Best Attractions in Rhode Island | 2015 Editors’ Choice Awards

Looking for fun in the Ocean State? You won’t have to look far! Read our picks for the best attractions in Rhode Island for 2015.

BEST DISTILLERY SONS OF LIBERTY SPIRITS CO., South Kingstown Southern makers have the whiskey market cornered, but don’t underestimate Yankee ingenuity. Whiskey begins as beer, and Sons of Liberty’s founder realized that seasonal and craft brews could yield unique spirits. Try “Pumpkin Spice”—it’s made with locally harvested pumpkins and was named “best flavored” at 2014’s World Whiskies Awards. Tours offered. 1425 Kingstown Road. 401-284-4006; solspirits.com BEST ENCHANTING BOAT RIDE LA GONDOLA, Providence It’s an authentic Venetian gondola ride without the plane ticket. As serenading boatmen steer these graceful river craft, many an endearment has been whispered. Bring your own bottle of bubbly to sip as the city’s sights light up at night. WaterFire evenings—the ultimate in romance—are booked far in advance. From $89 for two. 1 Citizens Plaza. 401-421-8877; gondolari.com BEST OVERLOOKED MUSEUM MUSEUM OF WORK & CULTURE, Woonsocket Step into the lives of the French Canadian and other immigrants who poured into the Blackstone River Valley as the textile industry boomed. Walk-through, multimedia, and hands-on exhibits show how people—not just machines— powered America’s Industrial Revolution. 42 South Main St. 401-769-9675; rihs.org/museums/museum-of-work-and-culture/

BEST ON-SITE ARTISANS DOWNTOWN DESIGNS, Newport Rhode Island was the first state to exempt citizens’ creative works from sales tax. But your joy in purchasing one-of-a-kind beaded jewelry, paintings, photography, pottery, and upcycled artwork from this weekdays-only gallery won’t stem from tax savings. You’d never guess—until you meet the artisans—that they’ve overcome disabilities to craft their livelihoods. 7 Dr. Marcus F. Wheatland Blvd. 401-845-9661; downtowndesignsnewport.com HISTORIC HIGHLIGHT – BEST OPEN-AIR MUSEUM SWAN POINT CEMETERY, Providence (1846) It’s where the tormented mind of Providence’s own horror master, H.P. Lovecraft, lies at rest, and where Edgar Allen Poe’s beloved rejected his marriage proposal: a 200-acre plot on the Seekonk River’s banks populated by angels with bowed heads. And yet, this 169-year-old garden cemetery is a lush park for the living, where every turn on a walk, drive, or bike ride unveils moving art and epitaphs. 585 Blackstone Blvd. 401-272-1314; swanpointcemetery.com BEST MANSION FOR KIDS THE BREAKERS, Newport “I don’t like to brag, but I’m the biggest one,” says the voice on the family audio tour at the Vanderbilts’ 70-room “cottage” on mansion row. Yes, the Breakers is speaking to you. And the same children who rolled their eyes about touring an old house are instantly enthralled. By the time you reach the kitchen, they’ll be sad to relinquish their headphones. 44 Ochre Point Ave. 401-847-1000; newportmansions.org/explore/the-breakers

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