Rhode Island Pride

A must visit, easy parking of Smith Street.

Neoclassical building housing the assembly and offices of the governor, deputy governor, secretaries and treasurer of the state.

This is an impressive state capitol with lots to see. The grounds are simple, but well-maintained and nicely frame the building's stately neoclassical facade. The interior is even more spectacular, with a grand staircase underneath the magnificent rotunda, with brilliant allegorical paintings. Along with the various state assembly rooms and governmental offices, the State House includes the small but interesting Colonial Charter Museum which includes displays about historical documents and the actual Rhode Island Royal Charter of 1663. Overall, a capitol well worth a visit.

Beautiful building and plenty of parking nearby. Admission is free and remember you have to go through a metal detector to enter. The charter museum was cool and the lady working the visitor center was extremely knowledgeable. We didn't have time to stay for a tour but we still spent about an hour inside.

Unfortunately, by the time we arrived at the capital, it appeared to be closed (Friday afternoon) We were there well before the listed closing time but there was absolutely no one around and no cars in the lot. It is a beautiful building and hopefully we’ll be able to do a tour the next time we are in Providence.

Very accessible, parking easy on weekday I was there (part-time legislature in recess), all marble. I had mostly done a quick self tour - this is not a huge building - but chatted with a lady in the library before discovering she would be shortly leading a guided tour. Though clearly timed to a 't' - she was a gem and hit all the highlights. The library in particular is worth looking around. Two interesting 2025 tidbits: lots of Pride flags on the legislative desks; must be a welcoming state - never really thought about it. And the legislature has gone to great and silly expense of changing the state name because of a word that had nothing to do with any present day understanding was apparently declared offensive. One step forward, one step sideways....

We took the free guided tour in the State House and thoroughly enjoyed it. Fascinating history and a beautiful building.

This was an interesting self-guided tour. Parking available within walking distance of the site. You will go through security when you enter, so no weapons or whatnot. There is an information room on the first floor to get a map of the building and any information.

I recently visited the state of Rhode Island for the first time Labor Day, and I wanted to see its Capitol because these structures reflect the way people in the state wish to be seen. Unfortunately, on holidays, the building is closed; however, we were able to enjoy the exterior and beautiful grounds. The structure is an incredible white marble facade including its impressive dome which is the heaviest dome in the United States. While a little smaller than the US Capitol and other states, it is impressively situated on a hill overlooking downtown Providence and can be seen from all over the city. It is also surrounded by lush grove of green trees that provide great shade as you walk around. Interesting facts are that the current State House was finished in 1901 and not until then did the Rhode Island state government have a permanent home. Prior the current building, the capitol was rotated, common in southern New England, between Providence and Newport and in colonial times, the 5 RI county seats all share the capitol. Lastly, the Capitol is topped by a gold statue known as "The independent Man", a tribute to the independence of colonial founder, Roger Williams. Currently it is under renovation including new gold plating.

The Rhode Island State House, the capitol of Rhode Island, is located in downtown Providence. Made from white Georgian marble, it is an eye-catching property, surrounded by greenery and trees. Exactly what you would imagine such a building to look like. In fact, we thought it looked stunning in the sunshine! Our visit (THUR AUG 1, 2024) came towards the end of a 4 mile walk around Providence. Our intention was to visit the “nearby” Charter Museum, to see the original Rhode Island Royal Charter which was provided for the ‘Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations’ in 1633 by King Charles II. From what we could see on Google maps, the museum was next to the State House, and therefore would be easy enough to find, but we struggled to find it. It was due to close at 16:30 so we had to pick up our pace. As we reached the rear of the State House, which looked as equally as impressive as the front, there was no sign of the museum. In fact there were no signs. We were unsure what to do, so nervously approached the main entrance of the grand building. Now, we’ve never been inside a State House before, so we didn’t know what to expect behind the imposing doors. We quickly discovered that the building was in fact open to the public and the museum was somewhere inside! Two friendly security guards took us through the airport-style security then we were on our own in a vast marble chamber with vaulted ceilings, numerous staircases, ornate furnishings and a gold statue* of a man. Wow! It was a lot to take in and we nervously started to explore, lowering our voices in polite deference to our special surroundings, but not lingering too long at the many impressive things we encountered as the half past four closing time was fast approaching. We crossed paths a couple of times with a lady we later learnt was from Texas, who was also looking for the Charter Museum. With only 15 minutes to go, we finally found it thanks to a discreet sign. The Charter Museum, it transpired, was in a discreet side room accessed via a door leading off from a nondescript corridor. The lighting was subdued to protect the artefacts inside but the Royal Charter, made up of three large pieces of parchment, was illuminated and displayed behind protective glass. Written in old English, it was a challenge to decipher the wording but we got the gist of it. Kind of. The charter gave the Rhode Island settlers the right to govern their own colony plus the freedom of religion. Alas, there was no Royal signature at the end. On display nearby were a replica of the British flag from the ship which carried the Charter, a portion of the box in which the Charter was sent and, more importantly, a cast of the Great Seal of Charles II. In the absence of the King’s signature, we assumed that the Great Seal was evidence enough to those 17th century settlers that the document was indeed genuine. Not that we were questioning it of course, and not that it mattered now. Too late. Independence had happened, but how good to see our countries’ shared history preserved and shared! We were soon joined by the Texan lady and other visitors. She asked us if we were Scottish, so I replied: “Are you Canadian?” The joke, sadly, went over her heard, which is how we learnt she was from Austin, Texas. The conversation quickly moved on to the subject of guns in Texas, to which the other visitors said there were too many in that state. Guns, politics and religion are three things we never get into when travelling across the U.S., but thankfully the conversation ended without descending into a debate….in front of that Royal Charter! During our short visit, in addition to the King Charles II Charter, we got to see: The Independent Man. This newly restored gold statue stood close to the entrance of the State House and was what greeted us inside upon arrival*. Dating from 1899, it normally stands atop the State House’s dome and is expected to be returned there in the fall. The bell from the U.S.S. Rhode Island (1906), a warship which served in anti-submarine patrols in the Atlantic during World War I. Rhode Island’s September 11th Memorial, which was unveiled in 2022 and featured the names of 9 victims who came from Rhode Island. RIP. We paused there a few moments to pay our respects. U.S. Marine Corps. statue and accompanying flags. Declaration of Independence. A large embossed metallic copy was on display on the wall. Rhode Island was, of course, the first colony to declare independence and renounce allegiance to Great Britain’s King George III in 1776. Liberty Bell replica, as commissioned by President Harry S. Trueman and gifted to each of the then 48 states by U.S. Treasury Department in 1950. Unlike the original in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which we visited in 2017, the Rhode Island replica has no crack! The Senate Chamber and House Chamber. Bills, resolutions, laws, budgets and more - the place where decisions are made and debated! We left the St