Listed below are details about the sightseeing trips, included and optional, in the 2012 Providence session. The optional trips will have an additional fee- to be determined at a later date.

A couple of months prior to your session you will receive a packet of information that will include; lecture titles, all sightseeing trip descriptions, dates, and prices.

Registered participants are required to fill out the trip sign-up form indicating all trips (free or additional) that they will be attending so Senior Summer School may plan transportation accordingly. The sign-up form will need to be returned to Senior Summer School prior to arrival (due date will be indicated) along with optional trip payment.

* Senior Summer School reserves the right to adjust any trip details without notice. Final schedules will be distributed upon arrival of program. Minimum number of participants required for select trips.

Trips  Included:

Providence City Tour

• Explore why Providence, “The Creative City,” is ranked #4 as one of America’s favorite cities to visit and by the Wall Street Journal as “Top Ten Up and Coming Travel Destinations in the World.” Providence, known as “The Renaissance City” was founded in 1636 as one of the first established cities in the U.S. Today it is a modern rendition of an upscale, urban cultural playground. You will learn about historic homes, buildings and parks while viewing the beautiful and famous architecture in this attractive city.

Brown University and RI School of Design Campus Tour

• Brown University was founded in 1764 and is located in historic Providence. It is the seventh oldest college in the U.S. and has been recognized for its global reach programs, community service and cultural events. You will tour beautiful facilities located in this historic urban setting while learning about the academic programs offered.You will then tour the Rhode Island School of Design, founded in 1877 and known as one of the oldest and best-known art and design colleges in the U.S. Explore the vibrant art scene and learn about the various art and design programs. Also located on this campus is the Museum of Art, a major cultural institution housing more than 86,000 works of fine and decorative art dating from ancient times to the present.

Culinary Art Museum

• The Culinary Art Museum is located at Johnson & Wales University and has a mission to preserve the history of the culinary and hospitality industry. This educational museum offers you an opportunity to tour and explore five centuries of culinary treasures, found in exhibitions such as a diner museum and display of presidential menus. You will learn how the museum interprets the evolution of food preparation and presentation, the development of culinary equipment and technology, the diverse menus offered, including the places where people partake of food.

State House Tour

• You will enjoy an hour-long tour of this historical landmark, where in 1901 the General Assembly met for the first time in 1901. You will find the State House was built with beautiful Georgia marble and sits atop Smith Hill in downtown Providence. You will also view art such as the famous painting of Washington by artist Gilbert Stuart, who was considered the lead portrait artists tin America during the Revolutionary period.

Tour of The John Brown House and Benefit Street Walking Tour

• In the Mile of History, located on Benefit Street, you will find the oldest concentration of colonial homes in America today. These colonial homes date back to the late 1700’s. You will also have an opportunity to enter the first meeting house in New England to have a steeple, known as the First Baptist Church of America, established by Roger Williams. Refer back to the location in which Edgar Allen Poe first met Sarah Whitman at the famous Providence Athenaeum Library. Next you will explore the John Brown House, said to be one of America’s grandest mansions, completed in 1788. This brick and brownstone mansion was owned by the family generations in which Brown University was named and celebrates many aspects of the state’s heritage.

Optional:

Day in Newport Harbor

• Enjoy a fun filled day in Newport Harbor, known as New England’s Summer Resorts and also for the famous Newport Mansions. While exploring this harbor you will gain knowledge on historical presidents who once resided in Newport, and find out more on other interesting facts such as about the major U.S. Navy training base.

Scialo Bakery Tour

• In 1916, Luigi Scialo arrived from the Italian province of Pomigliano d’Arco and, together with his brother, started SCIALO BROS.BAKERY in the heart of Federal Hill, the well known Italian neighborhood. In the 1920’s Luigi became the sole proprietor and ran the business with the help of his family for the next seven decades until his death in 1993 at the age of 103. The Scialo Bakery tradition has been carried on by Luigi’s daughters of whom you will meet. All of their products from the bakery are to this day made from scratch on the premises in brick ovens that date back to the 1920’s. During your tour of the bakery you will also sample scrumptious and unique pastries from the bakery served alongside freshly brewed hot coffee.

An afternoon in Federal Hill

• Federal Hill is called the “Heartbeat of Providence.” You will discover why it is known as Little Italy, hosting old world bakeries, markets and restaurants with diverse selections of cuisine. Federal Hill also offers a variety of shops and boutiques, diners and nightlife. This 300-acre location doesn’t stop there. It is also home to schools, medical professionals, banks, and a variety of other institutions. There is definitely something for everyone at Federal Hill!

Rhode Island Lighthouse Cruise

• Enjoy a sightseeing cruise featuring 10 of the most picturesque lighthouses in Rhode Island. You will be aboard the Millennium Catamaran, and will be able to enjoy the first-class amenities on all three viewing levels. We will cruise through Narragansett Bay, also discovering 10 magnificent islands! Be sure to bring a camera!