Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Exit 22 off I-95 deposits you downtown. The university area is a short walk to the east.
The colorful Italian enclave of Federal Hill centers on Atwells Ave, a mile west of the
city center.
College Hill
NEIGHBORHOOD
East of the Providence River, College Hill, headquarters of
Brown University
(
www.brown.edu
)
, contains over 100 Colonial, Federal and Revival houses dating from the
18th century. Stroll down
Benefit Street's
'Mile of History' for the best of them. Amidst
them you'll find the clean lines of William Strickland's 1838
Providence Athenaeum
(
401-421-6970;
www.providenceathenaeum.org
;
251 Benefit St; 9am-7pm Mon-Thu, 9am-5pm
Fri & Sat, 1-5pm Sun)
, inside which plaster busts of Greek gods and philosophers
preside over a collection that dates from 1753.
Free tours of the campus begin from the
Brown University Admissions Office
(
401-863-2378; Corliss Brackett House, 45 Prospect St)
. Call or drop by for times.
Museum of Art
MUSEUM
( 401-454-6500;
www.risdmuseum.org
; 224 Benefit St; adult/child $12/3; 10am-5pm Tue-
Sun, to 9pm Thu; )
Wonderfully eclectic, the Rhode Island School of Design's art mu-
seum showcases everything from ancient Greek art to 20th-century American paintings
and decorative arts. Pop in before 1pm Sunday and admission is free.
State House
HISTORIC BUILDING
( 401-222-3983; 82 Smith St; 8:30am-4:30pm Mon-Fri, free tours 9am, 10am & 11am)
Providence's focal point is crowned with one of the world's largest self-supporting
marble domes. Check out the Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington, then compare
it to the $1 bill in your wallet.
Roger Williams Park
PARK
(1000 Elmwood Ave)
In 1871 Betsey Williams, great-great-great-granddaughter of
the founder of Providence, donated her farm to the city as a public park. Today this
430-acre expanse of greenery, only a short drive south of Providence, includes lakes and
ponds, forest copses, broad lawns, picnic grounds and a
Planetarium and Museum of
Natural History
(
401-785-9457; museum $2, planetarium $4;
10am-4pm, planetarium
shows 2pm Sat & Sun;
)
.
