Arts & Culture
All Arts & Culture Experiences
Gather Glass: Make an Ornament
We will walk you step by step through making an ornament of your very own. From applying color to the glass, heating your ornament, and inflating it with air, you will experience firsthand the thrill of making hand blown glass art.During this hands-on class, you’ll blow your own glass ornament. Choose your combination of colors and with the guidance of our glass blowing instructors, you’ll learn how to shape, blow, and form your ornament step by step.
Viaggio dei Sogni (Dreams) Gondola Ride
The Viaggio dei Sogni, which translates to "Trip of Dreams," is the signature 40-minute gondola ride and a great fit for just about any occasion. Guests settle into an authentic Venetian gondola and take in the calm, quiet beauty of the Providence riverfront.A skilled gondolier rows at an easy pace along the Providence and Woonasquatucket Rivers, passing historic landmarks, winding through city parks, and slipping under charming bridges. It's an experience that stays with you long after you step back onto the dock.What's IncludedWine glasses, a wine bucket, and an opener. Bring along your own wine, prosecco, juice, or other beverages. Bottled water is often on hand at the dock, though availability can't be promised.Housemade Italian wine biscuits.A serenade from your gondolier. Every gondolier sings Italian songs during the ride, and they're happy to try any special requests.What to BringSomething to sip. Wine, beer, prosecco, juice, or whatever you prefer, and everything needed to chill and pour it will be ready when you board.Food if you'd like it, from light snacks to a full picnic. Pack your own napkins and utensils, as those aren't supplied. Wine biscuits are included with every ride.Layers or rain gear as the forecast calls for. Blankets and umbrellas are also available on the boat.A camera for the memories. Just ask, and staff will take photos of your group at the dock before or after the ride.
Gather Farm: Goat Hike
Viaggio di Rapsodia
The Viaggio di Rapsodia is a 40-minute gondola ride that builds on the basic trip package by adding a live musician to the experience. A seasoned gondolier guides the boat along the Providence and Woonasquatucket Rivers, gliding past historic sites, through city parks, and beneath scenic bridges, while a musician you select plays a private serenade.It's an ideal choice for a date night, an outing with friends, or marking a milestone.What's IncludedA live musician of your choosing, with options including mandolin, guitar, violin, accordion, and saxophone. Availability varies by day, so not every musician can be booked on every date.A wine bucket, glasses, and an opener. Guests bring their own wine, prosecco, juice, or other drinks. Bottled water is usually available at the dock, but it isn't guaranteed.Handmade Italian wine biscuits.Italian songs from your gondolier. Every gondolier sings during the ride, and special song requests are welcome.
Becoming Providence: Mural & Gallery Tour
Discover the vibrant Providence arts scene. Becoming Providence: Mural and Gallery Tour is an immersive exploration of Providence’s creative identity, experienced through vibrant murals and dynamic gallery spaces. You’ll encounter striking murals that offer a window into the city’s evolving identity, revealing the people, stories, and forces that have shaped Providence over time.Along the way, we’ll step inside three standout galleries, where that story continues through contemporary artists whose work is actively shaping what Providence is becoming today. The result is a visually rich, thoughtfully designed experience that reveals the city not as a static snapshot, but as a place in motion, continually redefining itself.HighlightsThe former Biltmore HotelShe Never Came MuralSalt Water MuralEmpire Rising MuralProvidence IndustrialOBEY MuralStill Here MuralProvidence Gallery Spaces
The Nightcap: Cocktail & Spirits Tour
Parasols and Pocket Watches: A History Tour
The Parasols and Pocket Watches Tour is a 90 minute (+/- 10 minutes) walking tour of historic Benefit Street, known as "The Mile of History." Get to know the people and events that have shaped this street, our city, and our state. It is an elegant stroll through time!Benefit Street is a fairly flat street. We will not ascend or descend College Hill on this tour. It is appropriate for people of most activity levels and mobility needs. Please note, the sidewalk is uneven, so please wear stable, comfortable footwear.This tour meets at the gates of the Tillinghast Cemetery, beside Barker Playhouse on Benefit St.
The Museum at the John Brown House
Housed in a National Historic Landmark, the Museum at the John Brown House is operated by the Rhode Island Historical Society and traces Rhode Island's connections to the wider world up to 1860. The mansion made quite an impression on John Quincy Adams, who described it as "the most magnificent and elegant private mansion that I have ever seen on this continent."Inside, a series of galleries uses Rhode Island's history to tell a much bigger global story, bringing together exceptional collections and acclaimed research. Each room was developed in partnership with some of the country's leading historians and covers subjects such as the founding of colonial Rhode Island, the state's involvement in the slave trade, and its early ventures in the China Trade.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What arts and culture experiences are in Providence?
Providence offers museum visits, history walking tours, mural and gallery tours, glassblowing classes, and gondola rides with live music, giving visitors plenty of ways to explore the city’s history and creative scene.
- Is Providence a good city for art lovers?
Yes. Known as the Creative Capital, Providence is home to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and the RISD Museum, Tony Award-winning Trinity Rep, WaterFire, and a thriving scene of galleries, murals, and local artists.
- Can I take a glassblowing class in Providence?
Yes. Gather Glass offers hands-on classes where you can make your own blown-glass ornament with step-by-step guidance from instructors.
- Is there a mural tour in Providence?
Yes. The Becoming Providence: Mural & Gallery Tour leads guests to downtown murals, including the OBEY and Still Here murals, and three local galleries showcasing contemporary artists.
- Are there history tours in Providence?
Yes. Options include the Museum at the John Brown House, a National Historic Landmark, and Parasols and Pocket Watches, a walking tour of Benefit Street, Providence’s “Mile of History.”