Immediately east of Providence's downtown, you'll find College Hill, where you can see the city's Colonial history reflected in the 18th-century houses that line Benefit St on the East Side. These are mostly private homes, but many are open for tours one weekend in June during the annual Festival of Historic Houses. Benefit St is a fitting symbol of the Providence renaissance, rescued by local preservationists in the 1960s from misguided urban-renewal efforts that would have destroyed it.
Benefit Street
Top choice in Providence
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
26.06 MILES
While the peerless position and splendor of the grounds alone are worth the price of admission, this faux-English manor house also contains heiress and…
25.15 MILES
A 70-room Italian Renaissance megapalace inspired by 16th-century Genoese palazzi, the Breakers is the most magnificent of Newport's grandiose mansions…
24.5 MILES
Designed by Horace Trumbauer in 1901, the Elms is a replica of Château d'Asnières, built near Paris in 1750. Here you can take a 'behind-the-scenes' tour…
0.59 MILES
Designed by McKim, Mead and White in 1904, the Rhode Island State House rises above the Providence skyline, easily visible from miles around. Modeled in…
24.54 MILES
Fort Adams is America's largest coastal fortification and the centerpiece of this gorgeous state park, which juts out into Narragansett Bay. It's the…
0.05 MILES
One of the most prominent buildings on Benefit St, the Greek Revival Providence Athenaeum was designed by William Strickland and completed in 1838. This…
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National Museum of American Illustration
25.07 MILES
This acclaimed museum features an impressive collection of 'the most American of American Art' including Maxfield Parrish's impossibly luminous works in…
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18.87 MILES
Located in Portsmouth, 6 miles north of Newport, on the site of a former missile manufacturing plant, this fantastic, new-in-2017 museum showcases more…
Nearby Providence attractions
0.02 MILES
On Providence's Benefit St, the 1708 Stephen Hopkins House, named for the 10-time governor and Declaration of Independence signer, was rescued in the…
0.05 MILES
One of the most prominent buildings on Benefit St, the Greek Revival Providence Athenaeum was designed by William Strickland and completed in 1838. This…
3. Rhode Island School of Design
0.1 MILES
Perhaps the top art school in the USA, RISD's imprint on Providence is easily felt, with students' creativity extending across the cityscape. Open to the…
0.1 MILES
Dominating the crest of the College Hill neighborhood on the East Side, Brown University's campus exudes Ivy League charm. University Hall, a 1770 brick…
0.11 MILES
Wonderfully eclectic, the Rhode Island School of Design's art museum showcases everything from ancient Greek art to 20th-century American paintings and…
0.2 MILES
The ruddy-brick John Brown House, built in 1786 atop College Hill, now houses yet another impressive Rhode Island local history museum. This one is…
7. Industrial National Bank Building
0.29 MILES
Providence's landmark art-deco skyscraper has had many monikers over the years, from the Industrial Trust Building to the Bank of America Building and…
0.32 MILES
A great spot from which to get an overview of Providence is this elevated, compact green space known as Prospect Terrace Park. In warm weather, you’ll…