Providence brims with history and heritage—but the Rhode Island capital is anything but antique. A small city with outsized energy, Providence is New England’s cultural hotbed, with dining, art, and music to rival far bigger locales. Students power much of that creative spirit, their presence thrumming from the Brown University campus to the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art. Whether you’re strolling alongside WaterFire crowds, sampling Italian cuisine in Historic Federal Hill, or touring the Providence Athenaeum, the best things to do in Rhode Island start here.
New England’s four classic seasons transform Providence from spring blossoms and sunny skies to autumn foliage and wintertime ice skating. The biggest event of the year takes place between April and November, when the WaterFire festival brings flaming art installations to the city’s three rivers. In June, local mansions open their doors (and elegant gardens) to the ticket-holding public for the Festival of Historic Houses.
Come to Providence by plane, train, or even boat. Warwick’s Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (PVD) is just 9 miles (14.5 kilometers) away; Amtrak commuter trains link Providence to Boston, New York, and many other cities; from June through September there’s a passenger ferry to Newport. Getting around the compact city is easy: Buses by the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) go nearly everywhere, plus there’s a scooter- and bike-share program.
Providence is the place to try Rhode Island’s beloved “hot weiner,” also known as a New York System weiner. They’re nothing fancy: thin hot dogs served in a steamed bun. But order one “all the way,” and your dog will come topped with an only-in-Rhode Island combo of celery salt, chopped onions, meat sauce, and yellow mustard. You can find classic versions in Providence at the Original New York System, Olneyville NY System, and Sam’s New York System restaurants.
