Providence by the Book: A Literary Walking Tour

Providence Trip Overview

“…the slanting sunlight touches the Market House and the ancient hill roofs and belfries with gold, and throws magic around the dreaming wharves…After a long look he would grow almost dizzy with a poet’s love for the sight…”

H.P. Lovecraft- one of the most significant supernatural horror fiction authors of the 20th century- wrote these words about his hometown of Providence. This tour discovers the author’s traumatic upbringing, racism, and favorite haunts; guests also meet some of the fictional characters that Lovecraft wrote into the city’s fabric.

But Lovecraft isn’t the only famous author that ambled the city’s centuries-old sidewalks: Sarah Helen Whitman, the poet who was briefly engaged to Edgar Allan Poe, also called the Creative Capital home. This tour explores her life and relives the couple’s whirlwind- and doomed- romance.

Additional Info

Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes
Starts: Providence, United States
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours



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What to Expect When Visiting Providence, Rhode Island, United States

“…the slanting sunlight touches the Market House and the ancient hill roofs and belfries with gold, and throws magic around the dreaming wharves…After a long look he would grow almost dizzy with a poet’s love for the sight…”

H.P. Lovecraft- one of the most significant supernatural horror fiction authors of the 20th century- wrote these words about his hometown of Providence. This tour discovers the author’s traumatic upbringing, racism, and favorite haunts; guests also meet some of the fictional characters that Lovecraft wrote into the city’s fabric.

But Lovecraft isn’t the only famous author that ambled the city’s centuries-old sidewalks: Sarah Helen Whitman, the poet who was briefly engaged to Edgar Allan Poe, also called the Creative Capital home. This tour explores her life and relives the couple’s whirlwind- and doomed- romance.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Prospect Terrace, 184 Pratt St, Providence, RI 02906-1432

The tour begins here at this majestic overlook of Providence, where Lovecraft spent a lot of time writing his stories.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: H.P. Lovecraft House, 65 Prospect St, Providence, RI 02906, USA

The tour will stop in front of the last home of Lovecraft, where he wrote a short story called The Haunter in the Dark. We will stop to chat about the author, the story, and to take photos.

After this stop we will see one of two houses on the tour written into Lovecraft storylines, and then see the home of Sarah Helen Whitman, where Edgar Alan Poe first laid eyes on his future fiance.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Providence Athenaeum, 251 Benefit St, Providence, RI 02903-2709

Here guests will discuss the library along with some of the eccentric authors who spend a chapter of their lives wandering its corridors.

Duration: 10 minutes



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