Top Rated Attractions in Providence

The First Baptist Church in America is quite literally the primogenitor of all the subsequent congregations across the nation for this particular denomination of Protestantism. It was constructed in 1775 and like many other buildings in College Hill, it played a significant part in the development of both Colonial America as well as Providence. The church was also the impetus behind Brown University and its relocation from nearby Warren in 1770 (even though the building did not exist, the clerical bureaucracy still had considerable clout). In fact, the university still holds undergraduate commencement ceremonies inside the church's Meeting Hall every Fall. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966 and today its open to the public for services on Sunday as well as more tourist-oriented visits during the week.

Edna Lawrence Nature Lab is a natural history museum for the students of Rhode Island School of Design. Outsiders are allowed only with prior permission from the museum curator. It boasts at least hundred thousand artifacts such as shells, skeletons, fossils and slide mounts of micro organisms. It also houses a collection of more than 1000 rare herbs and plants, as well as mounted mammals and birds. There are a few living animals like turtles, gerbils, birds and fishes as well. The museum allows students to appreciate art and design found in nature and draw parallels with man-made design. The lab is equipped with digital cameras, dissecting and compound microscopes, X-ray photography machines and scanners to help students study the specimens. By exploring intricate patterns occurring in nature, students learn to build three-dimensional models and apply the knowledge to their own designs. Edna Lawrence Nature Lab also acts as a library and lends some of the natural specimens to students.

The Providence Art Club is the second oldest clubhouse of this kind in the United States after the famous Salgamundi Art Club in New York. The galleries and exhibitions support artists around the greater New England region and all are open to the public. Some of the exhibits include photography, assembled prints, film, sculpture and much, much more. It's better to visit during the week as opposed to weekends when it's only open for two hours.

The Rhode Island School of Design is one of the country's leading art schools and it has a museum to match this lauded reputation. Located on colonial Benefit Street, RISD museum traces the history of art from antiquity to the present day through more than 85,000 works of art from all over the world. There are also collections showing Providence's history as a manufacturing center for silver, but the main galleries are categorized as follows: The Grand Gallery, Early Renaissance & Medieval, Ancient Greek & Roman, Contemporary & Modern and Decorative Arts & Design.

This is the place to go if art is your calling. Named the best art college in the country by the US News and World Report, Rhode Island School of Design offers numerous courses individually and jointly with the Brown University; you can register at both colleges simultaneously. The college seems to thrive on its laurels alone, for it has the lowest admission rates in the country. Boasting of a long list of notable alumni, this institution attracts highly talented individuals from all over the world. The school also has an amazing gallery, where it displays over 80,000 works of art. Exhibitions are regularly held outside the campus, especially in the Woods-Gerry Gallery, where RISD students, faculty and even the staff get to show their talents.

Stretching from Main Street in the northern part of College Hill to Alves Way in the neighborhood of Fox Point, this street is also called the 'Mile of History'. Benefit Street has been a catalyst in the history of the city and state. Along the way, visitors will see many Victorian and Colonial homes as well as the campus of Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design. The street is dotted with other historical attractions like the Providence Athenaeum, the First Baptist Church in America and the anachronistic John Brown and Nightingale Houses. If you choose to walk yourself, the Providence Preservation Society provides free pamphlets in order to guide you down the street.