Martha J. Sheridan
President and CEO, Providence Warwick CVB; Providence, R.I.
What are three great ways that groups can incorporate the history of Providence into an agenda?
- Scavenger Hunts: Conduct a scavenger hunt incorporating Providence’s many historic sites, including the John Brown House, the First Baptist Church in America, Benefit Street’s "Mile of History" and the Rhode Island State Capitol building. You can do it on foot or lease vehicles. You break the groups into teams and they’re given a list of stops, and at each stop they have to take a photo or look for something. We have them go to a historic bakery on Federal Hill or go to the historic library to look for Edgar Allan Poe books. It’s a lot of fun.
- University Speakers: Utilize the resources at one of Providence’s prestigious universities—Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design, Johnson and Wales University, Providence College—to enlist a speaker for your program. Topics could include the city’s architectural history, culinary history, legacy as a city founded on independent thinking, or religious history, to name a few.
- History Tours: Offer tours of the city that focus on this city’s rich history, such as a historic East Side walking tour and the Independence Trail tour, or take advantage of the CVB’s new audio tour, which focuses on the downtown’s history and arts and cultural offerings. The Rhode Island Historical Society offers a series of walking tours on the East Side and also downtown.