Roger Williams Zoo & Newport Mansions Too Much for One Day?

We are planning a trip to New England the second week of April. Our daughter loves zoos and although we are staying in Plymouth, MA, we have heard that the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston isn%26#39;t all that nice and that the Roger Williams Zoo in Providence would be a much better choice. Would you agree? Also, we are also planning on seeing the Newport Mansions and I was wondering if the zoo and the mansions would be too much for one day if we left Plymouth pretty early in the AM. Thanks!!

Roger Williams Zoo %26amp; Newport Mansions Too Much for One Day?

RWPZ is certainly worth a visit. April 16-20 there will be special programs since it is school vacation week ( check zoo website) There is also a new Botanical Center in the park that you might enjoy. It will take about an hour to get from the park to a mansion where the last tour of the day starts at 5:00 pm. It%26#39;s certainly doable if the weather is nice.

Roger Williams Zoo %26amp; Newport Mansions Too Much for One Day?

Thanks a lot for the info, I really appreciate it! We are hoping to go to at least a couple of the mansions. I have read on their site that some of them open in late March/early April that are closed in the winter so we are looking forward to it.

Sultana:

In my opinion, it would be too much to do both the mansions and the zoo in the same day but I%26#39;m not a high energy ';let%26#39;s squeeze it all in'; kind of person.

The drive from Roger Williams Park to the mansions will take approximately 1 hour and then a tour of one of the mansions will take approximately that long as well. The zoo isnt huge but it is a good size and well worth taking your time through. Other aspects of the park are just as lovely - including the old casino.

rogerwilliamsparkzoo.org/visit/ParkGrounds.c…

There are ';old mansions'; to tour through that are closer to providence such as the John Brown house in providence or Blithewold mansion on the water in Bristol, RI - just to mention some alternatives.

http://www.blithewold.org/

http://www.rihs.org/tours.html

I would go to the mansions if the weather isnt great for walking around a park, otherwise i would go to the zoo and see if there are some other historical home alternatives closer to where you would be.

I am sure others would disagree but my opinion is that to do both is a bit much. I like to enjoy where I%26#39;m going, not rush through to get somewhere else.

We probably will make it a two-day venture, because we also like to take our time and look around, especially when it%26#39;s somewhere that we haven%26#39;t been before. Thanks for the great links!