Fall is one of my favorite seasons and the best place to enjoy it is in the Northeast. That’s where you’ll fully be able to enjoy the changing of the leaves, the cool air, and all the fall activities. Most people opt for Vermont, New Hampshire, and upstate New York. I decided to go somewhere that tends to get overlooked. Rhode Island in the fall is beautiful and definitely merits a visit.
Being the smallest state in the country, Rhode Island tends to be forgotten. Most people know it’s there but may not know what to do there. Having a cousin that’s been living there for a few years now, I have visited a couple times. This was my first time visiting her in Rhode Island during the fall and I’m glad I know someone with more knowledge of the city to show me around. She lives in Providence, but we also visited Newport and a bit beyond the state.
This list was put together with help from my cousin, Gabi, who is a resident of Providence, Rhode Island. It’s a compilation of so many activities available yearly so actual dates will change.
This post contains affiliate links from which if you make a purchase I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps me keep the blog running.
Fall Activities in Providence
Fall Foliage
One of my favorite fall activities is leaf peeping and Providence has no shortage of parks to enjoy it right in the city.
- India Point Park is a great spot to read, have a picnic, and enjoy the view over the bay.
- Burnside Park located right in downtown Providence is a close by spot to spot some fall foliage with the city in the background.
- Prospect Terrace is in the College Hill neighborhood so definitely expect to go uphill if you’re walking from the river. During fall you’ll see the leaves changing with a beautiful view of the city. Definitely recommend during sunset for any season.
- Blackstone Boulevard gives you many opportunities to see some foliage while you walk or bike the streets of Providence. It’s a mile and a half so definitely be up for a nice stroll or bike ride before doing this one. Great place to leaf peep once the trees have started changing colors.
- Crawford Street Bridge right on the Providence river is a great place to see foliage starting up along the river bank. By facing towards Memorial Park you’ll be able to see lots of foliage and get great photos with it in the background.
Spooky Activities
If spooky and scary places are your thing then you’ll need to do these activities when in Providence.
- If Ghosts, Phantoms or Poltergeists is what you’re after this fall, then you must add this tour to your Providence itinerary.
- A haunted boat tour more your thing? Do not miss this X hour tour and learn all about it from a guide.
- Over the years there have been ghostly sightings and unexplained occurrences. Learn about all of the tales both tall and true from early New England in this tour!
- Looking for a more fun activity? Grab some friends and bring them to this zombie scavenger hunt.
Spirit of Halloween
Jack O’Lantern Spectacular at Roger Williams Park Zoo is a must. There are countless pumpkins all carved out with amazing designs. Inside you’ll find different sections depending on the year’s theme. In 2022, the theme centered around films/tv shows from different time periods so lots of pumpkins were carved to show scenes.
Families with kids tend to go earlier in the day so if you’re a group of young adults and adults and want less kids around go later in the evening. There is a Soaring Eagle Zip ride where you can fly above the pumpkins and see everything from a different perspective.
Hocus Pocus 2 Locations
I am a huge Hocus Pocus fan and I rewatch it every year in the fall. In 2022, Hocus Pocus 2 came out so obviously I’ve now added that to my must watch. I didn’t realize at the time that a lot of the scenes were actually filmed in Providence, Rhode Island and not in Salem, Massachusetts. Here are a few locations where scenes were filmed.
- Cranston Street Armory (flying scenes shot here)
- LaSalle Academy on Smith Street (indoor school shots)
- Benefit Street (Haunted Salem Tour Trolley)
- Chase Farm Park (replica of Salem Village built but was taken down)
- Lakeside-Carpenter Cemetery in East Providence
Go here for more on the United States!
Make sure you’re following me on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for more up to date content on where I’m at and where I’m going next. If you haven’t already, join my email list so you know about my adventures, general travel updates, and more before anyone else!
