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Providence Rhode Island: The perfect Day Trip from Boston
If you’re looking for a day trip outside of Boston and want to explore the country’s smallest state, look no further than Providence! A little over a hour drive from Boston, it is also only a short half hour drive from Newport, Rhode Island. Whether you’re staying for just a few hours or spending a day, here are some of the best things to do in Providence, Rhode Island!
Best Hotels in Providence Rhode Island
Graduate Providence: Trendy and iconic hotel in the heart of downtown Providence
Aloft Providence Downtown: Another spot in a perfect location with a popular hotel chain
The Dean Hotel: A simple but refined aesthetic for mid range budgets
Homewood Suites by Hilton: Another hotel in a perfect downtown location with the best reviews on Booking.com
Shop the perfect outfit for your next trip to Providence!
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10 Things to Do in Providence, Rhode Island
A Summer classic event in Providence
A summer classic that extends from Memorial Day until November, Waterfire is a non-profit arts organization. This organization supports the event of an art installation of over eighty small bonfires along the river. These bonfires are installed along the Providence River at Waterplace Park, and create quite the effect after dark.
Insider tip: This event is quite popular, so you will need to arrive early for a seat. Don’t forget to bring a blanket and some entertainment while you wait for the show to start. There are multiple parking garages nearby, including by the Capitol.
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Stroll around College Hill
The College Hill district of Providence is home to Brown University and RISD, Rhode Island School of Design. Be sure to walk down Benefit Street and visit the Providence Athenaeum and RISD Museum. The Athenaeum was founded in 1836 as an independent supported library open to the public. Travel and Leisure thinks it is one of the best things to do in Providence, Rhode Island.
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Visit the Instagrammable Thomas Street
If you continue down Thomas Street, you will hit the river! There is seating areas right along the water, so you can stop for a break, or bring a picnic lunch and enjoy.
Walk through Brown’s College Green
It won’t take long to walk around Brown University’s ‘College Green,’ but it is a lovely walk, especially on a lovely day! One architectural beauty is the John Hay Library. Recently renovated, it looks at beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside, and is one of the best things to see in Providence.
Find wisteria at the John Brown House Museum
This really is a hidden gem of Providence, and the wisteria that grows in the spring is simply stunning. This is one of my favorite places I’ve visited and highly as one of the best things to do in Providence, Rhode Island. Make sure to check out the incredible tiling in one of the upstairs bathrooms of the house, it really is simply stunning! If you’ve ever been to Newport, Rhode Island, it definitely reminded me of their gilded aged mansions in all their splendor.
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Find Providence’s hidden Prospect Terrace Park
Located on Congdon Street, this is one of the best things to do in Providence, Rhode Island. You can sit and enjoy the city views, there is parking right along the park area.
Take a walking tour of the city
Even though Providence is a somewhat smaller and easily walkable town, this is a great option for a walking tour that’s by bus, and it won’t even take you the full day, only an hour and a half. This will then let you explore any other parts of Providence that you didn’t get to see on the walking tour.
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Explore the beauty of Providence’s historic houses
If you visit Providence in spring specifically in May, you can find the most beautiful blooms including wisteria. If you like my dress, you can shop all my looks here!
Visit Roger Williams Park Zoo
This zoo contains more than eight hundred animals and was first opened in 1872 and one of the oldest in the nation. Close to the zoo is a large park you can wander through very close to the parking lot for the zoo. It is considered one of the top attractions in Providence.
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Bike near Pomham Rocks Lighthouse
After you spend the day exploring Providence, I would recommend booking a reservation at the Tree House Tavern in Warwick. Since this is about a half hour drive outside Providence, you can stop at Pomham Rocks Lighthouse on the way. If you put the destination as the lighthouse in your GPS, it will lead you to a small parking area near a bike path. Even if you didn’t bring your bikes with you, pedestrians are still welcome on the paths.
Where to find the best restaurants Providence
The Little Italy of Providence
If you’re looking for dinner ideas, Broadway Street is packed with Italian restaurants and is referred to as the Little Italy of Providence. One of the most popular spots is Joe Marzilli’s Old Canteen. Not only does this restaurant have raving reviews on Yelp, but it looks like it could be straight out of the 1960s!
Federal Hill
Providence has a popular food scene, and a large concentration of those restaurants are located within Federal Hill. One spot that is continuously recommended is North. This is a popular Asian fusion spot, and I don’t believe they take reservations. Here are some other recommendations from the Boston Globe to get you started. Leave a comment below if you have any recommendations too!
Here are a few other posts you may enjoy:
28 Best Things to Do in Provincetown: A Comprehensive Day Trip Guide
A Comprehensive Guide to Nantucket: Best Things to do for a Weekend
One Day in Martha’s Vineyard: How to get to Martha’s Vineyard
Best Day Trips from Boston: A Summer in New England
What to do in Mystic CT: 24 Best Things to Do in Connecticut
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You make Boston look exactly how it looks beautiful. I love your outfit too. The you for taking me down memory lane. Love stories
Thanks Aunt Kate, I always love your comments and love that you’re enjoying reading the blog!