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Located directly off Interstate 95, the Elmwood neighborhood is an epicenter of multicultural activity in the city. On this stretch of road, there are more than a dozen different countries represented by neighborhood businesses and community organizations. Locals refer to the Elmwood area, which includes the South Elmwood neighborhood, as the “Gateway to Opportunity” and it’s easy to understand why.
Post Date:
September 18, 2026
If you're searching for the perfect family getaway, Providence might just be your new favorite destination. It's absolutely packed with things to see, eat and do with kids in tow. From a world-class children's museum to one of the most unique outdoor experiences you'll find anywhere, Providence delivers the kind of visit your family will be talking about for years. Trust us, the whole crew is going to love this trip.
Providence is the rare destination that rewards visitors who travel smart. World-class art museums, one of the most storied food neighborhoods in New England, a calendar full of free community events, and a dining scene that ranges from food trucks to fine dining. None of it requires deep pockets. Downtown's compact layout means you'll spend your money on experiences rather than transportation. Solo travelers, couples, weekend trippers and families will all find that Providence has a way of overdelivering, even on a modest budget.
A small city with a big culinary reputation, Providence has spent decades building one of the most distinctive dining cultures on the East Coast. Italian roots run deep in the Federal Hill neighborhood, the farm-to-table scene is thriving, and local chefs have earned national recognition. The city is also home to Johnson & Wales University, one of the country's top culinary schools, and the generations of graduates and working students who have passed through its kitchens have shaped Providence's dining scene in ways you can taste on every block.Whether your style is fine dining or food truck, we've got you covered. Bring your appetite.
The neighborhood offers a world of casual food options. Apsara Restaurant cooks up traditional Chinese, Cambodian and Thai food, with a menu including several variations on spring rolls, a variety of noodle dishes, nime chow and more. For fresh dishes with a Latin flair, locals love La Roca Restaurant.
Casa Azul Taqueria is a family-owned, authentic Mexican taqueria, serving Mexico City-style dishes, Mexican beer and craft drinks. Enjoy always fresh and high-quality products all homemade by Chef Carmen & Chef Javier. Vegan Mexican menu, seasonal special dishes and craft margaritas are available. Home of the Wicked Best Margarita 2023 & Best Birria Tacos 2023. Tailored catering options, pick-up and delivery orders are also available. Casa Azul Taqueria is a family-owned, authentic Mexican taqueria, serving Mexico City-style dishes, Mexican beer and craft drinks. Enjoy always fresh and high-quality products all homemade by Chef Carmen & Chef Javier. Vegan Mexican menu, seasonal special dishes and craft margaritas are available. Home of the Wicked Best Margarita 2023 & Best Birria Tacos 2023. Tailored catering options, pick-up and delivery orders are also available.
Find Out More Find Out MoreThere 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!
Spend the day at Roger Williams Park Zoo, one of the nation's oldest zoos, set on 40 beautifully landscaped acres in Providence. Home to more than 130 species from around the world, the zoo lets visitors explore naturalistic habitats featuring African elephants, giraffes, zebras, a red panda, a snow leopard, New England's only Komodo dragon, and much more.This ticket provides daytime general admission. When purchasing, guests select a specific date and arrival time slot, and once inside may stay as long as they like during operating hours. The zoo is typically open 9 am to 4 pm, with last admission at 3:30 pm, and an average visit takes about an hour and a half. Toddlers ages one and under are free. Please note that tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable, and that evening events such as the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular require a separate ticket.
Explore Elmwood Supermarket for a wide array of fresh produce. From meat to vegetables, you'll find everything you need to make traditional cultural dishes at home.
With bulk candy ranging from old-time penny candy favorites to the latest in novelty trends, a visit to Candy4pennies will have you feeling like the proverbial kid in a candy store. They've also got gift baskets galore for all ages and interests.
Central to both the Elmwood and Broad Street neighborhoods is the community powerhouse, the Southside Cultural Center. It is home to the Rhode Island Black Storytellers, Rhode Island Latino Arts, the Laotian Community Center, the Jordan Wellness and Adventures Center, and Arte Latino of New England. Check the events calendar for performances and community events held in their theater or open-air pavilion.
Nearby, Teatro ECAS is an organization dedicated to preserving the art, history and culture of the Latino communities of Rhode Island. Concerts, dance performances and visual art exhibits include a Puerto Rican master carver demonstrating his craft, a beginner session in Latin American percussion drumming, and a workshop on oral histories.
Step into Knight Memorial Library, a fixture of the neighborhood, and be transported back in time. The marble building dates back to the 1920s and holds an impressive selection of books, as well as offering community activities, such as music lessons, robotics workshops, storytime, and GED and ESL classes. The library is host to the Sankofa World Market, which showcases affordable, culturally appropriate and locally produced food, craftspeople and entrepreneurs.
Just a short walk away on Peace Street, find Peace and Plenty Park and the adjacent Southside Community Land Trust. The park provides needed green space, as does the land trust, which is a shared community garden that encourages community stewardship of the earth. Both spaces are gathering places for neighbors and members of the community.
Further down Elmwood, spread across a massive 435+ acres, is Roger Williams Park, which houses the Roger Williams Park Zoo & Carousel Village, as well as the Botanical Center, the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium and the Temple to Music. Animals range from the ever-popular camels, elephants and giraffes to newer residents like armadillos, servals and a Komodo dragon. The Carousel Village and swan boats add to the family fun, as does the zoo’s Big Backyard, an oversized outdoor play space with water features and a giant treehouse. The Botanical Center will engage the senses, with more than 150 species of plants, fountains, a koi pond and waterfall. The Museum of Natural History and Planetarium offers presentations, exhibitions and workshops for children and families and its collection of fossils, minerals, flora and fauna is awe-inspiring. The planetarium also offers daily viewings.
Seasonal Elmwood neighborhood events include a Cinco de Mayo Mariachi Festival, the Providence Preservation Society’s Festival of Historical Houses and the zoo’s Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular.
The Elmwood neighborhood has plenty of on-street parking, RIPTA bus service, and can be biked with ease.
The Roger Williams Park Botanical Center is New England’s largest glasshouse display garden. Find a quiet reprieve in any one of the four year-round greenhouses. A wide variety of plants can be found, including majestic 40′ tall palms, carnivorous plants, 10′ cacti, and succulents. The rose maze is in bloom from June to September and the outdoor perennial gardens bloom with color from spring to fall. Visit the calendar to view special events, workshops, and other activities. Indoors or out, the Center is a magical place to visit in the heart of beautiful Roger Williams Park. The Roger Williams Park Botanical Center is New England’s largest glasshouse display garden. Find a quiet reprieve in any one of the four year-round greenhouses. A wide variety of plants can be found, including majestic 40′ tall palms, carnivorous plants, 10′ cacti, and succulents. The rose maze is in bloom from June to September and the outdoor perennial gardens bloom with color from spring to fall. Visit the calendar to view special events, workshops, and other activities. Indoors or out, the Center is a magical place to visit in the heart of beautiful Roger Williams Park.
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You will have the opportunity to discover, or rediscover, the fascinating collections during this private program exploring the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium in Roger Williams Park. Bring a small easel or chair and your drawing or painting materials, and choose your subject from the collections of birds, bears, lions, and Oceanic artifacts. Museum staff will also select some special "guests" from the museum vaults to display. During the program, the instructor will circulate for those who wish feedback, and at the end of the session, attendees will gather to view and discuss each other's work. Please note: Museum is closed to the public during this program. Permitted Materials: You may bring the medium of your choice - charcoal pencils, graphite, colored pencils, pastels, or watercolor (please, no oils or acrylics). All skill levels are welcome to participate, high school age and older. Capacity is limited, so sign up early to guarantee your spot. INSTRUCTOR: KATHY HODGE: Kathy Hodge attended RISD and has a BFA in painting from Swain School of Design. She has been working in oils and charcoal for over 30 years, has exhibited widely and was awarded the 2017 Fellowship in Painting from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. Kathy has long taken inspiration from the natural world in her landscape paintings and was appointed Artist in Residence in thirteen of our National Parks and Forests. She first discovered the museum collections when taking a museum class and she is very excited to be able to offer this opportunity to draw from the collections.
Bring family and friends to experience Holiday Lights Spectacular – an annual walk-through experience just in time for the holidays. Featuring festive, larger-than-life dazzling displays, this year’s event boasts more than 3.5 million twinkling lights that transform the Zoo into a winter wonderland! Join us and ring in the season nightly from November 27 through January 3. Bundle up, grab an adult beverage, hot chocolate, or roast some s’mores and stroll through 40 acres of illuminated pathways.From radiant reindeer to sparkly snowmen, this is a must-see experience this holiday season. And for the little ones, Santa will be at the Spectacular on Thursday nights in December through Christmas. The visit is free to families who have a same-night ticket for the 5 or 6 pm timeslot only.Tickets for Holiday Lights must be purchased online in advance.Holiday Lights will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.WEATHER POLICY — The Holiday Lights Spectacular is open rain or shine. In the case of light to moderate rain or snow, the show will be open; there are no refunds. Please check the website or visit Facebook for updates.
Get ready to explore, experiment and create during STEAM Month at the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium in Roger Williams Park! Discover the fun of science, technology, engineering, art and math through hands-on activities and creative challenges for the whole family. Build, test, explore and see where curiosity takes you! Weekend Activities- 10am-4pm: STEAM Family Fun Build a bridge, create colorful patterns, test your engineering skills and put your observation skills to the test with a special STEAM Museum Quest. Cost: Free with Museum admission. Museum admission is $2. Free for Museum Members and children under age 4. 12:30-1:30pm: Plasma Globe Demonstration. See electricity in action and watch glowing streams of light dance inside a plasma globe during this fun, hands-on science demonstration. Cost: Free with Museum admission. Museum admission is $2. Free for Museum Members and children under age 4. 2pm: Flight Adventures Fulldome Planetarium Show. Discover the science of flight through the eyes of a young girl and her grandfather as they explore how birds, kites, planes and models fly. Learn about the history and future plans of flight and how NASA is discovering new and safer ways to travel with the help of future engineers and aviators - like YOU! The program is followed by a brief tour of the night sky using the planetarium's Zeiss star projector. Planetarium Show Audience: General (children must be age 4+) Cost: Planetarium show ticket (includes museum admission) is $5. Museum Members Free.
Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular: The Great Pun-Kin Trail, presented by Citizens, returns October 1 - November 1 with an all-new trail of clever carvings guaranteed to make you smile, groan, and laugh out loud. This year's theme celebrates the art of the pun, with thousands of hand-carved pumpkins bringing witty wordplay to life through pop culture references, playful characters and pun-believable scenes. From clever one-liners to delightfully cheesy dad jokes, there's something to make every guest grin as they stroll The Great Pun-Kin Trail, where over 5,000 glowing jack-o'-lanterns illuminate the Zoo. Don't miss New England's "must-see" family-friendly event of the Halloween season at Roger Williams Park Zoo. All tickets must be purchased online in advance. Tickets are required and sold online only. No refunds or rescheduling. Tickets go on sale mid-August!
The Zoo is open Thursday - Monday from 10:00 - 4:00 pm and on all Providence school vacations.Timed-entry ticket requirements remain in effect for non-members and must be prepurchased online. Current RWPZoo members do not need to reserve daytime zoo tickets in advance - just show your digital membership card and a photo ID at any ticket booth for entry on the day of your visit.
Thursdays just got a whole lot wilder! Starting September 24th, enjoy $10 daytime admission every Thursday through the end of the year. Fall into savings and come hang out with all your favorite animal friends at Roger Williams Park Zoo for some mid-week fun!Grab your tickets online or in person (discount is automatically applied!) Thursdays just got a whole lot wilder! Starting September 24th, enjoy $10 daytime admission every Thursday through the end of the year. Fall into savings and come hang out with all your favorite animal friends at Roger Williams Park Zoo for some mid-week fun!Grab your tickets online or in person (discount is automatically applied!)
Find Out More Find Out MoreThursdays just got a whole lot wilder! Starting September 24th, enjoy $10 daytime admission every Thursday through the end of the year. Fall into savings and come hang out with all your favorite animal friends at Roger Williams Park Zoo for some mid-week fun!Grab your tickets online or in person (discount is automatically applied!)
Elmwood is one of Providence’s most multicultural neighborhoods, with businesses and community groups representing more than a dozen countries. Locals call it the “Gateway to Opportunity.”
Try Apsara for Chinese, Cambodian and Thai dishes, La Roca for Latin flavors, or Casa Azul Taqueria for Mexico City-style tacos, craft margaritas and a vegan Mexican menu.
Yes. Elmwood is home to Roger Williams Park, with the zoo, Carousel Village, Botanical Center, Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, and swan boats on the park’s lakes.
The Southside Cultural Center hosts performances and community events, Teatro ECAS celebrates Latino art and culture, and the historic Knight Memorial Library hosts the Sankofa World Market featuring local food and makers.
Elmwood is right off I-95, with plenty of on-street parking. RIPTA buses serve the neighborhood, and it’s easy to explore by bike.
Rhode Island may be the smallest state, but we’re packed with plenty of amazing places to take photos. One of the most photographed things we’ve seen are sunrises and sunsets, so we curated the best locations in RI to capture your own stunning shots. Rhode Island may be the smallest state, but we’re packed with plenty of amazing places to take photos. One of the most photographed things we’ve seen are sunrises and sunsets, so we curated the best locations in RI to capture your own stunning shots.
Read More Read MoreZeppole, Neapolitan pastry created in the 1800s by Don Pasquale Pintauro, is the traditional Italian pastry eaten on St. Joseph’s Day. Zeppole are baked or fried dough filled with cream or custard, then topped with powdered sugar and a cherry. Zeppole, Neapolitan pastry created in the 1800s by Don Pasquale Pintauro, is the traditional Italian pastry eaten on St. Joseph’s Day. Zeppole are baked or fried dough filled with cream or custard, then topped with powdered sugar and a cherry.
Read More Read MoreThe TownePlace Suites Providence North Kingstown is a hotel designed with the modern traveler in mind – just moments from the top attractions and corporations in North Kingstown, Newport and Providence, Rhode Island. Sleek, spacious accommodations decked out with every contemporary comfort offer a relaxing sanctuary for executives, families and weekending couples (and, of course, their pets). Inviting social areas are perfect for connecting with colleagues or catching up with old friends. A state-of-the-art fitness center is fully equipped to accommodate any workout regimen. Additional complimentary perks such as a sumptuous breakfast each morning, shuttle service to nearby Kingstown businesses and attractions within a 5-mile radius, and high-speed Wi-Fi Internet throughout the hotel complete your ideal stay. The TownePlace Suites Providence North Kingstown is a hotel designed with the modern traveler in mind – just moments from the top attractions and corporations in North Kingstown, Newport and Providence, Rhode Island. Sleek, spacious accommodations decked out with every contemporary comfort offer a relaxing sanctuary for executives, families and weekending couples (and, of course, their pets). Inviting social areas are perfect for connecting with colleagues or catching up with old friends. A state-of-the-art fitness center is fully equipped to accommodate any workout regimen. Additional complimentary perks such as a sumptuous breakfast each morning, shuttle service to nearby Kingstown businesses and attractions within a 5-mile radius, and high-speed Wi-Fi Internet throughout the hotel complete your ideal stay.
Read More Read MoreWe think dining is much more than eating – it’s an experience. Come in to P.F. Chang’s for an Asian inspired experience that will have you coming back for more. Family style dining in a relaxed atmosphere is great for all ages! Try our Hand-folded crab wontons or our House-made egg rolls, and top it all off with our Signature Chang’s Mai Tai or our Organic Agave Margarita! We think dining is much more than eating – it’s an experience. Come in to P.F. Chang’s for an Asian inspired experience that will have you coming back for more. Family style dining in a relaxed atmosphere is great for all ages! Try our Hand-folded crab wontons or our House-made egg rolls, and top it all off with our Signature Chang’s Mai Tai or our Organic Agave Margarita!
Read More Read MoreLooking for information on upcoming events, dining info, promotions and deals? Stay in the know with our GoProvidence e-newsletter.
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