A walk along Benefit Street, carved high into a ridge along Providence’s East Side overlooking downtown, is a memorable walk among beautiful and immaculately preserved Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival, and Victorian-style houses. The Providence Preservation Society distributes maps with self-guided tours and the Rhode Island Historical Society conducts walks in the summer.

Breathtaking Art of Many Ages and Cultures

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To see a wide variety of spectacular artwork from many cultures and ages, visit the Rhode Island School of Design Museum on Benefit Street in Providence. The RISD Museum houses over 80,000 works of art, ranging from ancient Greek and Roman sculpture to French Impressionist paintings, from Chinese stone and terracotta sculpture to contemporary art in every medium, including textiles, ceramics, glass and furniture. It also serves the general public with a full schedule of special exhibitions, lectures, tours, concerts and other programs. Phone: 401-454-6500.

Children's Garden Is a Delight for the Small Fry

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It’s a delightful garden, and it is just for the kids. Surrounded by Rhode Island’s native trees, shrubs and flowers, kids and grownups who visit the Children’s Garden at the Providence Children’s Museum on South Street in Providence will discover how the delicate cinnamon fern got its name, smell fragrant blossoms, and dabble their fingers in the fieldstone fountain. The centerpiece of this urban oasis is a huge, colorful play-on map of Rhode Island that designates the environmental regions of the state, such as beach areas, wetlands and forests. Phone: 401-273-5437.

Galloping Dinner

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A very cool and unusual experience for visitors to the capital city of Providence is a chauffeured tasting tour of a half-dozen Providence restaurants over the course of an evening. The Providence Chauffeured Dine Around is a service of All Occasion Transportation. You and your guests may choose six restaurants from a list of more than 15 premier eateries and enjoy featured menu tastings all evening long. One friend reported “...the restaurants rocked; and we felt really special.” Phone: 401-312-0945 ext. 131.

Hockey, Ice Sking, Live Music and More

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For indoor entertainment and high-energy sporting action, keep an eye on the activities at the Dunkin' Donuts Center on LaSalle Square in the heart of downtown Providence. For sports fans, the center hosts continuous hockey action with the Providence Bruins throughout the winter. For others, the Dunk brings in a variety of entertainment, such as the Harlem Globetrotters, Smuckers Stars on Ice, Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus, Alice in Chains, Tony Carreira and more. Phone: 401-331-6700.

It's a Nice Place to be Alive, Too

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The paths and gardens of Swan Point Cemetery make for one of the most peaceful and interesting walks in all of Providence. Within the Cemetery’s gates lie 200 acres of pristinely manicured lawns that flank the Seekonk River, replete with laurel, rhododendrons, and azaleas. Aside from just being scenic, a walk through Swan Point is always educational; the grounds are home to an abundance of rare and beautiful trees with plaques for easy identification, and the gravestones are pieces of artwork in and of themselves.

Pass the Parmesan

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Bring your appetite to Rhode Island’s authentic Italian restaurants on Providence’s Federal Hill. There are more Italian restaurants on this mile-long stretch than in Manhattan’s Little Italy. When you are filled to the groaning point, stroll along the neighborhood’s sidewalks and mellow outdoor piazzas.

Talk to the Animals

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A trip to Providence must include a day at Roger Williams Park, a 430-acre Victorian-era park comprised of ponds, walks, gardens, greenhouses, paddle boats and bumper boats, playgrounds, pony rides, a Carousel Village, and the Museum of Natural History and Cormack Planetarium. The park's crown jewel, Roger Williams Park Zoo, is home to more than 1,500 animals of 150 species.

When is a Mall Not Like a Mall?

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The Providence Place Mall, smack in the heart of downtown, is a three-story, full-carpeted retail palace with wonderful views of the river and the city below. With 170 upscale stores, eight restaurants, video arcade, and IMAX theater, a visit to this mall is a great and lively indoor activity any time of the year.