Downtown Providence Self-Driving Audio Tour
14 Ratings
- Audio Guide
- Instant Confirmation
- Private Tour
- E-Ticket
Recommended: Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together! Explore all that Providence, RI has to offer, from beautiful architecture to foodie havens! With this self-guided driving audio tour, visit historic Federal Hill, Brown University's campus, and the vibrant downtown. Providence features beautiful architecture, like the State House, Barnaby Castle, and the Wedding Cake House. This tour allows you to explore Providence with maximum flexibility and value. Within 30 min, we'll send you two things: a unique password and an app. Download the app onto your phone, enter the password, and download the tour. When you arrive, drive to the first stop, launch the app, and follow the instructions! Stick to our recommended route and speed limit for the best experience. This is not an entrance ticket to attractions along the route. Check opening hours before your visit. No expiration — The tour comes with lifetime validity!
Itinerary Details
Operated by: Guide With Action
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Rhode Island Convention Center
Our Providence adventure sets off from the Convention Center downtown! We first head into the historic Federal Hill area -- home to both history and the city's best restaurants.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
We enter through the Welcome Gateway, featuring the iconic pineapple. We'll learn about how this neighborhood grew & changed over the years -- including the infamous Macaroni Riots and the secret of the Coin-O-Matic!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
As World War I was breaking out, food prices spiked. A mob attacked wholesale grocer Frank P. Ventrone’s business block here, smashing windows and hurling macaroni into the street. Commonly known as the “Macaroni Riots,” five violent clashes over two weeks manifested the desperation of Providence’s immigrant working poor.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
Our journey takes us past Providence's DePasquale Square and we'll learn about this "beating heart" of Federal Hill.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Holy Ghost Church
We'll approach the historic Holy Ghost Church and learn about the diverse communities it serves.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
Next, we'll explore two small but historic squares -- Luongo and Canonicus.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
This brings us to one of the most beautiful stops on our tour! The yellow-brick, copper-crenelated Cranston Street Armory is one of the most monumental structures in Providence.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
Our journey continues past the Dexter Training Ground. Here we'll learn about the Dorr Rebellion, Ebenezer Knight Dexter, and more.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
We'll also pass the eclectic Barnaby Castle and learn about the unique visionary behind it's design. This is Providence's only "castle"!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
This brings us to the extravagantly embellished “Wedding Cake” house which reflects the euphoric froth of new money.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
Next, we'll see AS220, an arts organization that grew from a single room to three buildings and helped define Providence as "The Creative Capital".
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Trinity Repertory Company
This brings us to Tony Award-winning Trinity Rep, one of the last resident acting companies in the U.S.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Rhode Island State House
Our journey continues to the Providence State House: one of the grandest statehouses in the U.S. belongs to the country's smallest state!
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Providence City Hall
This brings us to the Providence City Hall, made of cast iron and masonry.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
Then, we'll continue through Kennedy Plaza, Providence's transportation hub.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
We'll pass by Waterplace Park, which represents a vital part of early Providence history.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
We'll pass the unique Arcade, which features two slightly different facades.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
Among the banks and businesses of bustling Westminster Street, we'll see Grace Episcopal Church. Its bells ring every day on the half-hour... since 1861.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Providence Performing Arts Center
Our journey takes us past the vibrant Providence Performing Arts Center, innovative Wexford Science & Technology Building, and historic Doyle House.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Providence Children's Museum
We'll also pass the eye-catching Providence Children's Museum - you definitely won't miss this!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: John Brown House Museum
Success, ambition, and glamour dominate Benefit Street. We'll see John Brown's house next. The Brown family became wealthy from the shipping business, which included privateering, the Triangular Slave Trade, and the China Trade.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: First Unitarian Church of Providence
This brings us to the Providence First Unitarian Church, a Federal-style building with classical arches and urns combined with soaring pointed Gothic-style windows with delicate tracery decoration.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Providence Athenaeum
We'll also see the Athenaeum, once frequented by Edgar Allen Poe.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: The Stephen Hopkins House
We'll also see the Hopkins House. Stephen Hopkins, signer of the Declaration of Independence, a ten-time governor of RI, and Chief Justice of the RI Supreme Court bought this house in 1743.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
This brings us to memorial park, featuring WWI, WWII, and Holocaust memorials.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
We're now near RISD, the Rhode Island School of Design. This acclaimed school also features a truly unique museum.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Brown University
Our journey brings us to the peaceful greenery of Brown University's campus! We can admire this Ivy League's quaint architecture as we drive by.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
This brings us to the Lippitt House. Textile merchant Henry Lippitt, his wife, and his six children lived in this opulent Italian Renaissance Revival house. It was a testament to the burgeoning wealth of industrial Providence.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
Providence’s tightly-knit community of artists and collectors created this art club to congregate, create and display art. It’s the second oldest art club in the country; the Salmagundi Club in New York City is the first. Among the founders was Edward Mitchell Bannister, a celebrated African American landscape painter.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
The progressive idea of promoting education to all in support of a free society was at the heart of this old brick schoolhouse. By 1800, Rhode Island had one of the earliest public education systems, housed in this building. In its long history as host to innovative educational initiatives, it served as a school for African American students, an early fresh air school for children suffering from tuberculosis, and site of the Meeting Street School, a pioneering organization for children of all mental and physical abilities.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Swan Point Cemetery
Fittingly, we'll end the tour at Providence's historic Swan Point Cemetery. You've now covered every part of this historic city!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Rhode Island Convention Center
Our Providence adventure sets off from the Convention Center downtown! We first head into the historic Federal Hill area -- home to both history and the city's best restaurants.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
We enter through the Welcome Gateway, featuring the iconic pineapple. We'll learn about how this neighborhood grew & changed over the years -- including the infamous Macaroni Riots and the secret of the Coin-O-Matic!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
As World War I was breaking out, food prices spiked. A mob attacked wholesale grocer Frank P. Ventrone’s business block here, smashing windows and hurling macaroni into the street. Commonly known as the “Macaroni Riots,” five violent clashes over two weeks manifested the desperation of Providence’s immigrant working poor.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
Our journey takes us past Providence's DePasquale Square and we'll learn about this "beating heart" of Federal Hill.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Holy Ghost Church
We'll approach the historic Holy Ghost Church and learn about the diverse communities it serves.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
Next, we'll explore two small but historic squares -- Luongo and Canonicus.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
This brings us to one of the most beautiful stops on our tour! The yellow-brick, copper-crenelated Cranston Street Armory is one of the most monumental structures in Providence.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
Our journey continues past the Dexter Training Ground. Here we'll learn about the Dorr Rebellion, Ebenezer Knight Dexter, and more.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
We'll also pass the eclectic Barnaby Castle and learn about the unique visionary behind it's design. This is Providence's only "castle"!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
This brings us to the extravagantly embellished “Wedding Cake” house which reflects the euphoric froth of new money.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
Next, we'll see AS220, an arts organization that grew from a single room to three buildings and helped define Providence as "The Creative Capital".
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Trinity Repertory Company
This brings us to Tony Award-winning Trinity Rep, one of the last resident acting companies in the U.S.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Rhode Island State House
Our journey continues to the Providence State House: one of the grandest statehouses in the U.S. belongs to the country's smallest state!
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Providence City Hall
This brings us to the Providence City Hall, made of cast iron and masonry.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
Then, we'll continue through Kennedy Plaza, Providence's transportation hub.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
We'll pass by Waterplace Park, which represents a vital part of early Providence history.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
We'll pass the unique Arcade, which features two slightly different facades.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
Among the banks and businesses of bustling Westminster Street, we'll see Grace Episcopal Church. Its bells ring every day on the half-hour... since 1861.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Providence Performing Arts Center
Our journey takes us past the vibrant Providence Performing Arts Center, innovative Wexford Science & Technology Building, and historic Doyle House.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Providence Children's Museum
We'll also pass the eye-catching Providence Children's Museum - you definitely won't miss this!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: John Brown House Museum
Success, ambition, and glamour dominate Benefit Street. We'll see John Brown's house next. The Brown family became wealthy from the shipping business, which included privateering, the Triangular Slave Trade, and the China Trade.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: First Unitarian Church of Providence
This brings us to the Providence First Unitarian Church, a Federal-style building with classical arches and urns combined with soaring pointed Gothic-style windows with delicate tracery decoration.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Providence Athenaeum
We'll also see the Athenaeum, once frequented by Edgar Allen Poe.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: The Stephen Hopkins House
We'll also see the Hopkins House. Stephen Hopkins, signer of the Declaration of Independence, a ten-time governor of RI, and Chief Justice of the RI Supreme Court bought this house in 1743.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
This brings us to memorial park, featuring WWI, WWII, and Holocaust memorials.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
We're now near RISD, the Rhode Island School of Design. This acclaimed school also features a truly unique museum.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Brown University
Our journey brings us to the peaceful greenery of Brown University's campus! We can admire this Ivy League's quaint architecture as we drive by.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
This brings us to the Lippitt House. Textile merchant Henry Lippitt, his wife, and his six children lived in this opulent Italian Renaissance Revival house. It was a testament to the burgeoning wealth of industrial Providence.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
Providence’s tightly-knit community of artists and collectors created this art club to congregate, create and display art. It’s the second oldest art club in the country; the Salmagundi Club in New York City is the first. Among the founders was Edward Mitchell Bannister, a celebrated African American landscape painter.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At:
The progressive idea of promoting education to all in support of a free society was at the heart of this old brick schoolhouse. By 1800, Rhode Island had one of the earliest public education systems, housed in this building. In its long history as host to innovative educational initiatives, it served as a school for African American students, an early fresh air school for children suffering from tuberculosis, and site of the Meeting Street School, a pioneering organization for children of all mental and physical abilities.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Swan Point Cemetery
Fittingly, we'll end the tour at Providence's historic Swan Point Cemetery. You've now covered every part of this historic city!
Duration: 5 minutes
