Where:
WaterFire takes place over a one half-mile distance in the river parks lining the three rivers in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It is best enjoyed by walking and strolling. Here is map of the Waterplace and River Park area where WaterFire occurs.
Getting to WaterFire:
To Get There: WaterFire takes place in downtown Providence along Memorial Boulevard and the Providence and Woonasquatucket Rivers. It is right at the heart of downtown and runs for just over one half mile from Providence Place to the Crawford Street Bridge. Providence is a 50 minute drive south of Boston.
Walking Providence is a wonderfully walkable city and we encourage you to start your adventure off by enjoying the spectacular architecture of the city. You can park in the nearby residential areas of College Hill on the East Side and easily and enjoyably walk down the hill to WaterFire.
Train WaterFire is one short block south from the Amtrak Providence Train Station and is also served from Boston by the MBTA and commuter trains, though you should be careful to check the return schedule. Many people enjoy staying later at WaterFire when it is more peaceful.
Driving From Interstate 95 North or South, drive to Providence, Rhode Island, and take exit 22 to downtown. The off-ramp brings you onto Memorial Boulevard which runs along the river. WaterFire is on your left just after the first set of lights, and the installation extends down past the Crawford Street Bridge, five traffic lights down.
From Route 195, drive west and follow the signs for Route 95 north (towards Boston). Stay to the right, take exit 22, and follow the directions above.
Flying Providence’s T. F. Green airport is the best and most convenient airport in New England and WaterFire is only 20 minutes from the airport by car. Extensive air service and car rental facilities are available at the airport as well as convenient accomodations for private planes.
Please check out Restaurants & Hotels, FAQ, Parking / Directions, and Special Needs Access for more information about your trip to Waterfire!
Parking:
In addition to more than 40 parking lots and garages, downtown Providence has over 1,100 on-street parking spaces. The cost is $0.25/15min ($1/hr), and the meters are in effect from Monday-Saturday, 8am-6pm. Parking is FREE all other times. Most streets have parking and meters, with the exceptions of Memorial Drive and Kennedy Plaza. Certain streets (Empire, Green, Claverick, Weybosset, Broadway) feature multi-space meters which require the display of a receipt on the dashboard. Instructions are posted on the meters.
Getting Home:
There are several on-ramps to I-95 and I-195 to get you safely home. Some of the larger parking lots get particularly congested around 10:00 and you may wish to delay your departure and enjoy WaterFire for a little longer.
North bound: I-95 can be reached by heading north/west on Memorial Blvd and taking the on-ramp at Francis Street by Providence Place and the Weston (under the modern yellow pedestrian bridge). Alternatively I-95 North can be reached by heading north on North Main Street and taking on-ramps on Charles Street by the Marriott or on Branch Ave, or on Smithfield Ave. North Main may be reached by travelling East on Smith Street behind the State Capital Building and turning left onto North Main Street. The Branch Ave and Smithfield Ave on-ramps also allow access to I-95 South. I-95 can be reached by getiing on I-195 heading west. The right two lanes merge with I-95 North and the left two lanes merge with I-95 South.
South bound: I-95 can be reached by heading north/west on Memorial Blvd and taking the on-ramp at Francis Street by Providence Place and the Weston (under the modern yellow pedestrian bridge). Alternatively I-95 South can be reached by traveling south/east on Memorial Blvd past the fires and getting on the west-bound on-ramp of I-195. The on-ramp is on the right and is two lights past Crawford and Pine Streets.
East bound: I-195 East can be reached by traveling south/east on Memorial Blvd past the fires and getting on the east-bound on-ramp of I-195. The on-ramp is on the far side of the I-195 overpass on the left and is two lights past Crawford and Pine Streets. Alternatively it can be reached by heading north on Memorial Blvd and taking I-95 South to the I-195 exit.
West bound: Route 6 West can be reached by heading north/west on Memorial Blvd and proceeding west directly on Route 6 at the on-ramp at Francis Street by Providence Place and the Weston (under the modern yellow pedestrian bridge).