My Providence favorites, from WaterFire nights and Benefit Street's old mansions to Federal Hill red sauce, Al Forno's grilled pizza, and hot wieners with coffee milk. These are the spots I send every friend heading to Rhode Island's capital.
Map
I time my visit for a WaterFire night, when the braziers glow down the river through Waterplace Park and the music drifts over the water.
Waterplace Park
The Rhode Island State House's marble dome is one of the biggest self-supported domes in the world, and the free tour is a gem.
Rhode Island State House
The RISD Museum packs Egyptian mummies, Impressionists, and bold design into a museum I can cover in an afternoon.
RISD Museum
The Providence Athenaeum is an 1838 library on Benefit Street where Poe once courted, and I love browsing its quiet alcoves.
The Providence Athenaeum
The John Brown House tour gives me the real, complicated story of Providence's merchant past in a grand 1788 mansion.
The Museum at the John Brown House
Prospect Terrace is my favorite free view of the downtown skyline, right under the big Roger Williams statue.
Prospect Terrace
The Roger Williams National Memorial is a peaceful little park where I learn how Providence was founded on religious freedom.
Roger Williams National Memorial
I step inside the First Baptist Church in America, founded by Roger Williams, for its bright 1775 meetinghouse and chandelier.
First Baptist Church in America
Swan Point Cemetery's rolling grounds by the Seekonk River are gorgeous, and I always pay respects at H.P. Lovecraft's grave.
Swan Point Cemetery
I wander through Brown's Van Wickle Gates onto the College Green, then cut over to Thayer Street for a bite.
Brown University
Roger Williams Park Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in the country, and I always head straight for the elephants and giraffes.
Roger Williams Park Zoo
India Point Park is where I walk the waterfront at sunset and watch the boats come into Narragansett Bay.
India Point Park
The Botanical Center's two big greenhouses are my winter escape, with tropical plants blooming while it snows outside.
Roger Williams Park Botanical Center
The Museum of Natural History in Roger Williams Park is a sweet Victorian museum with the state's only public planetarium.
Museum of Natural History and Planetarium
I catch a touring Broadway show at PPAC, whose restored 1928 movie palace is half the fun.
Providence Performing Arts Center
Trinity Rep is my pick for great local theater, and I never miss their annual A Christmas Carol.
Trinity Repertory Company
DePasquale Square is the heart of Federal Hill, and I grab an espresso by the fountain before walking Atwells Avenue.
DePasquale Square
Venda Ravioli is my Italian grocery heaven, with fresh pasta, cheeses, and a cafe right on DePasquale Square.
Venda Ravioli
Angelo's has served family-style red-sauce plates on Federal Hill since 1924, and I go for the meatballs and hearty pasta.
Angelo's Restaurant
Pastiche is my cozy dessert stop on Federal Hill, where I split a slice of fruit tart over a cappuccino.
Pastiche Fine Desserts
Caserta's thick, saucy pizza and its spinach pie are an old-school Providence ritual for me.
Caserta Pizzeria
Al Forno is where grilled pizza was born, and I always order one plus a baked pasta to share.
Al Forno Restaurant
At Olneyville N.Y. System I order hot wieners all the way with a coffee milk, the most Rhode Island meal there is.
Olneyville New York System Restaurant
Nick's on Broadway is my favorite brunch in Providence, with farm-fresh plates worth the wait.
nicks on broadway
Ellie's Bakery downtown is my morning stop for a flaky pastry and a coffee before exploring.
Ellie's
Hemenway's is where I go for oysters and seafood with big windows looking out over the river.
Hemenway's Restaurant
The Eddy is my favorite cocktail bar in town, small and smart with bartenders who really know their stuff.
The Eddy
I grab a house-brewed pint at Trinity Brewhouse, Providence's original brewpub, before a show at PPAC.
Trinity Brewhouse
I drink a 'Gansett lager on the Narragansett Brewery patio by India Point Park, the classic Rhode Island beer at its home.
Narragansett Brewery
Coffee Exchange on Wickenden Street is my favorite old-school coffeehouse, roasting its own beans for decades.
Coffee Exchange
Seven Stars on Hope Street is where I get a ginger scone and some of the best bread in the state.
Seven Stars Bakery
Dolores serves the most thoughtful Mexican food in Providence, and I go for the masa dishes and a mezcal.
