Don't Hibernate! Head to Roger Williams Park Zoo

While winter may be the off-season for most creatures that inhabit Roger Williams Park Zoo, this polar bear is in his element when New England days grow short and snowy (note: polar bears will return to the zoo in 2010 following construction of their new habitat). He looks rather cuddly, but polar bears are actually one of North America's most dangerous animals. A viewing window provides zoo visitors with a unique opportunity to watch the polar bears underwater, as well.

The zoo's 40 acres within the lovely and sprawling 102-acre Roger Williams Park are home to a diverse collection of nearly 1,000 animals representing more than 150 species. A "menagerie" was first introduced at the park in 1872, just one year after the property was bequeathed to the City of Providence by Betsy Williams in memory of her great-great-grandfather and Rhode Island founder, Roger Williams.