Avi’s Something Upstairs Walking Tour 

Step back in time and explore the streets of Providence through the lens of Avi’s Something Upstairs. This book has captivated young readers for three decades with its blend of time travel, ghosts, fact, and fiction. We’ll walk the same streets as Kenny and Caleb, visit the waterfront, and see the very house in which the story is set. Students will learn about life in 1800, Rhode Island’s involvement in the slave trade, and the traits of historical fiction.

Students should have finished the book, or have read up to Chapter Four, before participating in the tour.

There is also a virtual option for this program. A museum educator will take students back in time to see remnants of the past that remain on the streets of Providence. Students will see the locations mentioned in the book Something Upstairs by Avi. The virtual program is about 60 minutes long and can be hosted by the RIHS’s Zoom account or the classroom’s Google Meet account.