Things to Do in Warwick

South Kingstown is the newest location opening in 2013 of Rock Spot Climbing’s multiple locations, where colorful footholds and route markers sprawl along artificial rocks create diverse climbing surfaces for every major discipline. Dozens of top-rope stations challenge climbers to scale the wall in safety, whether belayed by a human companion or hooked up to an auto-belay unit that reduces the risk of conversation. Meanwhile, others eschew ropes in order to tackle bouldering routes—low-altitude obstacles littered with arches, steep faces, and caves—and lead climbers set their own anchors as they scale the wall. The climbing courses vary for all skill levels, ranging from sheer faces with ample handholds to cliffs for expert climbers and lemmings. Cardio machines let athletes warm up or cool down between climbs, and instructors lead afterschool classes to teach kids the art of competitive climbing.

As an aerial photographer, it makes sense for Jeff Codman to pilot a Robinson R44 Raven. The viper-red aircraft affords him unlimited freedom of movement, nearly 360-degree visibility, and the ability to hover and swoop like a hummingbird as he dips 100 feet above the earth to snap shots of sailboats, unusual toupees, and ocean-side mansions.

Now, with Bird's Eye View Helicopters’ tours, Mr. Codman grants guests the same breathtaking aerial views in the helicopter that he’s enjoyed for more than 20 years. The Fall Foliage tour transports guests over a patchwork quilt of red and orange foliage, and the Island Tour traces a route above Ocean Drive and historic lighthouses. Mr. Codman even lets amateur pilots take the reins during a 25-minute introductory flight.

At 14,000 square feet, the Bank of America City Center dwarfs the famed ice rink at New York City's Rockefeller Center and provides visitors with plenty of room to skate for hours. All winter long, the rink hosts public sessions as well as Learn-to-Skate classes for beginners and drop-in refresher classes for adults. Located in Kennedy Plaza, skaters can enjoy a day of gliding against a backdrop of Providence landmarks during open skate sessions, group skating and birthday parties. After graceful spins across the ice, guests can indulge in cocoa, coffee, and delicious eats from downtown Providence's nearby local haunts.

Since 1989, the Biomes Marine Biology Center has immersed visitors of all ages in the lives of sea creatures through a range of hands-on programs. Though it recently moved to a new location, it has kept aquatic habitats focused on the denizens of Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Amid tanks of native and tropical species such as octopuses, horseshoe crabs, lionfish, tortoises, and sharks, the staff treats visitors to a range of events—including public feedings, educational demonstrations, and hermit-crab-socialization seminars.

In a separate area for kids aged 3–6 , staff members lead animal-themed story times, and walk children through corresponding craft projects afterward. They also organize birthday parties, during which kids can pet tide-pool animals such as eels, horseshoe crabs, and small sharks.

Legion Bowl & Billiards preserves retro entertainment with 18 duckpin bowling lanes, eight tournament-sized billiards tables, and ticket-spewing arcade games. The alley’s streamlined design hearkens to the tailfins of a 1957 Chevy Bel-Air or the cover art of a mid-century sci-fi novel. Traditional scoring projectors lend to the classic ambiance at the lanes, which fill with the clatter of scattering pins.

Television screens in the pool hall broadcast live coverage of New England sports teams, and the spitfire rasp of electric guitars occasionally cuts through from live musicians at the adjoining Legion Pub. The kitchen staff fires selections from a menu of burgers and grilled pizzas, which pair with draft beers or cocktails. On the alley’s outdoor deck, guests click together glasses or toss rocks at poets attracted by the breezy summer evenings.