A popular retreat is the Fleet Skating Center in the heart of downtown Providence. Three times larger than New York's Rockefeller Center, the outdoor Skating Center offers ice skating in the cooler months and a skateboard park during warmer months. Skate rentals are available.
After a day of skating, families can venture just a block down the street and watch the pros at work - the Providence Civic Center is home to the Providence Bruins minor league ice hockey team, affiliated with the NHL Boston Bruins. If baseball's your game, the Pawtucket Red Sox, Boston's minor league affiliate, play just up the road at McCoy Stadium.
For an afternoon of excitement for younger children, the Providence Children's Museum is a hands-on place where kids and grown-ups play together, learning through exploration. It's perfect for kids aged 2-11. Daily activities as well as special exhibits are featured.
Then it's off to the zoo! Roger Williams Park Zoo, situated in a 430-acre Victorian Park, was named "One of the Top Ten Zoos in the Country" by Travel & Leisure Family Magazine. This award-winning zoo offers over 156 different species of animals and is open 364 days a year. Polar bears, elephants, and a giant sea lion are among the favorites at the zoo. And the parklands surrounding the zoo are great for a picnic, offering carousel rides, botanical gardens, and boat tours on the lake.
Got milk? Dairy World at Nature's Best Dairy does! See a milk processing plant in action, view an educational video, and experience a day in the life of a cow in a fun-filled hands-on animated 3D display. Nature's Best features New England's first and only dairy tour and visitor center.
The list of Providence attractions welcoming families goes on. Catch the world-renowned WaterFire installation between May and October, where nearly 100 bonfires are set to music along the downtown rivers! Hop on a riverboat for a tour, or sail on the Contintental Sloop Providence, a replica of a Revolutionary War ship. For cycling fun, the East Bay Bike Path provides fifteen gorgeous miles of nature riding on paved trails along the bay. Narrated city tours are available by foot through The RI Historical Society's Summerwalks, or on the Conway/Grayline Trolley or the amphibious Splash Duck Boat Tours.
A compact city, Providence is easy to navigate for families. Jump on the Providence Link - a system of climate-controlled, classic trolleys, for only $1.00 per person to see the entire city of Providence. Routes run North-South from the State House to the Jewelry District , or East-West from the historic and lively East Side to Federal Hill. The trolley makes frequent stops, allowing you to hop on and off wherever you see an attraction you'd like to visit.
Providence is easily accessible from T.F. Green Airport or Providence Station (Amtrak and commuter rail). Once in town, taxis are abundant, as are car rentals. Or do Providence on foot - most of the hotels and attractions in the city are within walking distance, great for families!
Upcoming Events
Roger Williams Park Zoo
Continuously Through Dec 15
Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence
Details
Go to the RI Roads Events Calendar
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