From pivotal social justice movements to the personal narratives of unsung heroes, Voices of Resilience offers a deeper understanding of Providence’s identity and legacy of courage, resistance, and triumph. The tour highlights the lives and contributions of Providence’s Indigenous peoples, African Americans, immigrants, women, and other historically underrepresented groups who helped shape the city. We’ll take a closer look at how Rhode Island’s tremendous profit on the international slave trade powered the Industrial Revolution, how the state barely overcame revolution in defiance of rebellious suffragists, all the way through how the state fought but failed to prevent the first Gay Pride parade from taking place in Providence in 1976.
Providence has been home to diverse, courageous, and resilient people who were able to achieve incredible feats despite the deck being stacked against them in every way. Learn about Edward Bannister, a 19th-century Black barber who overcame prejudice to become a painter of national acclaim; Princess Red Wing, a passionate educator, storyteller, and Narragansett and Pokanoket activist; Maritcha Lyons, who testified at the age of 16 in favor of Rhode Island school desegregation; and the 1902 labor strike that stopped Rhode Island’s urban core in its tracks.
The walk begins on the Michael Van Leesten Pedestrian Bridge and concludes after a 1-mile stroll at Roger Williams National Memorial.
Meeting Point: Amphitheatre on Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge
Address: Intersection of James and South Water Street, Providence, RI
Distance: About 1 mile
Difficulty: Easy
Tour Length: About 2 hours
The Michael Van Leesten Memorial Bridge
Site of Sabin’s Tavern
Joseph Tillinghast House
Market House
Old State House
First Baptist Church
Roger Williams National Memorial
EXCELLENT Based on 111 reviews Scott West2024-12-14Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We had a great time on our tour of Federal Hill Crime and Cuisine. Sage was engaging, informative, and a lot of fun. We had a small, intimate tour, which was perfect for us. The food was great! The wine was delicious! And the stories about some of the unique characters and their infamous history were really interesting. We highly recommend this tour! Julia Mason2024-12-14Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Sage was the greatest guide and made the experience so fun! Great story teller and the food was amazing! Sean Quinn2024-11-30Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Great tour sage was a great guide very thorough. Thanks sage! Casey Quinn2024-11-30Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Sage was a wonderful tour guide - such a fun way to spend an afternoon! Jasmine Campos2024-11-27Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Awesome tour! Especially if you are into mob crime :) and like food. Also our tour guide Tess was great Lucas Diehl2024-11-27Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Very good comprehensive tour Charlie Ciampa2024-11-20Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Katherine is by far the best tour guide I have ever had. She was funny and was able to vividly bring to life all the crime that happened on federal hill. I wish all my teachers at school were as good as her. If I could give more than 5 starts I would. Edward Painter2024-11-17Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A very “tasteful” pun intended tour, with a very easy to walk route, and plenty of authentic foods. Our tour guide was very informed spoke clearly and answered all questions of the events and area without hesitation and with insightful knowledge. 10/10 experience would certainly recommend.
Guests should wear comfortable shoes, weather-appropriate attire, and bring an open mind. In hot weather, hats, sunglasses, water bottles, and sunscreen are usually good ideas.
Tours are rain or shine! Only in dangerous weather conditions will a tour be canceled. A tour guide will reach out to you the morning of the tour to let you know if a tour is canceled- if you have not been contacted, assume the tour is proceeding as scheduled.
Street parking is readily available throughout Providence, and free on Sundays. This is the easiest option.
For the Power and Politics Tour, the closest parking is the South Street Landing Garage at 330 Eddy Street.
There are no bathrooms on this tour.
We love giving tours to private groups- we find that some of the best bonding experiences happen when a group is learning something new together, or sharing a family-style meal.
There are incentives for groups of 10 or above, and we can customize tours to make them more suitable to your group’s budget or timeline. Please send us a message to learn more about group tour options and pricing, or cut straight to the chase and request a private tour.
Tours can be canceled for any reason up to seven days after purchase.
The Providence Tour Company also offers trip protection, which allows guests to cancel up 48 hours before the tour is to begin. The fee for trip protection is a flat 10% of the ticket price.
If you believe that your circumstance warrants an exception to this policy, please contact us.
Office Address:
225 Dyer Street
Providence, RI 02903
*This is not the meeting location of tours. Please refer to your confirmation email for tour meeting location details.
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