About this Event
This program is part of Providence Preservation Society's Festival of Architecture and Design (Sep 26 - Oct 30, 2026). You can find !
Join us for a walk inside the Cranston Street Armory and hear about the Armory's history, from the early 1900s when it was constructed through 2023, when contracted redevelopment plans were cancelled by the state. Visitors will have an opportunity to walk the central drill hall and step inside many of the offices that look out on Dexter Field.
The Cranston Street Armory was originally built in 1907 to house the Rhode Island National Guard. Designed by the local architecture firm William R. Walker & Son, it earned the nickname “the people’s castle” due to its twin six-story towers. From 1909 to 1981, the building was known as the Providence Civic Center and hosted a wide variety of events, including track meets, basketball games, boxing matches, circuses, auto shows, inaugural balls, and political rallies. When the Civic Center closed due to structural problems, Rhode Island’s National Guard moved back into the building and then permanently moved out in 1996.
For three decades, the West Broadway Neighborhood Association and Providence Preservation Society have been vocal champions of the Armory’s revitalization as a historically significant building with potential to serve as a vibrant community hub and driver of economic and cultural life.
Tickets: $45 General / $35 PPS Member
All tickets are fully refundable up to seven days in advance of each program. After that, tickets are nonrefundable because we may not be able to sell the released tickets within a short timeframe. Thanks for your understanding!
We thank the Department of Administration and the Department of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance for opening it up for this tour.
Event venue & nearby stays
Cranston Street Armory, 310 Cranston Street, Providence, United States
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