10 Things to do Good for Kids in Providence That You Shouldn't Miss

December 14, 2021 Jacquiline Darosa

Years of careful urban planning and meticulous restoration have rendered this former rum and molasses trading town one of the best places to live in the United States, star of an eponymous television show and a swell place to spend a weekend. Historic sites, wonderful museums and theaters seamlessly blend with newer attractions on the block including a modern mega-mall, scenic Riverwalk, outdoor skating arena, convention center, plus new hotels and restaurants. The Roger Williams Zoo, with its updated Tropical Rainforest Building where "spunky monkeys" roam free in a constructed jungle-like environment, remains one of the city's top attractions and offers hours of entertainment for children and adults alike. Wander back in time on Benefit Street, where eminent Federal period homes recall the city's wealthy past. For a modern experience, check out the more than 100 stores at Providence Place. Or tantalize your taste buds on "The Hill," a historic area that boasts many award- winning restaurants, from the Italian and Mediterranean cuisine for which "Little Italy" got its name, to Caribbean, Mexican, Chinese, seafood and baked goods. For a different perspective, take a romantic river cruise on an authentic Venetian gondola. No matter what your vantage point, Providence sparkles.
Restaurants in Providence

1. The Stephen Hopkins House

15 Hopkins St Corner of Benefit & George Sts., Providence, RI 02903 +1 401-524-3012 [email protected] http://www.facebook.com/stephenhopkinshouse
Excellent
89%
Good
7%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 114 reviews

The Stephen Hopkins House

TEMPORARILY CLOSED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS Take a tour of the 1707 home of Declaration-signer Stephen Hopkins, his family and their slaves, eight rooms full of antiques, Hopkins heirlooms and 18th century atmosphere. Learn about Rhode Island's own Founding Father and his house, the city's oldest, moved twice but virtually unmodernized, where George Washington was a guest in 1776 & 1781. Relax in our parterre garden designed by Alden Hopkins of Williamsburg. We're on Benefit Street between the John Brown House and First Baptist Church, a block from the RISD Museum, the Providence Athenaeum, the Brown campus and spectacular WaterFire. Open all year, Wednesdays 11AM to 2PM, April though November, Saturdays 10 AM to 4 PM, and year-round by appointment *** til 10 PM when it falls on FULL lightings of WaterFire (last tour at 9:30)*** Not 12/26th Tour highlights available in Chinese, Spanish, Italian, and soon French!

Reviewed By garygDC

This is a 1700s house with lots of history that has been well preserved with love and attention to detail. Some of the contents are original and some period pieces added for context. The former are carefully ID'd. We got an excellent tour from Dan, who permitted us to come into the middle of one, which he then completed for us. Chris also added additional color and commentary in the kitchen, where we dawdled and chatted about history and its relationship to current events (read between the lines). We learned a lot about local history and enjoyed the architecture and contents. Very well done. I would say a 'must see'.

2. La Gondola

Excellent
95%
Good
4%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 473 reviews

La Gondola

Experience Providence from a new perspective! Benvenuto! We invite you to revel in the sights of the City from a unique vantage point that captures the heart of Providence. Enjoy an excursion along the Woonasquatucket and Providence Rivers and witness the revitalization of the City, river walks, and waterfront parks. Whether you are celebrating an anniversary or birthday, looking to propose to that special someone, or just on a vacation to the city, a gondola trip is a great way to make your visit to Providence memorable and unique. La Gondola operates three authentic Venetian gondolas along the Providence Riverwalk, accommodating up to six passengers at a time on each gondola. Reservations are highly recommended and are always exclusive to your party. We are open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Our season is from 1 May to 31 October, and of course trips are always subject to availability and the weather. La Gondola Providence: For Lovers, For Families, For Everyone.

3. Providence River Boat Company

Excellent
89%
Good
9%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 474 reviews

Providence River Boat Company

Climb aboard one of our open-air, 18 passenger vessels and discover the historic and contemporary milestones of the Providence waterways on our 50-minute narrated tours! Explore the Providence River, Riverwalk, Waterplace Park and the Providence Harbor, as we highlight historical, nautical and architectural points of interest. On WaterFire evenings, we offer unparalleled views of this award-winning artistic installation from sunset to midnight. We are celebrating our 29th season this year, and were recently named as RI Monthly's Best of Rhode Island "Best Local Tour" (2018), the "Best City Tour" by Yankee Magazine (2017), "Member of the Year" by the Providence Convention & Visitors Bureau (2016) and have received "Certificates of Excellence" from TripAdvisor in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019. Walk-ups are always welcome, but are not guaranteed, so please make a reservation prior to your arrival. We hope to see you aboard soon!

4. Base Station VR Lounge

1478 Atwood Ave, Providence, RI 02919 +1 401-484-1895 [email protected] http://www.basestationvr.com
Excellent
95%
Good
5%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 19 reviews

Base Station VR Lounge

Base Station VR Lounge is Providence and Rhode Island’s first dedicated Virtual Reality Arcade/Lounge. Whether you’re looking to relax and spend time in the Arizona sunshine shooting zombies or create virtual artwork that fills a room sized canvas in 3D, we’ve got the space for you! Base Station VR Lounge has several room scale spaces, all approximately 8’x8′ which allows for movement in the space

Reviewed By Travel02886 - Warwick, United States

We've been here several times with our grandsons and it is always a blast! The equipment is well maintained and clean. Nidal is amazing dealing with everyone's questions, instructions, changing games, etc. It is the one thing the kids ask to do when they come to stay with us. My husband loves it too! It's easy to do and fun even for a non-gamer like me! We love the new Johnston location! Can't wait to go back!!

5. Rhode Island State House

82 Smith St, Providence, RI 02903-1105 +1 401-222-3983 [email protected] http://sos.ri.gov/publicinfo/tours/
Excellent
59%
Good
32%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 404 reviews

Rhode Island State House

This imposing marble building houses King Charles' 1663 charter of the Rhode Island colony.

Reviewed By Decaf7

Take the half hour free guided tour, worth your time. See the House and Senate chambers, the library, portraits of former governors, portrait of George Washington painted by our very own Gilbert Stuart and learn about the history of this beautiful building. Dome is a beautiful piece of architecture.

6. Roger Williams Park Zoo

1000 Elmwood Ave, Providence, RI 02907-3659 +1 401-785-3510 [email protected] http://www.rwpzoo.org/
Excellent
54%
Good
32%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
3%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,155 reviews

Roger Williams Park Zoo

Located amid 40 acres of beautiful woodlands, the Roger Williams Park Zoo provides visitors the opportunity to see animals from all over the globe – some more than a million years old. Naturalistic surroundings are home to more than 100 species of animals including a Komodo dragon, as well as zebras, red pandas, African elephants, Masai giraffes, snow leopards, bears, flamingoes, sloths, and more! Kids from two to 102 have the opportunity to feed giraffes and harbor seals, as well as an array of farmyard animals. For something slightly out of the ordinary, visit our new Explore and Soar area offering an exhilarating zip ride, a train excursion through the woodlands, and ice cream station. The Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and is home to many endangered species. As a result, the Zoo participates in cooperative conservation and breeding programs to help ensure the future survival of many endangered species.

Reviewed By fedemarisa

This is our second year visiting Roger Williams Zoo for their annual Jack-o-lantern Spectacular. Takes about 1hour to walk through. Amazing display of pumpkins. Great seasonal activity.

7. Avon Cinema

Thayer Street, Providence, RI +1 401-421-0020 http://www.avoncinema.com/
Excellent
59%
Good
37%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 51 reviews

Avon Cinema

Local Providence theater.

8. Providence Children's Museum

100 South St, Providence, RI 02903-4749 +1 401-273-5437 [email protected] http://www.childrenmuseum.org
Excellent
54%
Good
34%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
3%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 197 reviews

Providence Children's Museum

New museum located in the Jewelry District.

Reviewed By 31204 - Macon, United States

This is a nice museum for kids. There are a lot of wonderful activities for them, and even on a day when there are lots of kids around, it still was a pleasant experience. It is easy to get to, parking is free (although the lot was filling up by 11am), and for the price it’s a great 3-4 with kids. The water room is great, especially for younger kids, and my 7 and 9 year old enjoyed the upstairs rooms with the interactive ship and store. If you had to choose between driving into Boston or driving into Providence for a children’s museum, I’d say this is the better and less stressful choice.

9. Water Place Park

Memorial Boulevard, Providence, RI 02903 +1 800-556-2484 https://www.visitrhodeisland.com/listing/waterplace-park/1273/
Excellent
54%
Good
31%
Satisfactory
12%
Poor
4%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 190 reviews

Water Place Park

Watch a street artist sketching the city, enjoy a lovely stroll by the river past Venice inspired bridges or see some wonderful public art, all at this well-designed four-acre park and scenic riverwalk, considered to be the heart of the restoration of Providence's downtown area.

Reviewed By travelingirlz - Drummond Island, United States

We were just there a short time but did enjoy the bridges and walkways of the Riverwalk. Sadly we arrived the day after the final FireWater show. Nearby are PF Changs, Panera Bread and other restaurants, the train station is a 5 to 10 min walk (depending on your abilities) so if you arrive for your train really early then it's a nice place to take a walk. Capitol Building is right across from the train station so it too is a place to visit. I. always enjoy when multiple things are near each other, so was delighted to realize the RiverWalk, train station, Capitol Building and restaurants are nearby!

10. WaterFire

4 N Main St, Providence, RI 02903-1305 +1 401-273-1155 [email protected] http://waterfire.org/
Excellent
69%
Good
22%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,856 reviews

WaterFire

WaterFire Providence is an independent, non-profit arts organization whose mission is to inspire Providence and its visitors by revitalizing the urban experience, fostering community engagement and creatively transforming the city by presenting WaterFire for all to enjoy. This award-winning sculpture by Barnaby Evans installed on the three rivers of downtown Providence, has been praised by Rhode Island residents and international visitors alike as a powerful work of art and a moving symbol of Providence’s renaissance. WaterFire’s over eighty sparkling bonfires, the fragrant scent of aromatic wood smoke, the flickering firelight on the arched bridges, the silhouettes of the fire-tenders passing by the flames, and the enchanting music from around the world engage all the senses and emotions of those who stroll the paths of Waterplace Park. WaterFire has captured the imagination of over ten million visitors, bringing life to downtown, and revitalizing Rhode Island’s capital city.

Reviewed By pattih409 - Providence, United States

The firelight at dusk, the river of music floating from unseen outdoor speakers playing off the sound and silence of first enthralled and then reverently attentive crowds, the heat of the lit cauldrons and all the smells sweet and savory, exotic and familiar from invited street vendors combine to create a beautiful sensory experience. Weather you like to be in the thick of a crowd or observing from a distance, Waterfirer provides a memorable night in for people of all ages to come together under the backdrop of the City of Providence.

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