Downtown Providence Self-Driving Audio Tour
Overview
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.
After booking, you can check your email before downloading the Tour Guide App by Action, enter your unique password, and access your tour. The preceding steps require good internet/wifi access. Simply follow the audio instructions and the route from there.
This is not an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.
No expiration — The tour comes with lifetime validity!
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.
After booking, you can check your email before downloading the Tour Guide App by Action, enter your unique password, and access your tour. The preceding steps require good internet/wifi access. Simply follow the audio instructions and the route from there.
This is not an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.
No expiration — The tour comes with lifetime validity!
Inclusions
- App on your phone: A link to download the Tour Guide App by Action and Password for your tours.
- Flexible schedule: Use any day, any time. Travel over multiple days or on next trip. Never expires.
- Good value: Buy just one per car. Don’t pay for each person. Save money compared to a bus tour.
- Easy to use: Stories play automatically by GPS. Hands-free. Get HELP all day: Call, Chat, or Email.
- Private tour in your/rental car: No group. Take breaks for photos/ snacks/hikes. Go at your own pace
- Offline use: No cell signal or wifi required. Offline GPS Map & route. Stop-to-stop direction.
- Don’t miss a thing: Full itinerary, travel tips, professionally narrated, videos, text, hidden gems.
What to expect
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Rhode Island Convention Center, 1 Sabin St, Providence, RI 02903-1841
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: Garibaldi Square, 99 Atwells Ave, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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: Federal Hill Heritage Exhibit, 286 Atwells Ave, Providence, RI 02903-1530
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: De Pasquale Square, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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, 472 Atwells Ave, Providence, RI 02909-1088
We'll approach the historic Holy Ghost Church and learn about the diverse communities it serves.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Luongo Square, Providence, RI, USA
Next, we'll explore two small but historic squares -- Luongo and Canonicus.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Cranston Street Armory, 310 Cranston St, Providence, RI 02909, USA
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: Dexter Training Ground, Parade St & Willow St, Providence, RI 02909, USA
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: Barnaby Castle, 299 Broadway, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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: Wedding Cake House, 514 Broadway, Providence, RI 02909, USA
This brings us to the extravagantly embellished “Wedding Cake” house which reflects the euphoric froth of new money.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: AS220, 115 Empire St, Providence, RI 02903-3217
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, 201 Washington St, Providence, RI 02903-3226
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, 82 Smith St, Providence, RI 02903-1105
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, Kennedy Plaza, Providence, RI 02903
This brings us to the Providence City Hall, made of cast iron and masonry.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Kennedy Plaza, Providence, RI 02903, USA
Then, we'll continue through Kennedy Plaza, Providence's transportation hub.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Waterplace Park, Memorial Blvd, Providence, RI 02903, USA
We'll pass by Waterplace Park, which represents a vital part of early Providence history.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: The Arcade Providence, 65 Weybosset St, Providence, RI 02903, USA
We'll pass the unique Arcade, which features two slightly different facades.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Grace Episcopal Church, 300 Westminster St, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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, 220 Weybosset St, Providence, RI 02903-3707
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, 100 South St, Providence, RI 02903-4749
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, 52 Power St, Providence, RI 02906-1012
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, 1 Benevolent St at Benefit St., Providence, RI 02906-1102
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, 251 Benefit St, Providence, RI 02903-2709
We'll also see the Athenaeum, once frequented by Edgar Allen Poe.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: The Stephen Hopkins House, 15 Hopkins St Corner of Benefit & George Sts., Providence, RI 02903
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: Memorial Park, S Main St, Providence, RI 02903, USA
This brings us to memorial park, featuring WWI, WWII, and Holocaust memorials.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: RISD Museum, 20 N Main St, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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, 1 Prospect St, Providence, RI 02912-9127
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: Lippitt House Museum, 199 Hope St, Providence, RI 02906, USA
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 Art Club, 11 Thomas St, Providence, RI 02903-1314
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: Providence Preservation Society, 24 Meeting St, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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, 585 Blackstone Blvd, Providence, RI 02906-5034
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
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Rhode Island Convention Center, 1 Sabin St, Providence, RI 02903-1841
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: Garibaldi Square, 99 Atwells Ave, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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: Federal Hill Heritage Exhibit, 286 Atwells Ave, Providence, RI 02903-1530
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: De Pasquale Square, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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, 472 Atwells Ave, Providence, RI 02909-1088
We'll approach the historic Holy Ghost Church and learn about the diverse communities it serves.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Luongo Square, Providence, RI, USA
Next, we'll explore two small but historic squares -- Luongo and Canonicus.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Cranston Street Armory, 310 Cranston St, Providence, RI 02909, USA
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: Dexter Training Ground, Parade St & Willow St, Providence, RI 02909, USA
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: Barnaby Castle, 299 Broadway, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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: Wedding Cake House, 514 Broadway, Providence, RI 02909, USA
This brings us to the extravagantly embellished “Wedding Cake” house which reflects the euphoric froth of new money.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: AS220, 115 Empire St, Providence, RI 02903-3217
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, 201 Washington St, Providence, RI 02903-3226
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, 82 Smith St, Providence, RI 02903-1105
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, Kennedy Plaza, Providence, RI 02903
This brings us to the Providence City Hall, made of cast iron and masonry.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Kennedy Plaza, Providence, RI 02903, USA
Then, we'll continue through Kennedy Plaza, Providence's transportation hub.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Waterplace Park, Memorial Blvd, Providence, RI 02903, USA
We'll pass by Waterplace Park, which represents a vital part of early Providence history.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: The Arcade Providence, 65 Weybosset St, Providence, RI 02903, USA
We'll pass the unique Arcade, which features two slightly different facades.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Grace Episcopal Church, 300 Westminster St, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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, 220 Weybosset St, Providence, RI 02903-3707
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, 100 South St, Providence, RI 02903-4749
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, 52 Power St, Providence, RI 02906-1012
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, 1 Benevolent St at Benefit St., Providence, RI 02906-1102
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, 251 Benefit St, Providence, RI 02903-2709
We'll also see the Athenaeum, once frequented by Edgar Allen Poe.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: The Stephen Hopkins House, 15 Hopkins St Corner of Benefit & George Sts., Providence, RI 02903
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: Memorial Park, S Main St, Providence, RI 02903, USA
This brings us to memorial park, featuring WWI, WWII, and Holocaust memorials.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: RISD Museum, 20 N Main St, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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, 1 Prospect St, Providence, RI 02912-9127
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: Lippitt House Museum, 199 Hope St, Providence, RI 02906, USA
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 Art Club, 11 Thomas St, Providence, RI 02903-1314
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: Providence Preservation Society, 24 Meeting St, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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, 585 Blackstone Blvd, Providence, RI 02906-5034
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
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- How it works: Once you book a tour, you’ll get a text/email with instructions. Download the app (while in good wifi/signal) and use your unique password to access your tours. To begin touring, go to the Starting Point and launch the app. The audio starts automatically. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience. Please note that no one will meet you at the starting point.
- Good value: Purchase only one tour for the entire vehicle instead of taking the bus and paying for each person. You will see a significant saving. Connect your phone to car speakers by a wire or bluetooth. Enjoy the tour by listening together as you drive.
- Flexible Schedule: Once the app/tour is on your phone, you can use it any day and at any time. You can use it over multiple days. And, also use it on your next trip here. This tour never expires.
- Preview the tour: You can use it before the trip at home (highly recommended), use it during the trip, and use it after you come back.
- Don't miss a thing: You will get everything with the app - a complete itinerary, travel tips, professionally narrated audio stories, story script, images, videos, deep dives, hidden gems, exciting locations, recommendations for hikes, adventure, activities, treks, and stop-by-stop direction.
- Private tour: You can use it in your car or rental car. No worries about groups or crowds. Start the tour app on your phone. And it will direct you step by step. You can stop for as many breaks as you like. Take a break for Instagram photos, and take a break for lunch/snacks. Go on a hike. The tour will wait for you and start when you start again. You can even do the tour over multiple days. Go at your own pace.
- Easy to use: The stories play themselves as soon as the GPS is activated. It requires no use of your hands at all. You can get HELP by calling, chatting, or emailing any time of the day.
- Offline: There is no need for a cell signal or Wi-Fi while touring. App’s GPS map works offline.
- Expiration/go again: The tour will last for the rest of your life on your phone. It is available for use on any day of your next trip.
- Use pictures for a photo book: Create a photo book using clean (no crowd) app images of each spot to make a memorable trip. All the photos and the correct sequence is ready in the app for you to use.
- Social media: Share clean (no crowd) images with friends/family.
- Devices supported include iPhones with iOS 13 & above, Android phones with version 9 & above and all cellular-enabled tablets & iPads.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
Garrett_V
June 2022
I'm moderately technologically savvy and I couldn't get the thing to work as described. Furthermore, it was difficult to use while navigating busy city streets. I have the distinct impression the app developer never actually used it.
I'm moderately technologically savvy and I couldn't get the thing to work as described. Furthermore, it was difficult to use while navigating busy city streets. I have the distinct impression the app developer never actually used it.C3593RHstevel
June 2022
The integration with iPhone maps apps was unsuccessful after numerous attempts. We later attempted to use the go-to button however the app did not include the go-to button as described in the Q&A. Though the content was what I wanted, the lack of turn by turn rendered the app practically useless....
The integration with iPhone maps apps was unsuccessful after numerous attempts. We later attempted to use the go-to button however the app did not include the go-to button as described in the Q&A. Though the content was what I wanted, the lack of turn by turn rendered the app practically useless. This was a fail.John_G
April 2022
It is a good concept, but issues with the app (no “go to” icon) and delayed GPS tracking left us without any real memorable moments, although we were able to find most of the stops.
It is a good concept, but issues with the app (no “go to” icon) and delayed GPS tracking left us without any real memorable moments, although we were able to find most of the stops.LucyD0516
February 2022
We found the app hard to use because it takes a lot of attention from the person that is using it. The driver has to focus on driving, so not much help can the driver offer. The passenger has to look for what the attraction is and keep switching back and forth from the map to the app. Most of the...
We found the app hard to use because it takes a lot of attention from the person that is using it. The driver has to focus on driving, so not much help can the driver offer. The passenger has to look for what the attraction is and keep switching back and forth from the map to the app. Most of the time, we don't know what the app is introducing because we had some difficulties finding the buildings. We gave up after a few destinations. So I won't recommend this app.Schalane_N
September 2021
Trip was informative and interesting. Several times I was told to turn right after I had already passed the street. There happened to be a funeral on Knight St for a police officer so we were not able to make required turn. Also difficult to travel at 20 mph with traffic. These issues weren’t...
Trip was informative and interesting. Several times I was told to turn right after I had already passed the street. There happened to be a funeral on Knight St for a police officer so we were not able to make required turn. Also difficult to travel at 20 mph with traffic. These issues weren’t things that were controllable by the company.fsk2017
May 2021
It’s a good idea however the audio needs to be updated to have the turns relayed to the listeners before you have to turn. Glad it was raining with light traffic or there would have been trouble! Also read the itinerary before starting the tour because the commentary doesn’t start until you are r...
It’s a good idea however the audio needs to be updated to have the turns relayed to the listeners before you have to turn. Glad it was raining with light traffic or there would have been trouble! Also read the itinerary before starting the tour because the commentary doesn’t start until you are right on top of the site. On the whole I can say I saw Providence