Didn't feel like doing the guided tour, but having never been here as a lifelong RI-er I figured…read moreI'd take the plunge. Nice, historical sight with loads of history and information even without taking the tour. Just on the out squirts of the shady part(s) of the state, but right next to the police station. The water was really bustling on this day. On a day where I have more time I'll definitely have to take a more extended look.

This is a free historic site that has a really great tour. The site is just off the river and there…read moreare a few buildings on site, but not all of them are open. But there are multiple tours during the day, so after perhaps watching the intro video, you can join one. The guide took us into the mill and demonstrated multiple machines used in various stages of cotton to thread production. It was great to see the process in front of us, and it was quite a complex process that required a lot of engineering using waterpower to get completed. I found it very informative, and the guide was able to answer all of our questions, so it's a great experience for kids and adults. No gift shop though, but there is a bathroom on site. The building was described to me as "yellow" when it's peach, but I won't fault that, just saying if you're looking for it, look for peach. There is parking across the street and a small lot next to it.

I can't imagine a time when Providence didn't have this bridge to connect the city like this! It is…read moreso beautiful and I love all the events that they have!

A beautiful addition to the city of Providence! Every time we visit, we would make a stop there…read more This bridge was renamed to the Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge in 2020; it opened in August 2019. It was built on existing piers from the old highway, I-95. The bridge goes over the Providence River and connects two neighborhoods, Fox Point and the Jewelry District. There's a park nearby, called District 195; events are hosted at this location. The bridge was beautiful to walk on day and night. There were railings, benches, tables, and chess tables; at night there were LED lights that brighten the area. A wonderful area for walkers and cyclists. The view of the city skyline was breathtaking. One evening we were there, we saw the star-link satellite flying by, it was awesome. The downfall was, this bridge cost the city $21.9 million when the original budget was supposed to be $2 million. People were opposed with building this bridge because RI had the highest amount of bridges with structural issues. In the end, the bridge was built and it's become a popular attraction and landmark.

This site does a great job showcasing John Brown's house and his historical ties to the slave…read moretrade. The house is from the 18th century, but there are elements from later homeowners that were kept up and add a nice aesthetic touch, but it is important to know more about the Brown benefactor, both good and bad. They have his original carriage which is impressive. There is a beautiful mural in one room with George Washington, added in the 1930s but so impressive it had to stay up. The tour was self-guided, but there were staff members around to ask questions too. Gift shop was small but some good options. The hours are limited, but it's worth a stop as a historically significant site. There is also a parking lot to make your visit easier.

We went for the 250th university of the redaction, the event was free and open for 4 hours. The…read moremuseum was small but very informational. The displays prompted deep thinking about our past, both good and bad. The staff were dressed in period clothing and everyone there was friendly. The museum has stairs to get to the second floor, the building is beautiful and it holds just enough artifacts to be interesting without overwhelming.​

I had a hard time finding this place, I got there drove down an road and parked my car. I walked a…read morelittle way past the dog park and it looked like it wasn't really going into the woods so I turned back. There was a cute mini trail behind the Mill house which was short but enjoyable. Left thinking well that was not what I expected, the photo showed water. I have revisited the map and see where had I continued down the road, I would have found the waterfall. I will go again, but meanwhile it was pretty.

After several years of walking thru the property of Hunt's Mill of East Providence, I finally took…read morea tour of the museum. Today I decided to drive to Hunt's Millaround 1:30. I noticed someone in Revolutionary War attire. The Museum was open and I was ready to explore. Everyone should take this tour. The staff is pleasant and knows the history. Books on sale and it is a great way to spend a few hours.

Benefit Street is a nice little walk and The Shunned House is a sweet little surprise. What I like…read moreabout The Shunned House is that you would have NO CLUE that this house was significant amongst the others in the surrounding areas. The armory down the street stands out a lot more than the lil house that HPLovecraft wrote about. Still it's a great side trip that will only take seconds out of your day if you are in or around the colleges in the area. This is obviously a residence and they have since named the house after someone but you can see the wall that used to be used as the front of the house and the descriptions stand strong in Lovecraft's writing. No big deal but I liked being there and seeing it.

I was going to write about this curiousity, but I realized I couldn't do any better than what…read morebrought me in the first place: "The house was--and for that matter still is--of a kind to attract the attention of the curious. Originally a farm or semi-farm building, it followed the average New England colonial lines of the middle eighteenth century--the prosperous peaked-roof sort, with two stories and dormerless attic, and with the Georgian doorway and interior panelling dictated by the progress of taste at that time. It faced south, with one gable end buried to the lower windows in the eastward rising hill, and the other exposed to the foundations toward the street. Its construction, over a century and a half ago, had followed the grading and straightening of the road in that especial vicinity; for Benefit Street--at first called Back Street--was laid out as a lane winding amongst the graveyards of the first settlers, and straightened only when the removal of the bodies to the North Burial Ground made it decently possible to cut through the old family plots. "At the start, the western wall had lain some twenty feet up a precipitous lawn from the roadway; but a widening of the street at about the time of the Revolution sheared off most of the intervening space, exposing the foundations so that a brick basement wall had to be made, giving the deep cellar a street frontage with door and two windows above ground, close to the new line of public travel. When the sidewalk was laid out a century ago the last of the intervening space was removed; and Poe in his walks must have seen only a sheer ascent of dull grey brick flush with the sidewalk and surmounted at a height of ten feet by the antique shingled bulk of the house proper. "The farm-like grounds extended back very deeply up the hill, almost to Wheaton Street. The space south of the house, abutting on Benefit Street, was of course greatly above the existing sidewalk level, forming a terrace bounded by a high bank wall of damp, mossy stone pierced by a steep flight of narrow steps which led inward between canyon-like surfaces to the upper region of mangy lawn, rheumy brick walls, and neglected gardens whose dismantled cement urns, rusted kettles fallen from tripods of knotty sticks, and similar paraphernalia set off the weather-beaten front door with its broken fanlight, rotting Ionic pilasters, and wormy triangular pediment. "What I heard in my youth about the shunned house was merely that people died there in alarmingly great numbers. That, I was told, was why the original owners had moved out some twenty years after building the place. It was plainly unhealthy, perhaps because of the dampness and fungous growth in the cellar, the general sickish smell, the draughts of the hallways, or the quality of the well and pump water. These things were bad enough, and these were all that gained belief among the persons whom I knew. Only the notebooks of my antiquarian uncle, Dr. Elihu Whipple, revealed to me at length the darker, vaguer surmises which formed an undercurrent of folklore among old-time servants and humble folk; surmises which never travelled far, and which were largely forgotten when Providence grew to be a metropolis with a shifting modern population." H.P. Lovecraft, The Shunned House Be mindful that this is a private residence. Please be respectful.

This is another piece of contemporary art made by Boris Bally, a local legend in our state. This is…read morea significant statement, one of many made by this creative, thoughtful person. Many of Boris' pieces are made from discards, including his repurposed street signs.

Standing 12 feet tall in front of Providence's Federal Courthouse is this unusual monument…read moreconstructed out of steel, concrete, and used handguns. The "Gun Totem" was constructed in 2001 with guns from a firearm buy-back program in Pittsburgh. Altogether, more than 1,000 guns went into the construction of the pillar, which was commissioned by the Providence Parks Department. All of the guns included in the project were disabled and fossilized beneath concrete, and bits of the pillar were chipped away so people could see the deadly layer beneath the its exterior. This is a monument for all who want peace and want to trade in their guns to make a permanent symbol of harmony and amity.

I am still not sure why this trail has "10 mile" in the name when it's only 3 miles long, but I try…read moreto not think too hard about it. Anyways, I decided to come here for the first time on a weekday afternoon and it was very pretty and peaceful, well maintained, and the perfect running distance for me. I parked on the street outside the carousel entrance of slater park, towards the Pawtucket country club which is where the trail splits. To my left was about half a mile of trail and to my left there was about 2.5 miles of trail. To the left there wasn't much to see, but there was a lot of green, so it was pretty. At the end of this chunk there is a big parking lot. To the right the trail does have more to see, especially since it cuts through slater park, there is a river, and even a dirt bike riding area. At the end of that is also a parking lot and a baseball field. The terrain is mostly flat but there are some tiny hills/slopes that can be challenging towards the end. I was able to see a red cardinal and a couple other birds.

Very nice paved trail that is well maintained, has clear markings and boasts peaceful scenery…read more I would rate the trail as easy, there are some inclines and declines but none that are extreme or difficult to navigate. The entire trail is 3 miles one-way. There are approximately 3 trailheads and 2 additional entry points.

Months before the American Revolution started, colonists destroyed British tea in protest. You know…read moreabout that, right? Well maybe not. Because this plaque doesn't commemorate the 1773 protest known as the Boston Tea Party, when Massachusetts colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor. Instead, it refers to a later incident in Providence, RI, when its colonists burned the British stash of the "Needless Herb" in protest against the Crown. This happened on March 2, 1775. It's an inspirational story of patriotism, defiance, and solidarity. Based on the urgings of the Continental Congress, Rhode Islanders overwhelmingly agreed to show support against British tyranny. They did so by lighting a bonfire on Market Square, and after speech making and the ringing of bells, hundreds of pounds of British tea were tossed into the fire. One month later, things had reached their breaking point with the killings at Lexington and Concord. The Revolution was under way. The plaque's inscription reads: Near this spot the men and women of Providence showed their resistance to the unfair taxation by burning British Taxed tea in the night March 2nd 1775 Erected 1894 by Rhode Island Societies of Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution. Too bad the plaque is in such tough shape, how awesome would it be if this treasure of American history could be restored?

Historical marker at the spot in a building where Tea from England was protested and burned in the…read moreyear 1775. Call it the Providence Tea Party! A revolution that started, against burdensome taxation. Traffic cones and trash in front. Plaque is in need of more attention and paint, barely legible.. The building itself looks like an old custom clerks office. Needs much better management. Rebel review: 4

Visited the site on September 3, 2024. It is a shame that the home has fallen into private hands…read moreand divided up into multiple units, and there is no ability for non-residents to visit. From real estate sites, it appears that all or at least most of the architectural interior has been removed or destroyed.

I was made aware that this large building, at the corner of Planet and Benefit Streets was built by…read moreGen. Ambrose E. Burnside. It was a walking tour offered by the John Brown House Museum (which is not on offer at the time of this review). Our tour guide offered a good bit of family information such as while the General was off at war, his wife kept adding to the house. To his dismay. If you are interested in Civil War history, you are familiar with Gen. Burnside. The good and the bad. He was also elected Governor of Rhode Island in 1866, and posted by the RI senate as a U.S. Senator in 1874. By the time of his death in 1881, he had moved to Bristol, RI. Providence, RI holds many historically important buildings. It's a beautiful building, and an interesting piece of historical architecture. If you are not familiar with Gen. Ambrose Burnside, the eponymous namesake of 'sideburns' here's a gentle nudge to look him up.