Attractions
The State Capitol
Rhode Island’s magnificent white marble Georgian state house was inspired by London’s St Paul’s Cathedral and the U.S. Capitol. It has the distinction of sporting one of only four self-supporting domes in the world, the others being St Peter’s Basilica, the Taj Mahal, and the Minnesota State Capitol. The beautiful building in Smith Street houses the original Rhode Island Charter of 1663 and an historic portrait of George Washington painted by Gilbert Stuart, a Rhode Island native. The Washington portrait is renowned for being the one used on the American dollar bill.
Address: Smith Street
Telephone: (401) 222 3983, or 222 2357
Web site: www.state.ri.us
Opening time: Guided tours of the capitol are by appointment Monday to Friday, on the hour every hour from 9am; last tour at 1pm. Self-guided tours can be undertaken Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm
John Brown House
The three-story mansion on Power Street, designed by Joseph Brown for his brother John, in 1786, was once described by John Quincy Adams as 'the most magnificent and elegant private mansion that I have ever seen on this continent'. Indeed the formal Georgian style mansion is breathtaking, with its elaborate woodwork, French wallpaper and 18th-century locally made furnishings. The house also features silver and decorative oriental objects d'art, gathered by John Brown who made his fortune trading with China, as well as the slave trade.
Address: 52 Power Street
Telephone: (401) 273 7507
Web site: www.rihs.org/Museums.html
Opening time: Tours Tuesday to Friday from 1.30pm, Saturday from 10.30am (April to December), and from 10.30am on Friday and Saturday only (January to March)
Admission: $8 (adults), $4 (children 7-17)
Waterplace Park
Providence's renovated downtown waterfront is known as Waterplace Park, a haven of romantic Venetian footbridges and cobblestone walkways that has won national and international design awards. The river walk was the center of the shipping trade in the city's early years, sited at the junction of three rivers. Today it draws enthusiastic crowds to the popular Waterfire events, held several times a year. This multimedia festival involves nearly 100 blazing braziers that rise from the river, seemingly to dance atop the water to the tune of rhythmic music. Waterfire events are not held to schedule and visitors can find out from the visitor information center in the clock tower (open daily from 10am to 4pm) when the next is to be held, or consult the Waterfire Web site www.waterfire.org Free concerts and plays are also frequently held in the Waterplace Amphitheater.
Telephone: (401) 272 3111
Web site: www.waterfire.org
Rhode Island School of Design Museum
The small but comprehensive museum attached to the Rhode Island design college features many changing exhibitions, particularly relating to textiles. The museum's permanent collection includes the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller collection of Japanese prints, Chinese terracotta, Greek statuary and some French Impressionist paintings. Highlights are works by masters such as Monet, Cézanne, Rodin and Picasso. There is also an American section containing paintings by Gilbert Stuart, John Singleton Copley and John Singer Sargent.
Address: 224 Benefit Street
Telephone: (401) 454 6500
Web site: www.risd.edu/museum_visit.cfm
Openingtime: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm; third Thursday monthly until 9pm. Guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays 2pm
Admission: $8 (adults), $2 (children 5-18). Free on Sundays 10am to 1pm; Fridays 12pm to 1:30pm; the third Thursday monthly 5pm to 9pm; and last Saturday of every month
Roger Williams Park Zoo
Providence's zoo is situated in a beautiful 174-hectare (430-acre) Victorian park accessed from Elmwood Avenue on the south edge of the city. The Roger Williams Park also contains two other popular attractions, a museum of natural history and a planetarium, as well as offering a relaxing spot to picnic, feed the ducks, ride a pony or rent a paddleboat. The zoo is home to more than 900 animals from 156 different species, with display areas divided into different habitats, including Tropical America, the Plains of Africa and Australasia. Special features are a walk-through aviary and underwater viewing areas for polar bears and seals.
Address: 1000 Elmwood Avenue
Telephone: (401) 785 3510
Web site: www.rogerwilliamsparkzoo.org
Transport: Bus 12 or 20 from Kennedy Plaza
Openingtime: Daily 9am to 5pm (mid-April to October); 9am to 4pm in winter
Admission: $12 (adults), $6 (children 3-12). From 2 January to 31 March entry is half price
BenefitStreet
One of America's most famous walks is down Providence's Benefit Street, lined with an impressive concentration of original Colonial homes. The 'mile of history' takes in all the well-restored buildings that were home to merchants and sea captains. The street, overlooking the city's waterfront, also features churches and museums. The area is cared for by the Providence Preservation Society, which provides information about the buildings and escorted tours from their office at 21 Meeting Street.
Telephone: Providence Preservation Society: (401) 831 7440
