John Brown House Museum
John Brown House Museum
4.5
Saturday
10:00 - 16:00
About
The premier 18th-century historic house and museum in the state, presenting important aspects of the social and cultural history of the period when our country was new. The Museum is maintained by the Rhode Island Historical Society. We are currently in our seasonal hours and only open on Saturdays from December 2019 until April 2020. Guided Tours may be at 10:30, 12:00, 1:30, & 3:00 pm on Saturdays but are subject to volunteer availability. Audio and Self Guided Tours are available from 10:00 until 3:15 PM. Last admission into the museum is at 3:30 pm. We have a free parking lot located off of Charlesfield Street. We hope to see you soon!
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Neighbourhood: College Hill
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles89 reviews
Excellent
41
Very good
34
Average
11
Poor
3
Terrible
0

Ginger F
Murfreesboro, TN19 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Business
Scott is the best tour guide! He was very knowledgeable about the history of the Brown family, the Gammel family and history of Providence. He showed us all the amazing architecture and relics in the home and really made the history come alive. The mansion is a must see when in Providence! Especially if you like history!
Written 19 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Crabbie78
Hampton, VA1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022
Excellent staff and docents. Very knowledgeable. Beautiful house museum. I would go again. That's all I have to say.
Written 24 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

b w
Coral Springs, FL119 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
Beautiful period home and surrounding area. I never realized the major roll slavery had in Rhode Island's development, and particularly with the prestigious Brown University. Never meet your heroes.
Written 6 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Paul N
Cambridge, MA49 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Couples
Thought provoking museum about John Brown and his family, and their role in the slave trade, which was much more prominent in New England than I imagined. I especially loved the decorative platter depicting the castle in Ghana that held enslaved people awaiting voyage to the New Works.
Written 20 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Grace Fu
Waltham, MA596 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021 • Solo
It is free today! And they offer free maps and newspapers. There are three floors in the building, all of them are big and clean.
Written 26 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jacqui F
London, UK281 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2019
The Benefit Street tour starts from the John Brown Museum. You have to book advance and it is a great way to find your way around the historic sites of Providence. Geographically, the tour covers a distance from about the middle of Benefit Street down to the northern end of the street; and historically it roams from the earliest settlers right up to the modern day. The history of Brown University, and the mega rich Brown family who set it up, are inevitably a big part of the story. The family patriarch John Brown features prominently and our guide didn’t shy away from Brown’s less than proud history of slave ownership. There’s also a visit to the Providence Athanaeum, site of some Edgar Allan Poe scandal, and a tour of the First Baptist Church of America, which looks exactly as you would hope a New England church to look. The tour does take a very long time and our teenager was getting a bit fed up at the end, but it was interesting and we learned a lot.
Written 16 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

margatemensch2016
Coconut Creek, FL796 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
Recently,I visited the John Brown House.My visit was a fruitful experience.The guide at this house museum was very well-versed in Rhode Island History.I learned about the life of John Brown,a very prominent figure in the history and growth of Providence.I saw the house's shadow rail staircases.I saw some nice American paintings by Robert Feke,Alvan Fisher("View of Providence From The Cove")and Henry Kinney("Moses Brown").
Written 22 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Andres72423
Bridgeport, CT2,930 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019 • Family
If you are in Providence this is a must see if you want to get an understanding of local history and the movers and shakers during colonial times and the early years of the republic. The Brown family has obvious ties to Brown University. A tour of the Historic home will last about 1-2 hours; it makes sense to take the guided tour to get a better appreciation for the home and history of the Brown family. One of the interesting things which the tour guides do not shy away from is the fact that the Brown family did have ties to the Atlantic Slave Trade. They cover the complexities of this very controversial time in history. If in Providence I really believe this should be a stop you make. Well worth the price of admission.
Written 31 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mr. Roderick
42 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019
I was in Providence on a business trip and only had a few hours of spare time. I chose to visit this gorgeous historical house and made my stay worthwhile. You can listen to an audio, read a brochure or have a guide walk you through the details of this magnificent house. George Washington supposedly stayed there and gave it a five-star rating. The best thin is that it only cost me $10.
Written 18 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Randall G
Italy, TX67 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019
This house has a lot of history, If you have about an hour take the audio tour
moderately priced and the staff are friendly and knowledgeable
Written 10 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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