopard, giraffe, elephant, zebra, wildebeest, alligator, kangaroo, and red panda, and small-fry can climb into the treehouse or go for a camel ride.
If you don’t like the notion of caged animals and want to learn something about them and their habitats instead of just parading past, this is the zoo for you. Seasonal activities such as the October “Spooky Zoo” and pumpkin spectacular make it even more fun for kids.
The Botanical Center at Roger Williams Park is New England’s largest public indoor display garden, with 12,000 square feet of gardens that include two main greenhouses and three smaller ones, as well as an outdoor garden.
Roger Williams Park has a lot more, and it’s easy to see why it is one of the city’s favorite places to visit for families. Covering 435 acres with gardens and a lake, the park has a 1915 bandstand, an amphitheater, the 1773 Betsy Williams Cottage, and a children’s area with a carousel and trackless train rides. Also in the park is a Museum of Natural History with insects, minerals, fossils, and the state’s only planetarium.
Address: 1000 Elmwood Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island
Official site: http://www.rwpzoo.org/
2. WaterFire
At least twice a month between mid-May and late November, braziers in the middle of the river are filled with bonfires that light Downcity Providence. During “Full WaterFire,” more than 80 fires blaze from Waterplace Park to Memorial/South Main Street Park. “Basin Fire WaterFire” events are smaller versions lighting 22 braziers in the Waterplace Park Basin and five more toward Providence Place mall.
The four-acre Waterplace Park and Riverwalk become a festival of arts and music during WaterFire, as young and old alike enjoy their city’s revitalization and cultural vibrancy. This and other festivals are among the best free things to do in Rhode Island.
Official site: http://waterfire.org/
3. RISD Museum of Art
Whether your artistic passion is for French Impressionists or Japanese prints, or your design tastes run to ancient Egyptian, early American, or cutting-edge contemporary, you’ll find enough to keep you happy in the depth and breadth of this museum’s collections. The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), one of America’s top art colleges, reflects its own wide range of specialties in the objects chosen for its museum.
Needlework and textiles, sculpture from ancient to Rodin, Asian art, videos, furnished Federal period rooms, and galleries of priceless paintings comprise dozens of individual collections. So many outstanding works are here that each of its separate collections would be enough to make a museum of its own.
Address: 224 Benefit Street, Providence
Official site: www.risdmuseum.org
4. Rhode Island State Capitol
A Providence landmark, the white marble Rhode Island State Capitol dominates the city with the world’s fourth largest self-supported dome. The neoclassical building was designed by the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, and completed in 1904. You can visit the building on your own or with a free guided tour.
You’ll see the painting entitled The Four Freedoms by James Allen King, inside the dome, and Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington. There’s also a gun from the battle of Gettysburg and a replica of the Liberty Bell.
Address: 82 Smith Street, Providence, Rhode Island
5. Federal Hill
Atwells Avenue crowns Federal Hill, the hill that rises to the west of Downcity, and is the vibrant heart of Providence’s large Italian American community. That community now spreads throughout the city, but the concentration of restaurants, cafés, and shops selling Italian foods along Atwells Avenue and its adjacent streets and squares stems from the days when immigrants grouped closely with others who shared their language and traditions.
Today, Italian cooks shop in its delis and bakeries to find fresh-made mozzarella, tangy pickled cherry peppers, imported cured meats, and golden panettone. Come here to eat an Italian meal, whether it’s spaghetti and red sauce (called simply “gravy” here) in elbow-bumping conviviality or northern Italian dishes served in a linens-and-crystal setting. It’s also the place to linger over cappuccino or a dish of gelato at a sidewalk café in DePasquale Plaza, or join in a boisterous street festival on Columbus Day.
Official site: http://atwellsave.com
6. Relax in Waterplace Park
People still have trouble pronouncing the names of the Moshassuck and Woonasquatucket, two narrow rivers that wind through Providence, but at least they can see them now. This was not always true – for decades they were hidden by what may have been the world’s widest bridge, until they were once again revealed in the 1990s.
In a major revitalization of the entire area, the rivers were uncovered and their banks lined with walkways, benches, gardens, and trees in a riverside corridor known as WaterPlace Park and Riverwalk. Instead of a solid bridge of highways and traffic congestion, the rivers are now spanned by graceful bridges patterned after those in Venice.
During Waterfire, centered in WaterPlace Park, the river is alight with bonfires, and from spring through late autumn, the area is alive with walkers, bikers, joggers, people enjoying the summer concerts, and public art installations.
You can explore these waterways in the daytime, on a sunset cruise, or during WaterFire in an open-air boat ride that gives a new perspective on the city and some interesting sidelights to its attractions and history. Tours include the rivers and the upper parts of Narragansett Bay, revealing some new views of the city’s architecture and skyline. You can also ride in La Gondola, an authentic Venetian gondola; especially in the evening or during WaterFire, this has to be one of the most romantic things to do in all Rhode Island.