Westminster Arcade

Westminster Arcade

The Westminster Arcade is a historic shopping center at 130 Westminster Street and 65 Weybosset Street in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Built in 1828, it is notable as the first enclosed shopping mall in the United States.

Lauded as fine example of commercial Greek Revival architecture, it served as a shopping center for many years before falling into decline in the late 20th century. It has since been closed for renovation and rehabilitation several times, and most recently reopened its doors in October 2013 as a residential and commercial mixed-use building.

The interior consists of a main avenue 13 feet (4.0 m) on the ground floor, above which the second and third floor lanes are protected by richly decorated cast iron railings capped in mahogany.

The skylit roof extends the length of the building, its ridgeline aligned at the Westminster end with the top of the triangular pediment. Emphasis in all of the building's construction was on the use of fireproof materials: granite, brick, and cast iron are all used, and the roof was made of tin.

Location

130 Westminster Street
Providence, Rhode Island
USA

Getting There

Here are some public transportation options:

Bus: The RIPTA bus routes 1, 3, 6, 14, 17, 19, 27, 28, 33, 34, 35, 50, 56, 57, 58, 66, 92, and 95 all have stops within a few blocks of the arcade.

Train: The Providence Amtrak station is located about a mile south of the arcade. You can take the bus or a taxi to get there.

Trolley: The Providence/Warwick trolley runs through downtown Providence and has a stop near the arcade.

Bike: Providence has a bike-sharing program called JUMP Bikes, which allows you to rent a bike and ride around the city. There are several JUMP Bikes stations located near the arcade.

Nearby Airports

This is a list of primary airports in Rhode Island that have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.