The Creative Capital: Art and Architecture Tour

Discover the captivating blend of small-town charm and urban sophistication on a Providence walking tour. Explore history, architecture, universities, and intriguing characters.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Providence City Hall - Appreciate the stunning architecture and share tales of the building’s rich history.
  • Trinity Repertory Company - Discover the building’s history and its significant influence on Providence’s arts community.
  • Providence Performing Arts Center - Explore the building’s history and its substantial role in shaping…
What's Included
  • Top-tier Guide
Additional Information

The story of Providence is told by its buildings. Our city’s downtown blossomed during America’s Gilded Age, and has well-preserved examples of Art-Deco, Beaux-Arts, Neoclassical, and many more architectural styles. But this tour goes beyond bricks and windows: peer into the past by learning some of the human stories behind the facades.
This tour also…

Location
11 Dorrance St
Dorrance Street
The meeting point is in the lobby of the Graduate Hotel.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(76 Ratings)
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Helene
Sep 21, 2025
Exactly as we hoped, great way to see Providence - Dillon was knowledgeable and patient as we had a slow walker and we enjoyed hearing all about the art and cult. We took his advise for lunch and that was a 10
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Doloresv277
Sep 9, 2025
Architectural tour of Providence RI - Dillion gave us an excellent mixture of architectural information, history and anecdotal stories We felt we had a good picture of Providence when the tour was completed He was a great, engaged guide
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Stefan_k
Aug 27, 2025
It was all around very... - It was all around very good. He was very knowledgeable and super nice. What a nice experience - thank you. Stefan and E.
Review provided by Viator
Birdie412
Aug 20, 2025
Very well spent time: fun and eduational! - A delightful 2-hour tour with Spencer today. This young guide’s genuine interest in the art, architecture, and history of Providence helped him infuse the tour with an amazing amount of information which he energetically shared. We moved to the nearby suburb of East Providence 3 years ago, but we haven’t really gotten our feet wet in the big city. The tour features many interesting buildings (more than listed on the website) of a variety of architectural types, many large murals, and art installations by RISD university students. It was a fun and satisfying two hours, and quite worth the price.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dmbower
Jul 19, 2025
A quick first time bisit to Providence - We are two teacher friends on our annual vacation trip. We love taking walking tours to get to know a new city so this tour was great cwe especially loved the incredible murals throughout the downtown.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Patriciafa8013ae
Jul 18, 2025
A Great Day!!! - I called the Provdence Tour Company and explained to Celia Kettle that I had just arrived the night before and had only 1 day there because of my job. She was able to book me on a morning Art and Architecture tour with Lyla and a Crime and Cuisine tour in the afternoon with David. I enjoyed both tours and both guides were very knowledgeable and entertaining.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cindyrb5470yl
Jul 12, 2025
Super fun and informative even for locals! - Spencer is a fantastic tour guide! Highly knowledgeable, engaging, and funny! We enjoyed the tour immensely and learned so much!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mildred_d
Aug 4, 2025
Beautiful architecture... - Beautiful architecture all over downtown Providence. Some excellent murals— wish we’d seen more. Interesting history.
Review provided by Viator
Kristin
Jul 5, 2025
Time Well Spent in providence - This was a very informative guide to the art and architecture of downtown Providence. I liked learning about the street art and murals. The meeting place, inside the Biltmore hotel, allows guests to see the beauty and background of this famous institution. We weren't able to find free parking likely because we don't know the city well. The parking tips were helpful and the closest garage cost $12 for our time on a holiday, so that seemed reasonable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
716russk
Jul 16, 2025
Not worth it - Disappointing. Not much info about Providence architecture. The guide read a script from a binder the whole time. Couldn't answer anything that wasn't in the book. We should have just done a self guided tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $30
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).