Market Square, Historical square in Providence, Rhode Island
Market Square is an open plaza in the center of Providence, Rhode Island, surrounded by buildings from different periods. The architecture shows a mix of older facades and newer elements that give the space its changing character.
The square gained particular importance in the early 19th century when the great September storm of 1815 struck the entire area. This event changed the cityscape and was captured by many artists who documented the aftermath of the storm.
The square takes its name from the old trading role it played for centuries, when residents and merchants met daily. Even now, you can sense that tradition as you walk through and watch people gather and move about.
The square sits centrally in the city and serves as a good starting point for exploring Providence on foot. From here, you can reach many other sights easily, as several streets lead away from the plaza in different directions.
A draftsman captured the condition of the square right after the great September storm of 1815, and that depiction was later used often by artists and historians. Such images show what the place looked like before it was rebuilt and offer a rare view of the atmosphere at that time.
Location: Providence
Inception: 1815
GPS coordinates: 41.82580,-71.40844
Latest update: December 8, 2025 18:11
Rhode Island appeals to travelers curious about places often left out of main routes. Along the coast, several lighthouses show the area's maritime history: the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum in Jamestown tells the story of sailors through its optical instruments, while the Southeast Lighthouse on Block Island, made of red bricks, has watched over the Atlantic since 1875. In Portsmouth, the Green Animals Topiary Garden features over eighty plant sculptures shaped like animals, one of the oldest such gardens in the United States. Parks and gardens invite for walks in quiet settings. Wilcox Park in Westerly surrounds a pond lined with old plants, Kinney Azaleas Garden blooms with three hundred kinds of flowers in spring, and Blithewold Estate in Bristol shows a 1908 house with forty-five acres of botanical gardens. For nature lovers, Napatree Point Conservation Area offers 2.4 kilometers of dunes and marshes where migrating birds rest, and Stepstone Falls reveal small cascades in the West Greenwich forest. In Providence, the Armory Arts District uses old 19th-century warehouses turned into sixty galleries and studios. Prospect Terrace offers a nice view of the Capitol and the city rooftops from a hill.
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Rhode Island School of Design Museum
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Providence Athenaeum
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Turk's Head Building
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Market Square
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RISD Museum
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United States Customshouse
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Rhode Island Holocaust Memorial
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RISD Design Center
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RISD Auditorium
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Turk's Head
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Work of art, sculpture
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Sculpture, Work of art
148 mVisited this place? Tap the stars to rate it and share your experience / photos with the community! Try now! You can cancel it anytime.
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