Rhode Island - Nature and Scientific Wonders

The Blithewold Mansion, a 45-room Gilded Age estate with views of Narragansett Bay, is surrounded by 33 acres of gardens and botanical specimens. The arboretum includes some 300 species of trees and shrubs, including exotic flowering plants.

In Providence, the Museum of Natural History displays 350 million-year-old plant fossils from ancient Rhode Island, as well as preserved plants and animals and archaeological artifacts. The Cormack Planetarium has night-sky programs, as well as shows about cosmology and the workings of the universe.

Rhode Island has 400 miles of coastline, and its state parks offer breathtaking seascapes. Beavertail State Park covers 170 acres, with hiking trails and fishing spots along the rocky shore. Colt State Park, covering 464 acres, boasts views of Narragansett Bay and great picnic spots.