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Around Providence

Resources for Visitors  |  Maps of the City  |  Museums  | 
Historical Landmarks & Streets  |  Restaurants, Cafes, & Bars

Rhode Island's capital is the second-largest city in New England with an estimated population of 172,459 as of 2007. Providence offers a rich cultural and architectural heritage that stretches back to 1636 when it was founded by the religious freedom activist Roger Williams soon after he was expelled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony by the Puritans. The city was one of the first cities to industrialize in the United States and was noted for its jewelry and silverware industry.

Providence is believed to have a larger percentage of buildings on the National Historic Register than any other U.S. city, with scores of immaculately preserved Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival and Victorian homes and buildings. Cobblestone streets and gas streetlamps — now converted to electric — are hallmarks of the city's East Side where Brown University is located. The Rhode Island State House, the Arcade, the John Brown House, the Providence Athenaeum, and the First Baptist Church (First Baptist Meeting House) are among the many historic buildings open to the public year-round.

Resources for visitors

  • Visitor’s guide
    Request a visitor’s guide
  • Rhode Island Historical Preservation Reports
    Open access to publications about Providence's architectural heritage.
  • History of Narragansett Bay
    "Narragansett Bay: A Friend's Perspective" is an open access publication by Stuart O. Hale narrating the history of Narragansett Bay.
  • Trolley Tours of Providence
    The Providence Trolley offers a narrated historical tour of Rhode Island’s capital city.
  • City Buses
    Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) is a quasi-public, independent authority operating public transit services throughout the State of Rhode Island. SALALM members can catch RIPTA buses (less than $3) from Kennedy Plaza, across the street from the hotel.

    Taking RIPTA buses and trolleys from Kennedy Plaza to the Brown campus:
    The following bus/trolley routes will take you from Kennedy Plaza to Thayer/Tunnel stop on Thayer Street (next to Starbucks):
    35 Rumford/Newport Avenue Outbound
    40 Butler/Elmgrove Outbound
    42 Hope Street Outbound
    49 Camp Street Outbound
    78 Beverage Hill Outbound
    92 Green Line Trolley - East
    Schedules for all of these can be found on-line.

Maps of the city

Museums

  • Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design
    224 Benefit St., Providence
    (401) 454-6500
    The Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, also known as the RISD Museum, is Rhode Island’s leading museum of fine and decorative art, housing a collection of 84,000 objects of international significance.
  • Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology Gallery at Manning Hall
    Brown University campus
    1-21 Prospect St., Providence
    (401) 863-2065
    A new satellite gallery on the Brown University campus.
  • John Brown House Museum
    52 Power St., Providence
    401-273-7507
    One of America's grandest mansions when completed in 1788, the house at 52 Power Street was home first to John Brown, a businessman, patriot, politician, China trade pioneer, and slave trader who participated in the debates and practices that shaped the new nation.
  • Slater Mill Museum
    67 Roosevelt Ave., Pawtucket
    (401) 725-8638
    Slater Mill is the first water powered cotton textile mill in North America. Located in Pawtucket Village and built by Samuel Slater in 1793, it was in operation as a yarn spinning mill until 1829. it was fully restored in 1966 and designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service.

Historical Landmarks and Streets

  • Benefit Street
    Known as the "Mile of History," Benefit Street stretches just over a mile in length and can be found on the historic East Side of Providence. See Map of the East Side. For more information on this street click here.
  • Providence Athenaeum
    251 Benefit St., Providence
    (401) 421-6970
    The Athenaeum was founded in 1753 as an independent member-supported library. The Athenaeum's building is a listed National Historic Landmark. The handsome Greek Revival building, completed in 1838, is the only New England building designed by the great Philadelphia architect, William Strickland.
  • Rhode Island State House
    82 Smith St., Providence
    (401) 277-2357
    Designed by the New York firm of McKim, Mead & White, the State House is sculpted from white Georgia marble and sits atop Smith Hill in downtown Providence. Construction took nine years to complete, beginning in 1895 and finishing in 1904. It boasts one of the largest self-supported domes in the world. The gilded figure on top represents "Independent Man," the state symbol.
  • First Baptist Church
    75 North Main St., Providence
    (401) 454-3418
    The oldest Baptist church in America was founded in 1638 in Providence. The present structure on North Main St. is the third meeting house and was built in 1775.

Restaurants, cafes and bars

Lists of recommended restaurants, cafes and bars will be included in your congress packet. If you are a SALALM member and wish to receive these lists by e-mail before the congress please contact Patricia Figueroa, chair of local arrangements.