Parque Roger Williams

El Parque Roger Williams (Roger Williams Park) es un parque natural de 427 acres y distrito histórico nacional situado al sur de Providence, Rhode Island. El parque acogió el nombre de uno de los fundadores de Rhode Island, el teólogo Roger Williams. El terreno para el parque fue un regalo de la población de Providence en 1871, de acuerdo con la voluntad de Betsey Williams, la great-great-great-grand-daughter, y ultima superviviente descendiente del fundador de su propia tierra. Esto había sido la granja familiar y representandole como el ultimo de la tierra a Roger Williams en 1638 desde Canonicus, jefe de la tribu Narragansett. La granja familiar (construida en 1773) conocida como Betsey Williams Cottage, y la zona donde fueron enterrados la familia Williams (incluyendo la tumba de Betsy) siguen en el parque

The park also contains seven lakes which comprise approximately 98 acres. It is located in the southernmost part of the city of Providence bordering the city of Cranston. The park was designed by Horace Cleveland in 1878, and was constructed in the 1880s. Many of the roads, bridges and sidewalks were built by the Works Progress Administration from 1935 to 1940. Currently it contains the Roger Williams Park Zoo, the Roger Williams Park Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, The RWP Botanical Center, the Japanese Gardens, the Victorian Rose Gardens, the Providence Police Department's Mounted Command center, the Dalrymple Boathouse and boat rentals, historical tours, a Carousel Village for children that includes the "Hasbro Boundless Playground" which is accessible for handicapped children, the Temple To Music, the Roger Williams Park Casino, large greenspaces, and many miles of walking paths.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has declared Roger Williams Park to be one of the finest urban parks in the U.S.