Phyllis Blanchette
Director of Visitor Services
Providence Warwick CVB
Providence, R.I.
What are three great ways for groups to explore the history of the Providence-Warwick area?
Director of Visitor Services
Providence Warwick CVB
Providence, R.I.
What are three great ways for groups to explore the history of the Providence-Warwick area?
- Historic Walking Tour: Take a walk in the footsteps of hundreds of years of history. The Rhode Island Historical Society offers educational and entertaining walking tours of the historic east side of Providence. Tour the “mile of history” that is Benefit Street, admiring winding, tree-lined roads and Colonial architecture. Learn the history of famous residents such as businessman, patriot and politician John Brown, and horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. Visit the Providence Athenaeum, where Edgar Allan Poe courted Sarah Whitman, or simply stroll the historic area, enjoying the preserved beauty of Providence.
- Federal Hill Tasting Tour: This tour, led by Cindy Salvato, a certified pastry chef and former instructor at Johnson & Wales University, travels along both sides of the must-see street, replete with some of the finest restaurants and shops in the country. Federal Hill, so named because of the amount of former politicians that once lived there, was recently named one of the top 10 “Little Italy’s” in the U.S. by the Food Network’s Mario Batali. From the moment you cross below the giant hanging pigna (pinecone), the Italian symbol for quality and abundance, you will be met with terrific eateries, quality service and endearing shopkeepers who love to share their fascinating stories. Rich in tradition, the Federal Hill Market Tour is a great (and delicious!) way to learn about this historic section of Providence.
- Gondola Tour: Relaxing, engaging and beautiful, the gondola tour is a perfectly unique way to experience Providence. The tour gently traverses the waterways through the arteries of downtown Providence, with views of the new development that seamlessly blends modern structures neatly into the architecture of old. Effortlessly cruise through the center of the city in authentic Venetian gondolas, learning the history of the waterways and seeing firsthand how much has changed.