Cranston Street Armory

The Broadway–Armory Historic District of Providence may be a bit off the city center, but it’s a lovely neighborhood to walk around, full of 19th-century houses in Italianate and Queen Anne style architecture. And its crown jewel is its very namesake: the Cranston Street Armory.

Designed in a pseudo-medieval Gothic style and palatial in every aspect, the armory was built in 1907 for the Rhode Island National Guard and remained in service for the following 90 years. Now the neighborhood’s beloved icon, it stands imposing like a real citadel, or at least a theme-park symbol, rather than a military armory.

Shortly after its “retirement,” the Cranston Street Armory became a popular event space, as well as a filming location featured in several movies. The open areas within its grounds are ideal for bluescreen work, and its iconic castle-like exterior is fitting for the silver screen. Notable works filmed here include Outside Providence (1999), Underdog (2007), and Hocus Pocus 2 (2022).