Roger Williams Park — Attraction in Providence

Took the more than hour one way trip to get a countertop for my kitchen island.

I’ve heard that Ikea was big… but not told HOW big! Seeing the parking garage was my first clue!

The place is huge, so plan on staying there awhile, especially if it’s your first time there. It didn’t take long for me to figure it out but the layout is different than other stores. What they sell online are actual displays throughout the whole store. So you’ll see different living rooms setup in one area, different kitchens, etc.

After finding the correct department and getting the top I wanted, I was told that I could purchase it there and it would be waiting for me when I finished shopping and I was ready to leave. I figured just the walk to where I entered would be plenty of time for my order to be filled and paid for it on the spot. I did look around on my way back in case I saw something I could give as a gift since it was a few days before Christmas, but nothing really caught my eye.

Upon arriving at the pickup area, you have to check the large screen on the wall for your order number to be green, meaning that it was ready for pick up. Then if you want help loading it into your vehicle (like I did), you have to go to a separate location out in the parking garage to meet someone.

Well, I was parked in section F. The “help” was in section M… a considerable distance from where I was parked! Since I was alone, I couldn’t leave my purchase and move my vehicle closer. And I couldn’t leave my purchase to get the help in section M! So after pushing my cart to section M and then realizing that there was no one in section M, I had to go back to my vehicle to figure out how I was going to load it alone. This top weighs about 100 lbs and is beyond awkward!

Luckily a family saw my struggle and the gentleman loaded it for me. I couldn’t thank them enough for their help!!

I figured I had more than an hour to figure out how I was going to get it in my house…lol.

If they had someone available to either assist you with a purchase or to contact “help”, it would have been a much more pleasant experience for me.

Overall, I didn’t think it was that great… it’s just another store that is set...

We recently went to Roger Williams Zoo with our 3 year old grandson a week ago today. We haven't been back in about 5 or 6 years so we were looking forward to spending the day there with our youngest grandson. We thought $16.00 was high for a 3 year old but we paid. As we walked into the park we were excited to see the Dinosaur exibit to the left of the park, but as we followed the path we were told we had to pay an extra$9.00 per person to go any further. So we turned around and attempted to follow the map poster that did not make getting around any easier. As we walked down the path half the park was blocked off with a very annoying construction wall that made it very diffacult to see all the animals that we still had access to. Because of construction we missed out on seeing the Lions, Tigers, Monkeys and anything else the huge wall blocked off. Signs should have been posted as where to go for specific animals. Half the vendors were closed along with many of the staff just standing around chatting or just hanging around. For all of the chaos that the construction caused we think the price of the ticket should not have been $65.00 for 2 adults and 1 toddler aged 3. we have been coming here for over 40 years and can see how much the park has changed and become a for profit only park. The class and pride of the park is no longer present. If you are planning to visit the park Do not go now. It is currently very chaotic, so wait until the construction is complete. the " dinosaur opening" is currently scheduled for August 6th but they are still bulldozing half the project. Be prepared to pay full price and bring cold drinks with you because not all the vendors are open on both sides of the park. We found only 2 open at 11:30 am. Also all of the Dinosaur exibits will cost you extra for a ticket per...

My family and I went to see the Chinese Lantern Festival and it was thoroughly enjoyable. It really was a beautiful display especially as it got dark!

If you plan on attending in the evening for this event I have a couple of suggestions-

1. register for the earlier entrance time. The lanterns encompass the entire park so it will take more than 2 hours to see everything

2. go mid-week if possible. The docent said visitors can number in the thousands on peak days. We visited on a Sunday and it was moderately attended.

3. take the time to see the show. Even if you aren't a fan of the particular style of dance, it was great to see them expressing their culture and sharing it with us. I have zero exposure to K-Pop, but I appreciated the time and dedication it took to choreograph those routines

4. don't expect to see too many of the live animals. Since you'll be entering the park around dusk, the temperature is usually dropping so many of the animals are brought in due to the cold. Plus, the enclosures themselves aren't lit for nighttime viewing. Just know that if you want to go primarily to see the animals, the Festival will disappoint.

5. bring appropriate clothing! Layer up, bring or wear a hoodie or jacket because there's a large wetlands loop and it's cooler near the water and the temperature drops as the sun goes down

Overall I think it's definitely a great value plus it's a great opportunity to support the zoo. In fact, I would consider attending again while the event is...