The sign-up period for 60th IMCL tours has ended.
If you would like to request a late ticket, we will try to accommodate you, but we can't promise this will be possible. Email to michael.mehaffy@gmail.com.
Newport Bike Tour (2 hours)
Time: Friday, April 26, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Place: Bike Newport, 62 Broadway, Newport
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Price per person: $85.00
(Includes bike rental)
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Sign up HERE!
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DESCRIPTION: Join us for a wonderful 2-hour bike tour of Newport, led by local bikability advocates, Bike Newport! You'll walk to their location at 62 Broadway in Newport (about half an hour from our venue, Bois Doré, and a beautiful walk) and then depart for a two-hour ride, returning in time to walk back to Bois Doré for our opening reception at 5PM.
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Newport is home to more colonial buildings than any other city in the US. Together, we'll visit the major sites by bicycle on an easy ride that is informative and fun.
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Rhode Island is called the "Cradle of the American Soul" and in many ways, Newport was its heart. From its beginning, freedom of religion (heresy to some) and democracy have been cornerstone concepts on which the city was built, and informed America's founding principles.
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This history can be experienced and explored on our tour when we visit the oldest synagogue in the US, the 1699 Quaker Meeting House, colonial neighborhoods, cemeteries, and of course the iconic Newport Tower, whose origin is still a source of argument today. And don't forget the oldest tavern in the US, owned by a notorious pirate!
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Your tour guide, Art Spivack, is an easy-going local college Professor with extensive knowledge of the political, religious, architectural and cultural history (as well as the long history of gossip!). Trust that he knows how to keep it fun! He'll be joined by Bari Freeman, the Executive Director of Bike Newport, who'll sprinkle the experience with "livable city" context along the way.
Click here to book!
Downtown Providence Urban Regeneration Walking Tour (4 hours)
Time: Monday, April 29, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
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Place: Providence Station, 100 Gaspee Street, Providence (Amtrak and MBTA station; meet under the clock tower)
Price per person: $35.00
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Sign up HERE!
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DESCRIPTION: Join civic leaders, visionary developers and architects to explore the urban renaissance that has come to downtown Providence. Buff Chace of Cornish Associates, Brent Runyon of Runyon Heritage Associates, Don Powers of Union Studio Architects, and others will lead this walking tour of downtown sites, including a lunch stop at a local eatery (purchase your own preferred meal).
This tour will illuminate changes in the urban environment in the last fifty years that have made downtown Providence a more livable city. You'll learn about how moving railroads, rivers and highways contributed to Providence’s renaissance. Learn from planners and designers how a 1990 master plan helped change a sluggish downtown into a vibrant, livable neighborhood.
Tour stops will include: Providence Station, Waterplace Park, Kennedy Plaza, the Providence Arcade (America’s oldest extant indoor shopping mall), the Industrial Trust Building, and Westminster Street.
The tour will begin and end at the clock tower of Providence Station, the downtown stop for Amtrak and MBTA (22 minutes from Kingston Station, across from Newport). You can take an Uber or bus from Newport to Kingston Station, and/or take a bus directly from Newport to Providence.
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Click here to book!
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NOTE: This is the meeting place at the clock tower:
Or book your own tour...
Newport and the region offer a wide range of touring options including self-guided tours, bus tours, walking tours, and sailing tours. Check out The Breakers and other historic estates, or other fascinating local landmarks. You can find many options on the Web, including the TripAdvisor listings page here.
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Bike Newport also offers customized tours through their associated service, Newport Cycle Tours.
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Whether on our offered tours or on your own, be sure to explore this fascinating region and its wealth of lessons for livable cities!
