Shopping in Providence

From the upscale Providence Place - a mall with more than 100 shopping, dining and entertainment options - to the funky urban chic of East Side boutiques, Providence offers an eclectic mix of retail options. Warwick is Rhode Island's shopping capital, with miles of stores to tempt wallets fat and thin.

The Arcade
The oldest indoor shopping mall in America (c. 1828), the Arcade features massive granite columns and extensive interior ornamental wrought iron work. A National Historic Landmark, the Greek Revival building boasts a facade with six gigantic Ionic columns, intricate cast iron railings, and three tiers of shops and dining.

Providence Place
At the heart of the downtown area, the Providence Place mall is connected via Skybridge to the Westin Hotel, which is, in turn, connected the Rhode Island Convention Center. Providence Place opened in 1999 and features anchor stores Nordstrom's and Filenes, as well as more than 100 specialty shops and boutiques, five fullservice restaurants on street-level, a nine-level parking garage, 16-screen movie complex and 400-seat IMAX theater. It also boasts stunning views of the city, including nearby WaterPlace Park.

Wickenden Street
Wickenden Street is on the edge of downtown Providence and on the edge of art and fashion. A popular hangout for students of the nearby Rhode Island School of Design, this street is flanked by art galleries, antique shops, funky bistros and coffeehouses.

Thayer Street
Located on the edge of the Brown University campus on Providence's East Side, Thayer Street is home to bookstores, chic boutiques, trendy
restaurants, coffee and teahouses, and a movie theater that features the latest and greatest in independent films.

Warwick
For serious shoppers, Route 2 in Warwick is the ultimate retail destination. This 5.3 mile stretch of road contains more than 250 stores, from retail giants to specialty shops. Restaurants, movie theaters and two shopping malls, the Warwick Mall and Rhode Island Mall, round out this bustling, vibrant shopping district.