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Brown University

Visit Brown

Brown welcomes visitors year-round.

Come to Providence’s College Hill and get to know Brown firsthand.

The Admission Office offers tours and information sessions most weekdays and select Saturdays. Meet at the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center . Short on time? Pick up a self-guided tour and campus map any day. Most of Brown’s 235 buildings and facilities are within a few blocks of the campus center, the College Green.

There are many paths to Brown. Kennedy Plaza , the bus service hub, and the Providence Train Station, home to Amtrak and Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) service, are both downtown, just a short walk or taxi ride away from campus. T.F. Green Airport is 10 miles south in Warwick, RI.

Get driving directions and parking information . Please consult the current schedule of roadway improvements.

Check out our events calendar to see what’s happening on campus the day of your visit, or get a sample of the Brown academic experience by visiting a class.

Spending the night? See our list of local accommodations .

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Engineering Concentrations

Brown University is situated in the heart of historic Providence, Rhode Island, approximately one hour south of Boston and three hours north of New York City – both large metropolitan cites accessible by train. However, you need not travel far to find rich culture and diverse activities in Providence.  Providence is an ethnically and culturally rich city, with world famous cuisine scattered in and about the city, as well as many artistic outlets along with a rich mix of colonial architecture on Benefit Street.

Brown Engineering is located at the Engineering Research Center, at 345 Brook Street , Providence (and also at the adjoining Barus and Holley Building, Giancarlo Lab, and Prince Lab.) You can access the main lobby on Brook Street between Waterman and George Streets.

Arrange a visit to Brown Engineering:

Engineering specific tours are designed to give prospective students an overview of what it is like to study engineering at Brown University. Your tour of the School of Engineering will be led by current engineering students and will visit classrooms and lab spaces. The engineering tour lasts approximately 30 minutes.  Please  register  in advance for a tour of the School of Engineering. Tours depart from the Hazeltine Commons in the Engineering Research Center (345 Brook Street).  Engineering tours are available during the academic year. For more information, please contact:

Ann Wang Student Affairs Coordinator (401) 863-6843 , B&H 312

Arrange a Campus Tour 

The  Office of College Admission  offers  general campus tours for prospective students. In addition, we encourage you to connect with admission officers  and experience Brown through  virtual tours and events such as these  Admission Information Sessions .

For the most updated information about Brown University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, please refer to healthy.brown.edu

More Travel Information

Brown provides complete information on hotels and reservations.  It also offers special Brown discount rates.     

For Prospective Students and Visitors

Visit the department.

Prospective students are welcome to visit our facilities in the List Art Building for a self-guided or student-led tour. Student-led tours can be arranged during the academic year. Student-led tours depend on the availability of our student guides and should be arranged for in advance. The List Art Building is open from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Book a tour of our facilities

Additional campus tours and information sessions are available to prospective students through  Undergraduate Admission .

Building Locations:

List Art Building 64 College Street Providence, RI 02912

Walter Feldman Book Arts Studio Basement of the John Hay Library 20 Prospect Street Providence, RI 02912

Apply to the Undergraduate Program

Students applying to Brown should not submit the Common Application Arts Supplement. Information about submitting a portfolio as a supplement to your application to Brown can be found on the Undergraduate Admission website . Portfolios will be reviewed as part of the admissions process. Our faculty are not able to meet individually with prospective students for portfolio reviews.

Portfolios should include recent work and each piece should be clearly labeled with your name and the title, medium, dimensions, and date of the work. Include work that indicates your skill level in a variety of media. Remember that this is not a requirement for your admissions application; it is a supplement.

A strong foundation in high school art will help you with any class you take at Brown. AP credits may not take the place of the VISA0100 course requirement. This foundation level course is required for students wishing to take a class at RISD as well as for many other VISA courses.

Additionally, the Visual Art Department does not grant credit for advanced placement Art History taken in high school. However, it is possible to take another History of Art and Architecture course in lieu of this requirement with your VA Concentration Advisor's approval.

The Brown/RISD Dual Degree Program draws on the complementary strengths of two world-class institutions and offers students the opportunity to develop and integrate diverse spheres of academic and artistic interests by pursuing degrees at Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design over five years.

To learn more about this program, contact [email protected] or one of Brown’s program coordinators .

RISD’s Program Coordinator is Brown RISD Dual Degree Advisor Assistant Cassie Bower ( [email protected] , 401-863-9800).

Students at Brown may obtain cross-registration forms either in person or online at the Brown Registrar’s Office. Permission of the RISD instructor and VISA0100 is required for cross-registration.

More information about RISD cross-registration

When students intend to enroll in four or more courses at RISD or if they wish to enroll in a RISD course that satisfies RISD’s Liberal Arts requirements, they must file a petition. RISD's academic calendar is different from Brown's, so scheduling this with Brown can be a little tricky. It is possible, but taking the course should be carefully planned with your Brown course load, dorm schedule, etc.

Winter Session can provide a nice opportunity for Brown students to have an intensive studio experience.

Taking VISA0100, Studio Foundations early (semesters level 01, 02, and 03) is beneficial. It is one of the most popular courses at Brown, a prerequisite for the majority of non-foundation level VISA courses, and a requirement for students interested in taking courses at RISD. You can register for the VISA0100 lottery as soon as you have brown.edu email address.

During pre-registration, the Department of Visual Art will run a lottery to set enrollment for the course. All students who enter the lottery will receive an email from the Department informing them whether they have been successfully placed and to then request an override code. Placed students will then be instructed to request an override code to confirm their placement. Override codes will not be issued until the first day of classes in the Spring. All students who are placed into a section must attend the first day of class to secure their spot. Instructors will approve override codes after the first day of class. All students who are placed into a section must attend the first day of class to secure their spot. Instructors will approve override codes after the first day of class.

If you enter your name into the lottery for VISA0100 and do not get placed, we strongly encourage you to attend the first day of any section that works with your schedule. The two week shopping period at Brown, combined with the online registration system, means that class rosters are very fluid at the beginning of the semester. Seats often open up on the first or second day of class. Students who do not attend the first day are often dropped from the roster. Instructors will have a sign-in sheet and a waiting list for each class. Priority is given to students who intend to concentrate in Visual Art.

Each section of VISA0100 is slightly different. Basic ideas are common across sections, but projects and expectations are unique to the instructor.

Fall 2024 Lottery Form

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Brown University: An Architectural Tour (The Campus Guide) Paperback – Folded Map, December 17, 2013

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Print length 288 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Princeton Architectural Press
• Publication date December 17, 2013
• Dimensions 6.5 x 1 x 10 inches
• ISBN-10 9781616890735
• ISBN-13 978-1616890735
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Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1616890738
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Princeton Architectural Press; FOL PAP/MA edition (December 17, 2013)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781616890735
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1616890735
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1 x 10 inches
• #651 in New England US Travel Books
• #10,673 in Higher & Continuing Education
• #17,734 in U.S. State & Local History

About the author

Raymond p. rhinehart.

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Experience Brown University

Virtually explore Brown University in a fully immersive 360-degree experience.

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• Diversity & Inclusion

Brown opens doors to visitors for first in-person campus tours since March 2020

With mask requirements, limited groups, hallmark of college process returns.

The University offered its first in-person campus tours since March 2020 last week, bringing back a staple of the college process and marking another step toward the Office of Admission’s return to normalcy. Tours look different than they did in March 2020, mostly due to health and safety requirements instituted in response to COVID-19. Groups are now limited to 26 tour goers with just one guide. Visitors now wear wristbands, which indicate that they’re signed up for the tour, and masks, regardless of vaccination status. Guides, also masked, now speak into microphones, minimizing the need to shout. But beyond those changes, the content and route of the tour are largely the same, tour coordinator Josh Neronha ’22 said. And on his Friday afternoon tour — just the second he had given since they resumed — the familiar rituals of a tour all appeared. A small line of parents and students followed Neronha two-by-two from the Quiet Green to the Main Green, and from Ruth J. Simmons Quad to the Sciences Quad. Gathering in clumps at each spot, they took meticulous notes — and shared knowing glances — as Neronha discussed housing, food, academics, athletics, campus safety and a litany of other subjects. And, between stops, a student would catch Neronha at the front of the line, checking in with a specific question. “After doing virtual tours for a year and a half, it’s so nice to be back talking with people,” Neronha said. “Seeing people’s faces and answering questions, it’s a level of connection that I personally think is hard to get virtually.” Neronha also added information about the Open Curriculum to his tour that he hadn’t provided in years past — in part, he said, because in-person University information sessions have yet to return, instead remaining in an online format that he described as “less risky” than putting 50 people in a room. Other virtual programming also remains available, such as virtual tours and live Q&As — an addition to admissions outreach that Dean of Admission Logan Powell has previously stressed is very important .  The University does not measure “demonstrated interest” while reviewing applications, such as whether or not a student visited campus, according to the Office of Admission’s website . On the route, only two key differences were apparent: Groups did not enter Sayles Hall as they would have in the past, and on Simmons Quad, the group stood on the plot of grass where Untitled (Lamp/Bear) — a former stop on the tour commonly known as Blueno — once stood. Neronha said his opinions are mixed: The new space makes the tour stop easier, but he doesn’t know whether or not to explain the significance of the patch of grass. “Do I take time to explain that Blueno used to be here — that there was this random blue bear that you don’t really care about, but I’ll tell you anyway? Or do I just not say anything?” he wondered. He admitted that he was leaning toward the latter option, but still wanted to “properly memorialize” Blueno somehow.  Charlotte Sandford, a high school senior from New York City who joined the tour, said the return to in-person tours improved her ability to get a sense of a school. Her trip to College Hill was the first official college tour she had taken; she had visited other schools, but had to rely on current first-years she knew from high school to show her around. The expertise that a senior brought to the tour, she said, made a difference in the information she gained. Eric Wolfsdorf, a high school senior from Los Angeles, said that he also enjoyed the tour and learning about the “ins and outs” of the University, down to the details of where students study, eat and live. “Brown is a warm environment with lots of people who are willing to reach out and help,” he noted. Wolfsdorf said he had been on a number of other tours, two of which were self-guided. “I felt like I learned nothing from that,” he said.  “The tour experience here has been the best,” Sandford added, “because I’ve actually been able to have a tour.” In-person tours mark one of the first pieces of normalcy in the college process for this year’s class of high school seniors, many of whom started thinking about college in the middle of the pandemic: Sandford said that she had a difficult time accessing standardized testing, and college visits to her high school moved online. “It’s just different,” Wolfsdorf said, adding that COVID-19 impacted last year’s high school seniors significantly more, but that the disrupted college process is all he has experienced. 

Will Kubzansky was the 133rd editor-in-chief and president of the Brown Daily Herald. Previously, he served as a University News editor overseeing the admission & financial aid and staff & student labor beats. In his free time, he plays the guitar and soccer — both poorly.

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Get your daily rundown of Philly happenings in less than 10 minutes

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Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s book tour makes a stop in Philly this weekend

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Read the news of the day in less than 10 minutes — not that we’re counting.

The first Black woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court will be in Philly this weekend.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is touring the country in support of her memoir “Lovely One.” On Saturday, she’ll be at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, at an event hosted by Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books. 

“This is a historic event in as many ways as you can say it,” said Justin Moore, general manager of Uncle Bobbie’s . “Ketanji Brown Jackson being the first Black woman appointed to the Supreme Court in this country is about as historic as you can get in terms of what it means for this country, what it means for Black people in this country.” 

Moore added that this would be Uncle Bobbie’s biggest event ever, with about 4,000 people present ( it’s sold out ), and one of the biggest book events in the city this year.

The event starts at 5 p.m. at 2800 W Cheltenham Ave. 6ABC News anchor Tamala Edwards and Justice Jackson will discuss her life and journey to the Supreme Court. Guests can also send questions (via this Google Form ) beforehand for Justice Jackson to answer at the event.

“Lovely One” was released earlier this month. In it, she shares her family’s experience with segregation and her dedication to honoring their history as she grew up, including her term as senior class president in high school and her accolades at Harvard University. 

The Supreme Court justice also details juggling her rigorous legal career with the responsibilities of marriage and motherhood. She not only documents her life but also the progress of American history and politics at a time when the Supreme Court is scrutinized for its right-leaning decisions.

“She will be in history books forever,” Moore said, “and there’s very few opportunities that you get to meet with or put an event on for someone of that magnitude.” 

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, hi, does anyone know the process for visiting brown university.

I've been drawn to Brown's open curriculum and its vibrant student body. I'd really love to visit the campus. Does anyone know how to set up a tour or a visit?

Touring a college campus is a great way to get a feel for the community and resources offered. With regards to Brown University, there are several different steps you can follow to set up a tour or visit.

First, head over to Brown's official website and look for the "Visit" section, under "Admission & Aid”. There, you will find information about in-person tours and virtual visits.

In-person campus tours usually last about an hour and depart from the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center. You can check the calendar for tour times and dates. Keep in mind, these are walking tours that cover a lot of ground, so wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather.

Before you visit, you’ll need to pre-register for a tour online on their website. Spaces can fill up, especially during peak times such as the summer or school holidays, so it's best to sign up as early as possible.

An alternative to an official tour is a self-guided tour. You can download a self-guided tour brochure from Brown's website, which contains a campus map and information about key locations.

For those unable to visit in person, Brown also offers virtual visit options. These include online information sessions and virtual campus tours where you can explore the campus through an interactive map.In addition, consider reaching out to the Admissions Office if you have specific questions, or if you're interested in attending a class or meeting with a professor or current student during your visit. They may be able to arrange this provided you give sufficient notice.

Enjoy your visit to Brown. It's a beautiful campus with a lot to offer, so take the time to fully explore and get a sense of the academic and social culture!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

Public Art Tours

April 6-November 17, 2024 VISUAL ART Appreciate Brown’s distinguished public art collection with a student-curated tour. 40-minute guided walking tours will explore 6 works of art. All tours are outdoors, rain or shine.

“ Brown has a magnificent public art collection with a range of work that spans classical sculpture to contemporary art. Activating this collection with student-curated tours promotes an understanding and appreciation of these rich cultural treasures. ”

About Public Art Tours

In the spring of 2024, the Brown Arts Institute introduces a new initiative: free, student-led Public Art Tours. Open to everyone, the tours are scheduled every Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 PM, providing weekend enrichment through the exploration of Brown University's distinctive outdoor public art collection.

The Public Art Tours enable the University to share its significant cultural assets with the wider public and underscore the value of public art within the Brown community. With guidance from University Curator Nicole Wholean, 15 students, supported through Brown Arts Institute's ArtsCrew workforce development initiative, curated tours that feature a personal selection of 6 works from Brown's wide-ranging public art collection of over 30 pieces.

Participants can look forward to a student-led exploration that promises not just a tour, but an inclusive and enjoyable learning experience, unveiling the stories behind each artwork and the collection as a whole.

In the News

The brown arts institute showcases beloved statues, from bronze bruno to marcus aurelius, student-led walking tours highlight brown’s diverse collection of public art, 2024 schedule, frequency: every saturday and sunday, from april 6 through november 17, time: 1:00 pm, no advance registration required, just arrive at the location before 1:00 pm, there are no public art tours on april 20 and 21, may 25 and 26, august 31, and september 1, questions: [email protected], saturday tours, meet at the eli harvey sculpture, bronze bruno , on the college green..

Sunday Tours

Gather at tom friedman’s  circle dance , on the campus walk..

Brown University Transfers: 2024 Requirements, Dates, GPAs & More

How long do brown university tours last.

CampusReel hosts a total of about 114 tour videos for Brown University , so you can expect to spend between 342 to 570 minutes total watching content. Of course, we are constantly adding new content. Come back to CampusReel often to see new videos and campus tours of Brown University and stay informed on campus life.

Where do Brown University tours start?

On CampusReel, you can start your Brown University tour wherever you’d like. If you’re touring Brown University in person with a traditional walking tour you’ll likely start at the admissions office. The school’s address is listed as Providence, RI so we recommend plugging that into your GPS. Before beginning a tour at Brown University , make sure you check the weather and plan out your itinerary and accommodations appropriately. Providence weather can be unpredictable, so bring comfortable shoes in case it rains. Also, check what stops the tour includes to make sure you’ll see everything you’re interested in! The Brown University website likely outlines important information for tour visitors.

When do Brown University tours start?

Needless to say, a CampusReel virtual tour of Brown University starts whenever you want. However, most schools provide 2-3 different start times for group tours in-person: in the morning, afternoon, and late afternoon. We recommend choosing the second available timeslot because Brown University students will likely be up and about by then. You can explore Providence if you wake up early and want to gain a deeper understanding of the surrounding community. Check the Brown University admissions site or student services to confirm tour times.

What are the best landmarks and locations at Brown University ?

Below is a list of every Brown University building that has a tour on CampusReel.

• V-Dub at Brown University
• Den Den Café Asiana at Brown University
• Quiet Green at Brown University
• Salomon Center at Brown University
• Pembroke Campus at Brown University
• Andrews Hall at Brown University
• Van Wickle Gates at Brown University
• Andrews Commons at Brown University
• Stephen Robert '62 Campus Center at Brown University
• Wriston Quadrangle at Brown University
• Nelson Fitness Center at Brown University
• Macmillan Hall at Brown University
• Department of Religious Studies at Brown University
• Brown University Sciences Library at Brown University
• Patriot's Court at Brown University
• Sharpe Refectory Dining Hall at Brown University
• Page-Robinson Hall at Brown University
• Brown University at Brown University
• Wayland Arch at Brown University
• Brown University College Green at Brown University
• Emery-Woolley Dormitory at Brown University
• Erickson Athletic Complex at Brown University
• Ruth J. Simmons Quadrangle at Brown University
• Randall Financial Group, LLC at Brown University
• Buxton House at Brown University
• Wayland Ave at Brown University
• The Walk (North) at Brown University
• Downtown Providence at Brown University
• Annmary Brown Memorial at Brown University
• Wickenden St at Brown University
• Thayer St at Brown University
• John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library at Brown University
• Memorial Park at Brown University
• Sidney E Frank Hall for Life Sciences at Brown University

What will I see on a Brown University tour?

All CampusReel tours for Brown University include everything from dorms to dining halls to student interviews and gameday videos. Most importantly, you will see Brown University students!

What is city Providence, RI like?

Providence is listed as New England. You need to evaluate the area carefully to make sure this is an environment you want to go to college in. Some people love a town this size, and others don’t. Either way, it will affect your time at Brown University .

Who are the tour guides for Brown University on CampusReel?

Scroll up to the top of the page to select from a number of tour guides available at Brown University . Keep in mind anyone can upload content to CampusReel, so the available tour guides are constantly increasing.

Summary and Overview of Brown University tours:

Brown University , like all colleges and universities, has its pros and cons. At the end of the day, your goal with these tour videos is to try to decide if Brown University is the right school for you. After you’ve taken the time learn about the campus, Providence and overall experience, then you can consider taking your search one step further and visiting Brown University in person.

Check out these related virtual tours:

• Campus tour to Yale University
• Campus tour to Harvard University
• Campus tour to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Campus tour to Tufts University
• Campus tour to Dartmouth College

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12 Things to See On Your Campus Visit to Brown

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Originally founded in 1764, Brown University is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution, and is also well-known as a member of the prestigious Ivy League . It maintains its stellar reputation and attracts tens of thousands of talented applicants each year by offering rigorous coursework, cutting-edge resources, and an open curriculum that encourages intellectual exploration.

As with any college, if you’re interested in applying to Brown, it’s a good idea to visit the campus if you’re able to do so. Brown’s admissions website offers a bevy of resources for potential applicants, and here at the CollegeVine blog , our Ultimate Guide to Applying to Brown University provides our expert advice on navigating the application process. However, visiting Brown in person allows you to get a better understanding of what life at the university is like and whether it is a good fit for you.

Whether you’re taking a tour, attending an information session, exploring on your own, or shadowing a current student, there is simply too much to see at Brown to fit it all into a short visit. However, we can offer a few highlights.

In this post, you’ll find a list of interesting sights on and off campus that you should consider making part of your schedule for your visit. These aren’t just fun attractions, though — they’re also windows into the student experience that can help you to decide whether life at Brown is a possibility that you’d like to pursue.

Want to learn what Brown University will actually cost you based on your income? And how long your application to the school should take?  Here’s what every student considering Brown University needs to know.

Things to See on Campus at Brown

The main green.

Every school has some kind of main outdoor area where everything seems to happen. At Brown, this is the Main Green, site of everything from major concerts to juggling practice, sunbathing to political rallies, and on a nice day, even the occasional class session held outdoors.

The buildings that ring the Main Green are important pieces of life at Brown, and include classrooms, administrative offices, performance and lecture spaces, and even a few dorms. This is a place where you’ll find yourself spending a great deal of time if you become a Brown student.

The ‘Quiet Green’

Just off the main green, beyond University Hall and its administrative offices, you’ll find this additional green space. As its (unofficial) name suggests, the Quiet Green doesn’t usually bustle with activity like the Main Green. Instead, it’s a peaceful enclave where you’ll find students reading against the pillars of Manning Chapel, gazing up at campus landmark Carrie Tower, or chatting quietly on the grass with friends.

At the front of the Quiet Green, you’ll find Brown’s Van Wickel gates, which mark the formal entrance to the campus. These gates only open twice a year, to admit new first-years at matriculation and to bid farewell to graduates at commencement. Beyond the gates, College Street runs steeply downhill toward downtown Providence.

Faunce House/Stephen Roberts ‘62 Campus Center

Faunce House, located on the Main Green, has stood for many years as a hub of student life on Brown’s campus. However, its renovation and renaming in 2010 have given it new life as an updated campus center, as well as a visible facelift that adds modern touches to the 113-year-old building.

If you end up attending Brown, you’ll inevitably spend time at the Campus Center, whether it’s sipping a coffee at the Blue Room Cafe, taking care of business at various administrative offices, or studying in one of the lounges. Taking a look at this space can give you a good sense of what it really feels like to make Brown your home.

Pembroke Campus

Prior to 1971, female students at Brown were formally enrolled in the women’s college known as Pembroke College. When Brown went fully co-ed, Pembroke’s students and facilities were absorbed into Brown, but the former women’s college is still known as the Pembroke campus. (The name also lives on in Brown’s  Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women .)

Don’t let the name fool you — Pembroke is continuous with the rest of Brown’s campus, and becomes more so every year as new construction contributes to a more unified campus. A considerable number of first-years are assigned to live on Pembroke, and while it can be a little out of the way for students from the other end of campus, it has its own amenities and its own charm.

The Sciences Library

You can’t miss the SciLi , which stands fourteen stories tall in the middle of campus. Nowadays, only a few of its floors are dominated by traditional library stacks. On the other floors, you’ll find study spaces of many shapes and sizes, the offices of Brown’s science resource programs, and even a meditation room.

If you’re visiting with a current student who can sign you in as a guest, don’t miss the chance to peek out the windows on the top floors. As a high-rise building that’s also on top of a major hill, the SciLi has incredible views of Brown’s campus and the entire College Hill area from windows facing in all directions.

Things to See Off-Campus While Visiting Brown

Thayer street.

As far as Brown students are concerned, this is the most important street around. It cuts directly through campus, is lined with restaurants, shops, and other amenities that students love, and is home to the Brown bookstore as well as various other university buildings. It’s always bustling with students, faculty, staff, and members of the greater Providence community.

Be sure to take a look at the impressive bus tunnel that allows Providence city buses to safely traverse the steep streets of College Hill during the treacherous winter months; it’s conveniently located right next to the ever-popular Starbucks. Brown students ride the bus for free, and from here, you can easily access the interesting and useful resources available downtown.

Wickenden Street

Located several blocks away from campus, in a neighborhood where many off-campus Brown seniors live, this street is packed with quirky restaurants, shops, cafes, and other fun things to do. It’s quainter, quieter, and less tourist-oriented than Thayer Street, and it strikes a nice balance between escaping the immediate campus bubble and visiting a familiar, pleasant space.

Benefit Street

If you’re looking for a quiet walk amid beautiful surroundings, check out the historical charm of Benefit Street. Just down College Hill from Brown’s central campus, this peaceful street is home to many unusual and historic homes, quaint brick sidewalks lined with trees, and other fascinating relics of the neighborhood’s past.

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)

Brown enjoys a special relationship with RISD, which is known as one of the best art schools in the United States. RISD’s campus is directly adjacent to Brown’s, and students from each of these colleges are able to take courses and use resources at the other college. There’s a lot of social overlap as well, so if you attend Brown, you very well may end up with friends from RISD.

RISD’s well-regarded art museum is a popular destination that’s big enough to have a wealth of interesting exhibits, but small enough to be seen in its entirety in a single afternoon. Every day, there are of course a number of other exhibitions, talks, and other events going on in the college’s galleries. Even if you’re not a prospective art major, proximity to RISD is a great and enriching benefit of being a Brown student.

Louis Family Restaurant

This local cafe , located on the fringe of Brown’s campus, gained some notoriety after an appearance on the TV show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  Regardless of media attention, it’s a perennial student favorite, especially the morning after an all-nighter. During finals period, you’ll find a line of students snaking down the street well in advance of the 5 AM opening time. The “grilled muffin” (crisp on the outside and warm all the way through) is often a baffling menu item to newcomers, but it’s delicious — and a true taste of life at Brown.

Meeting Street Cafe

Tucked away on the corner of Thayer Street, near the Pembroke campus,  this small establishment  is particularly well known for its gigantic half-pound cookies, especially the eclectic “garbage” version. On a winter evening, you might find TAs holding office hours in the booths, students warming up after a trip to the downtown ice-skating rink, and quite a few people gawking at the elaborate cakes in the display window.

If you visit Brown on a weekend between April and November, you may be around for a special treat. Technically, WaterFire is a sculpture, first created by artist Barnaby Evans in 1994, but it’s a work of art that’s spread through the heart of downtown Providence, and — most importantly — it’s also an immersive community experience.

On various evenings throughout the warmer months, Providence is transformed by over eighty bonfires lit on platforms over the river, as well as musicians, dancers, and other performers. Small boats bearing torches, gondoliers, and a few lucky visitors drift quietly by as locals and tourists alike gather by the water. It’s a magical time and a treasured part of the arts scene in Providence.

For More Information

Are you interested in visiting or applying to Brown?

Whether you’re just starting your research or putting the finishing touches on your application, check out these helpful posts from the CollegeVine blog for more information and school-specific application tips:

• The Ultimate Guide to Applying to Brown University
• How to Write the Brown University Application Essays 2016-2017
• How to Write the Brown University Application Essays 2015-2016
• The Ultimate Guide to Applying to the Brown University PLME Program

Want access to expert college guidance — for free? When you create your free CollegeVine account, you will find out your real admissions chances, build a best-fit school list, learn how to improve your profile, and get your questions answered by experts and peers—all for free. Sign up for your CollegeVine account today to get a boost on your college journey.

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Book and Photography Talk — Brown University: An Architectural Tour (The Campus Guide)

The Campus Guide: Brown University, An Architectural Tour

The Brown University Library and its Library Advisory Council invite the Brown community and members of the public to a book talk about the recently published Brown University: An Architectural Tour (The Campus Guide).  Friday, May 2 at 4 p.m. in the first floor presentation space of Rhode Island Hall , author Raymond P. Rhinehart ’62 and photographer Walter Smalling, Jr. will discuss the new  Guide , describing the process of creating and collecting these illustrious images and chronicling the depth and breadth of architectural styles at home on the Brown campus. A Q&A session and book signing will follow the lecture. Copies of the book will be available for purchase on site.

Organized by nine campus walks that bring readers along diverse, lively tours of the notable structures, the Guide offers practical information about the buildings on campus as well as insights into architectural styles by era with a healthy dose of Brown University and Ivy League history. Readers and attendees of the lecture will enjoy Rhinehart’s poetic style and Smalling’s stunning photographs. David Brussat, the architectural reporter for the Providence Journal , calls the book “An elegant guide to Brown’s campus.” Both the book and the talk will enrich and deepen one’s knowledge and estimation of College Hill and will appeal to architectural buffs, East Side residents, and members of the Brown community alike.

Raymond P. Rhinehart

Ray Rhinehart studied English literature at Brown and graduated magna cum laude in 1962. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton in 1969. After teaching at the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University, he pursued post-doctoral studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. While in North Carolina, Rhinehart performed curating work for the Virginia Museum, served as fine arts editor for the Richmond Mercury , reported on fine arts for NPR, published poems and essays in the Christian Science Monitor , and wrote a play on American history that was performed at the Virginia Museum.

After moving to Washington, DC and spending four years as an adjunct lecturer at American and George Washington Universities, Rhinehart was appointed as Director of Media Relations for the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1980. In 1987 he was named Vice President of the American Architectural Foundation, then in 1999 he returned to the AIA as Senior Director of Special Projects. He was made an Honorary Member of the AIA in 1994. He is the author of Princeton University: An Architectural Tour (The Campus Guide) as well as Brown University: An Architectural Tour (The Campus Guide) . Music is Rhinehart’s deepest passion, and he sings with the Cathedral Choral Society in Washington, DC, where he lives with his partner of 34 years, photographer Walter Smalling, Jr. They also share a home in Penobscot, Maine.

Walter Smalling, Jr.

After receiving a Bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida in art history and design in 1973, Walter Smalling, Jr. received a two-year grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities to preserve and create an exhibition of a historic photo collection. While working on this project, he was asked by a local preservation group to take photos of an endangered building. It was then that he discovered “old buildings” and his passion for architectural photography was born. He became a freelance photographer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Register of Historic Places. That was followed by a staff photographer position for the National Park Service’s historic preservation branch, during which time he traveled the world and wrote three books for the Service, including the first book ever written specifically on Shaker architecture.

Currently, Smalling works as a freelance photographer for major architectural firms, magazines, government agencies, book publishers, museums, and corporations worldwide. He has provided the photographs for fifteen books published by Rizzoli, Hearst, Crown Publishers, Princeton Architectural Press (including five college architectural guides), West Virginia University Press, and the New York Times . He is currently working on four books: one on the Shakers, a book on “Gentleman Farms of Virginia,” a book on the White House complex, and another on stone houses of the Shenandoah Valley. In addition to photography, Smalling also paints and owns an art studio in Penobscot, Maine.

Date : May 2, 2014 Time:  4 p.m. Location:  Rhode Island Hall, on the College Green, 60 George Street

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson traces her history-making path in "Lovely One"

Justice Jackson discusses her new memoir and gets candid about the struggles of balancing family and career.

-Minute Listen

Note: Text has been edited and does not match audio exactly.

Katie O'Connor: Hi, listeners. I'm Audible Editor Katie O'Connor, and today I'm privileged to be speaking with Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, whose memoir details her life's history and her journey to the highest court in the land. Welcome, Justice Jackson.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Thank you so much for having me.

KO: There are so many people who have had such a profound influence in your life—your family, your parents, of course; your mother, an educator; your father, a lawyer, who you used to work alongside when you were little; your Aunt Carolyn, who picked your name, which means “lovely one”; your husband, Patrick, and your daughters; your debate coach, Mrs. Berger; Judge Patti Saris, whom you clerked for; and then, of course, Justice Breyer, who you also clerked for and whose vacated seat you ultimately took over in the Supreme Court. Obviously, you are the product of the love and support of a wonderful community, but was there one moment or one relationship that you really feel was critical or was perhaps reflective of a turning point in your journey?

KBJ: Well, as you mentioned, there are so, so many people who really poured into me over the years as I was growing up, to help me develop what I think, for me at least, has been a pretty critical aspect of my accomplishment, which is just to develop the self-esteem and the sense of grounding around who I am and what I can do that was necessary to continue to move forward on this path. If you made me choose, the most critical might have been, actually, Fran Berger and my experience as a debater. I actually was a speaker, I did the speech part of speech and debate, and up to that point, I had mostly been nurtured by family. And you sort of expect for your family to tell you that you can do anything you want. But here was a person who was not in my immediate family, who was my coach in high school, and who just took such an interest in my development.

As I say in the book, she taught me how to reason and how to write, and how to lean into my own abilities, even when there were obstacles to be overcome. And I started to perform well in debate, and that helps to develop one's own sense of your capacity and potential. And of course, being on the debate team was my first glimpse at Harvard, and everything else that happened in my life, to include finding my husband, flowed from my connection to the university. So, my high school experience on my speech and debate team was crucial.

KO: Listening to you talk about the performances and the competitions, it made me want to go back in time and join a debate team myself, I have to be honest. What might you say to others looking to mentor young, promising people towards their dreams?

KBJ: Well, I think it's so important to provide the encouragement to really find what this person's interest, what your mentee's interest is, what their talent is, what their potentially unique contribution is to some field or endeavor, and try to help them to see it and to believe that they can do great things with that characteristic. I just think, as I said, having a parent tell you, "Oh, you're wonderful" is not the same, in a way, as having someone who doesn't have that kind of stake in your future really showing you attention and encouragement.

KO: Absolutely. I am a Patrick stan, after listening to Lovely One.

KBJ: [Laughs]

KO: As you just mentioned, you met your husband, Dr. Patrick Jackson, while at Harvard together. Your support of each other and the big dreams that you both had was so inspiring. And at one moment in the book, you and Patrick are grappling with a critical parenting decision, and Patrick says that you two will do what you've always done, quote, "Communication and shared sacrifice." What else has contributed to your success as a couple?

KBJ: Well, I think mutual respect has really been so much a part of our developing relationships. We each understood pretty early on that we were both sort of destined for pretty substantial careers. Just to give your listeners a little bit of background, Patrick and I met in college, but we both, in college, had decided that he wanted to be a doctor and I was going to law school, and that we both wanted to do as well as we could in our respective professional areas, and really respected and supported those choices.

What it meant, especially early on in our career, was that we tried to take turns in fronting whichever person's career needed to be focused on at the time. So, when my husband was in residency, I kind of laid off a little bit in terms of pushing forward in my job. We went back to Boston, for example, at one point when I knew I wasn't going to work there long-term because he had to train. Then he came to DC when I was doing the Supreme Court clerkship because he knew that that was very important. And so when we look back, we see that we really kind of took turns back and forth in our professional development. But I would say it was out of respect, because we wanted both of our careers to be fulfilled.

"I am mindful that people are watching, and they are interested and they are trying to see what will happen to have a Black woman on the court. And of course the goal is eventually to have that not matter."

KO: As I was listening to this book and listening to the challenges that you and Patrick faced as working parents, I kept turning to my own husband and saying, "This could be us" [laughs]. Because given your amazing careers, I hadn't stopped to think that you might face similar working-mom challenges, but your candor and vulnerability really underscored for me how universal these challenges are. You dealt with conflicting work schedules with your husband, differing school pickup times, and when the children were younger, pumping at work in less-than-ideal circumstances. At one point you even moved to a smaller practice because you needed a more predictable work schedule that allowed for more time with your then-toddler. What advice do you have for parents, for working mothers in particular, that are drowning under the weight of that seemingly unattainable desire for balance?

KBJ: Well, I mean, it is certainly not easy. I think one of the reasons why I decided to be so forthcoming in the book is because I wanted people to know that you can survive it, you can get through it. You can, when your kids eventually get old enough to start taking care of themselves, attain whatever professional goals that you had hoped for or set for yourself early on. But there is this time when your children are little and when your family has really significant needs, where so many mothers and fathers struggle to make sure that you get it all in. I would say to the extent that you can look for people to help you, you need help, don't expect that you can do it all on your own, because that's just not a realistic expectation.

So, what we did was basically used every dollar of our discretionary funds to pay for nannies at first and then au pairs, because we had work schedules that were unpredictable or that had very long hours and we needed to have coverage for our kids when they were little. And so that was our kind of big investment early on. And then we formed relationships with other families. I talk at one point about what we called our village, the village. This was the group of parents who also had kids in the afterschool program. Because for afterschool, you have a certain deadline, you have to pick up your kid by six o'clock or something, or else they start charging you substantial sums of money. And, of course, you're inconveniencing the afterschool staff. So, we basically formed a pool where you could say, "I'm running late, can someone else get my kid today?" And this group of parents were sort of co-responsible for making sure our kids were picked up from school. It was really invaluable for us. So, look for relationships with other parents who are at a similar stage in their lives. You see them on the soccer field at times. You see them, obviously, in the school. That turned out to be crucial for us.

And then rely on each other and understand that you have mutual responsibility for taking care of this little person and getting them where they need to go and into the world. I mean, those were the main things, I think, that we did that helped us through, but absolutely know and understand that it is a very challenging time of life.

KO: Yeah, community is so key, and again, really appreciated how you were open about the help that you did have, yes, from those parents, but also from the nannies as well. I think that is so important to so many working parents trying to be all the things to all of the people.

Some of the most poignant moments in the book for me were when you were talking about your daughter Talia's neurodiversities. You knew for years that she was brilliant, but it took a long time to get the diagnoses and know that some of, as you say, her brilliant traits were actually neurodiversities as well. It wasn't until she was 11 that you finally got an autism spectrum diagnosis, and you shared that if you'd known what was going on, you would've quit your job to attend to her needs. First of all, I want to say thank you. I have two neurodiverse children, and I felt this so viscerally. It is a daily battle of wondering if you're doing the right thing.

KO: Obviously, your openness about Talia's diagnosis has come with her blessing. What has that journey been like as a family going from not knowing to now using this platform to be so open about it?

KBJ: Well, I am so grateful for her willingness to let me share this part of our story and our family's journey because it is so much of where we've been, and who we've become, who I've become, as a parent and as a human being. And so it would have been odd at least to write the story and not include this very, very important part of our background.

I would say we struggled with the balance. You talked about the balance before, but this is sort of an added layer, I think, because what was happening for us, as I describe in the book, is not just that we were finding ways to drop off and pick up our kids, but that at least once or twice a week, we were getting calls from the school saying, you know, "Talia was having problems in a class, or this incident happened today," and not really understanding or knowing what the best educational environment was for her. What could we do to support her? She ended up being diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum, but it took many years to reach that point, and we had a few diagnoses that told us that she was not autistic. So, we were really in a quandary because I kept thinking, "Well, if I could just find the right combination of supports, everything would be fine." So, I guess the not knowing was very, very challenging.

Also, and I talk about this, her being so different than either me or my husband, and the way that manifested itself was I had a model for parenting that came from my parents parenting me. They decided when I was very young—my parents were both public school teachers when I was born, and then my dad went back to law school—but they were so focused on my education and my achievement and giving me opportunities that they did not have growing up. They grew up in the segregated South, and were not allowed to participate a lot in various activities. They wanted me to do all of these things. And their way of parenting was to say, "You can do it. You can do it. Don't give into the doubts.” I would whine like other children and my mother would say, "Ketanji, has this been done before? Have you seen somebody do this thing?" And I would say, "Yes, Mom." She would say, "Well, then you can do it too. Just keep going." And so when I tried that same kind of parenting with Talia, my oldest daughter, it didn't work. It didn't work because she really at times couldn't do what we were expecting of her. That was really all I knew how to say or what to say in certain circumstances. So, shifting my expectations and my way of engaging with her was also a very challenging discovery road.

And then, finally, I would say that when she was ultimately diagnosed, it was a comfort in a way, because we had gone through periods of uncertainty, and then we finally sort of understood that all the struggle actually had a source, and that there was a reason why she was behaving in the way she was when she was younger and responding to how we were parenting in a certain way. And that was a relief, but it also was a wonderful opportunity for us to let go of our expectations and what we had brought to our relationship with her and to just let her be who she is.

KO: Yeah. I relate so much to that relief, right? Just all of a sudden, now at least, okay, you have a name, you can make a plan. And I think for that personality type, certainly that go-getter of liking the certainty of a plan, I think that definitely helps in that moment of that parenting journey.

You talk about your experience as one of the only Black students at your high school in Miami and share that you felt more at peace when you went to college and found a community of Black friends. Steven Rosenthal was someone we got to know in the book, a friend from the debate team in high school who also went to college and law school with you and remains a friend today. One day you brought Steven to a Black Student's Association event, and afterwards he shared that as the only white person there, he'd never been so aware of his race, and he apologized for not thinking about how you must have felt in high school. As you continued on your career and became a judge and continued to achieve more and more rarefied air, you were once again in a position where not as many Black people have had the opportunity to be. And, of course, you are the first Black woman ever to sit on the Supreme Court. What do you want people to most understand about that journey, and what responsibility have you felt as the first Black woman in your position?

KBJ: Well, in the book, I just try to relate the experience, what it felt like for me. I talk at one point about a phenomenon that W.E.B. Du Bois, who was a Black scholar back in the day, discusses in some of his work, which is called “double consciousness.” And it is the idea that accomplished Black people are ever mindful of how other people are perceiving them in circumstances. So, it's sort of like you have this twoness in your way of walking through the world, and it can be very exhausting, which is the way that I experienced it in the book.

"It's hard to put into words what it is like to be a working parent who has struggled at times with the competing demands of the responsibilities that you have, and wondering whether you've given enough to your kids and to your family."

But I also went through high school, went through circumstances in which I was one of a handful of Black people, understanding that people were going to, by and large, have their views of what African Americans were capable of or could do influenced by how I performed and how I behaved. And so in some sense, it was motivational for me. I used to think about the fact that this might be, this speech that I'm giving, might be the only time they ever saw a Black person give a speech. So, I wanted it to be the best speech possible because I was influencing people's perceptions of African Americans, especially in a society—and again, I think I can't stress enough how my parents’ circumstances were so different from mine and the impact that that had on my journey. I was born within five or six years of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act and the sort of end of Jim Crow segregation. So, I was the first generation to receive the benefits of Martin Luther King's dream, if you want to think of it in that way. And there was a lot of interest in making sure that Black people of my generation were successful as an embodiment of our ancestors' dreams. There was a lot of pressure in some sense, but it was also, for me personally, motivational to really be that kind of standard-bearer in this new environment.

I think being the first Black woman is obviously a big honor. I'm very grateful for the opportunity to serve the American people in this way, and I'm doing my best. At one of the investiture speeches I gave, I said, "I have a seat at the table now and I'm ready to work." And the book, I think, really details all of the stages of my life that I believe has prepared me for this moment. So, I'm feeling comfortable in the sense that I know that I'm doing the work, can do the work, and am grateful for having the chance to do the work. But I am mindful that people are watching, and they are interested and they are trying to see what will happen to have a Black woman on the court. And of course the goal is eventually to have that not matter. But for now, whenever you see someone moving into a new set of circumstances, I think there are a lot of people who are excited and interested in what you're going to do.

KO: I loved that line from that speech, and then after you were confirmed to the Supreme Court, your line, “In one generation, my family has gone from segregation to the Supreme Court.” That is just one of the most powerful moments in our nation's history, honestly. And it will be in the history books, absolutely.

KBJ: Thank you.

KO: One thing that I've always been fascinated by is the responsibility to respect the letter of the law, irrespective of one's own ideological viewpoints. The Supreme Court is, of course, nonpartisan, but we all have a moral code that guides our decision-making and influences our determinations of what is just. Can you talk about this intersection of your personal beliefs and your role as a Supreme Court justice, and if and where your ideologies are allowed to come into play?

KBJ: Well, one of the things that you learn as a lawyer and that you practice, especially kind of early in your development if you were to go on to be a judge, is the ability to separate out your personal views from what the law requires, and what you have to do and your duty in interpreting the law. It's something that they train you to do in law school. I was a law clerk for three different federal judges and got wonderful role models for this kind of judicial integrity. It is the recognition that you have a duty to rule without fear or favor. And it means that no matter what your political persuasion is, what you're looking at is the arguments that are being made, regardless of who is making them, what the precedents and the legal statutes require in the circumstance. And then your obligation to rule consistent with what the law requires, even if it means that someone who you might empathize with or you might have feelings for or whatever, doesn't win the case. That's the way it goes. That's what judges do in order to be impartial. And that's the core duty of a judge, and so you practice that.

Now, that's not to say that experience is irrelevant, or your understanding of how the world actually works or the things that you've done in your life are irrelevant, because they're not. I mean, if you think about what judges do is we are resolving disputes between people who are actually bringing to the court different versions of what happened, of what should be going on in this situation as a matter of law, what the law says under these circumstances. So, you have to understand the circumstances in order to be able to rule. And your understanding, in some ways, it intersects with the way that you have come up in the world, or the way that you have interacted with the world. If you're going to be the one to decide who's got the better of the argument about this set of facts or that set of facts, you think, "Okay, well what do I know about these circumstances?" And so you're always, in a sense, drawing on experience, but you're not ruling on the basis of your personal affinity or affiliations when you are making your decisions. It's hard to describe, but it is what we do in the law, and it is certainly the core responsibility of a judge.

KO: I loved getting to listen to you narrate your memoir. It was such a treat because you just infused the reading with your joy and your energy and your enthusiasm, and you even sing at certain moments, which was such a treat. I know you have a full-time job, but I'm sure, as you know from your high school speech days, there is always a career in performance for you, should you want it [laughs].

KBJ: [Laughs] Thank you.

KO: What was that experience like for you going into the studio and reading your memoir?

KBJ: It was actually really fun. I had just finished the term, and literally I think I had four or five days off, and then I went right into the studio, so I was exhausted from just my day job. But boy, it was really wonderful to get a chance to sit there, to go through the whole book that had taken two years to write, to try to bring the stories and the scenes to life. I remember thinking in my head, "Okay, should I try to do an accent here? Okay, no, I'm not gonna. Or should I sing this verse that I talk about in the book? Okay, fine, I'll sing it.” It was sort of like we were making these on-the-fly decisions about how to portray it.

But as you know, because I did speech writing and delivery as my primary event early on, and I love audio. I love audio. I listen to almost everything through audiobooks, Audible, et cetera. I really relished this opportunity to bring to the readers of the book my version of what it sounds like. It was really fun.

KO: Yeah, I felt that fun. I felt that joy. I think this is, in my opinion, the best way to experience the book. And in part, too, because we get to hear some live recordings, including from your speech at the Library of Congress after you were confirmed to the Supreme Court, and a bit from Senator Cory Booker from his moving speech from your confirmation hearings. But we also get to hear from your daughters. We hear a recording of Talia singing from her high school graduation, and we also hear from your daughter, Leila, once in a moving passage about her relationship with her sister, and again in her now infamous letter to President Obama recommending you to the Supreme Court.

KBJ: Yes [laughs].

KO: What has it meant to you having them be involved with the audiobook?

KBJ: Oh, my goodness. It was tremendous to have them participate. I did ask them would they do this, and they both thought about it, to allow me to use Talia's graduation recording, and to have Leila, actually, who went into the studio to record for this. It's another example of the support, I think, and the love that they have shown to me in this process of not only writing the book, but becoming a justice. It's hard to put into words what it is like to be a working parent who has struggled at times with the competing demands of the responsibilities that you have, and wondering whether you've given enough to your kids and to your family. And then to have them as adults turn around and show their love and support in this way has just been extraordinary. So, I'm a little overwhelmed even thinking about it.

KO: Yeah, that was a moment that brought tears to my eyes as well. In one speech you gave where you were thanking them, and I'm going to butcher this, but you say essentially, “I didn't always get it right, but I hope you know that I did my best,” and I felt that so much. And your relationship, as you've shared it in this book, has been so open, and seeing their support of you has just been wonderful.

In a supplemental essay for your Harvard application, you wrote that you wanted to attend the school to help you achieve your dream of becoming the first Black female Supreme Court justice to appear on a Broadway stage.

KO: So, we are halfway there! How are we getting you to Broadway?

KBJ: Many people have asked since I revealed that that was my dream [laughs].

KO: You know, we do have a wonderful Audible theater program.

KO: We have shows at the Minetta Lane Theatre, so I'm thinking maybe with your love of oration…

KBJ: Fabulous [laughs].

KO: Well, thank you so much for your time today, Justice Jackson. It has just been an honor speaking with you.

KBJ: Thank you so much. This was really fun. I appreciate it.

KO: Listeners, you can get Lovely One by Ketanji Brown Jackson right now on Audible.

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