Historic

Uncover the heart of Providence on a relaxing narrated cruise where history, architecture, and skyline views come together.

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.

There are 5 exhibit halls (2 levels) and a lobby exhibit. Current Exhibits are: Circle of the Sea: Re-Visited and Re-Imagined EGGSTRAVAGANZA: History and Science of Bird EggsJames Webb Space Telescope: Uncovering the Hidden UniverseUrban Wildlife: Nature at Your DoorstepSeismic Shifts: Earth through TimeWe are working on two new exhibits opening soon!

Experience Rhode Island’s Discover Providence Tour offers a delightful introduction to one of America’s favorite cities. Guests relax aboard a comfortable, climate-controlled tour bus while visiting the most exciting neighborhoods in Rhode Island’s capital and hearing the stories of this special place and its most famous citizens. Providence is full of intriguing tales. The route travels from College Hill to Federal Hill and from Brown University to the State House, passing some of the city’s loveliest settings and revealing places guests will want to return to and explore on their own. Stops along the way give everyone the chance to step off, take photos, and see the sights up close. Enjoyable for all ages, it’s a tour visitors won’t soon forget.

Glide through the city’s shadowy waterways where legends, whispered stories, and a touch of the supernatural set the perfect spooky scene

Experience Rhode Island’s Rhode Island in a Day tour is a one-of-a-kind showcase of everything that makes the Ocean State great. Led by an expert guide, guests experience the culture, cuisine, scenery, and history of America’s smallest state in a single unforgettable day. At just 48 miles long and 37 miles wide, Rhode Island is full of big surprises. The journey begins in Providence and travels by tour bus around Narragansett Bay, with breathtaking views and stories of what this small state has contributed to the nation. Along the way, guests see the sights Rhode Island is best known for, including picturesque beaches, colonial architecture, lighthouses, islands, quintessential New England towns, and Newport’s stunning mansions. From Providence to Newport and the charming towns in between, it’s the perfect way to see Rhode Island in a day.The tour requires a minimum of six participants, who do not need to be booking together.

Children under 10 free

Immerse yourself in the spooky side of Providence’s history! Allow our guides to lead you by lantern light as we introduce you to Providence’s longest-lingering residents. As we creep among the shadows, we walk in the footsteps of local literary giants and humble servants alike, their restless souls still stirring among the living. Learn the tales that keep college students at Brown University and RISD jumping out of their beds at night as we weave history and mystery into a fine tapestry of spine-tingling delight.As you explore the university campuses and admire the beautiful architecture, your guide tells you about the fascinating and sometimes chilling history of the area. Your guide is an excellent storyteller, and their tales are sure to give you goosebumps. If you’re a fan of the supernatural, you can’t miss this ghost tour!Be sure to wear your walking shoes to explore the hills and streets of Providence. And don’t forget your camera! You might capture a ghostly presence during your tour.

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.