Roger Williams Park Zoo   

1000 Elmwood Ave
Providence, RI 02907
401-785-3510
www.rwpzoo.org

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Roger Williams Park Zoo is the Ocean State's largest tourist attraction, welcoming close to 650,000 visitors annually. This nationally recognized zoo was established in 1871, when Betsey Williams left the city of Providence her 102-acre farm to honor her great-great grandfather, Roger Williams. A small collection of animals was brought to the park so city residents could get an up-close look at wildlife. Today, the zoo is home to close to 1,000 animals, with hundreds of different species on display at any given time. You can see polar bears, sea lions, cheetahs, elephants, lemurs, giraffes and many more creatures. Many of the exhibits that house these animals are wonders in and of themselves. The Marco Polo Trail, for example, combines cultural, historical and zoological elements. As you meander down the trail, you can see replicas of a Venetian plaza, a Bedouin tent and the hull of a 16th-century sailing vessel -- all while gazing upon leopards, moon bears and camels (just some of the creatures the explorer encountered during his journey through Asia). The zoo also offers a host of on-site educational programs, including a series of off-site field trips to places like Prudence Island and the John H. Chafee National Wildlife Refuge. Additionally, a Zoomobile travels the state, stopping at schools, community centers and retirement homes and bringing the zoo's programs to the people.