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    Providence Athenaeum

    4.7 (61 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Providence Athenaeum Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Providence Athenaeum

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    Martin K.

    The Providence Athenaeum is a quiet spot on this side of the river! This private membership library has a gorgeous interior that dates back to the early 1800s days of the town, giving it a wonderfully historic and cozy feel. The self-guided tour lets you explore at your own pace with a tour pamphlet--just check in at the gift shop desk. You can glimpse through the windows to see where they work on the rare book collections too. It's the perfect spot to relax, study, or simply soak in the natural light atmosphere of this beautiful, timeless space. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a new library or looking for a quiet place to work!

    Inside
    Rebecca K.

    This place. Oh my goodness. One of the oldest libraries in the United States and it's absolutely stunning! When you go in you check in and they give you a self guided tour, which is well worth it. You find out so much history and find interesting nuggets about the library. It's so beautiful and I think I could've stayed for hours. I can't wait to return!

    Daniel B.

    The architecture is amazing, and just walking around the stacks is a really cool experience. Highly recommend stopping in for a bit, and maybe taking some time to read a book or a magazine in the basement to get the full experience.

    Sign
    Andrea U.

    The Providence Athenæum was founded in 1836. Itis an independent, member-supported library located on Providence's historic Benefit Street. It's one of the oldest cultural institutions in Rhode Island, the Athenæum has welcomed famous writers, spirited thinkers, and engaged community members for almost 200 years, including Edgar Allan Poe, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Bronson Alcott, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman... The collections contain more than 175,000 items, including circulating materials, rare and beautiful volumes, and 19th-century artwork. Visitors are welcome to take one of three self-guided tours to learn more about the Athenæum's history, building and collections. However, today it was only opened two numbers.

    George Washington portrait
    Shanelle S.

    Beautiful library with self-guided tours. There's a suggested donation of $5 per person and they take credit card and cash. You have to check in by going to the office on the left hand side to get a sticker before you can walk around the library. There were plenty of members also studying/reading while we walked around and since it's so quiet, be mindful of your squeaky shoes. There's a mezzanine area as well as a downstairs part which houses the old artwork and some very comfy chairs. If you're just doing the self-guided tour, you could spend half an hour to an hour, depending on how in-depth you'd like to go.

    Providence Athenaeum - entrance view
    Amanda L.

    This is one of the most beautiful libraries I have ever seen and it's so underrated and understated I feel. It's small in stature, but contains so much character and is just so beautiful. You are allowed to go up the levels and explore all the little alcoves, as well as take in the exhibits they have on the main floor that rotate. If you're in the Providence area, this library is definitely worth a visit! It makes a lot of "best libraries across the country" kind of lists, so you won't want to miss it! I loved my time here and the Athenaeum's uniqueness will stay with me forever!

    Liselle L.

    It was a pretty cool library to check out in Rhode Island! We really appreciated the interior decoration/architecture as well as the multitude of books surrounding us. :)

    Doug C.

    "Suggested" $5 donation on entrance. Part of me understands, but another part of me saw their member fees and thought wtf. I'm not quite sure how they get away with charging members and not being a public library. Friend who lives there said "because it's always been that way". Many things have "always been that way" until it wasn't. I know that's an extreme example, but come on. Over $100, I think $135 for one adult, $200 for a household. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful library, very unique and something to see while in the area. My problem is the price when you have an even more beautiful public library in Boston that is capitol F FREE. Lot of people fawning over it, but overrated in my opinion.

    Michael P.

    It's Free It's open to the public It's a great quiet space to study or get some work done What a beautiful building this place is! I highly reccomend stopping by if you are out walking around the city. Who knew so much history was behind those doors? To be honest, I am not much of a books person but there is so much to see you don't have to be. There is a downstairs level where on any normal day, you can escape reality and completely focus on whatever work or book you have with you. Leather chairs, plenty of table seating etc. They also use this space to host special events. I personally have been here for a baby shower and will be attending a wedding there this fall. Up the stairs you will find multiple levels of books. They have small desks where you can work solo overlooking the main part of the library. So much history, an incredible building and all for FREE!

    Inside the Athenaeum
    Rebecca G.

    This is the 4th oldest library in New England and the 7th oldest in the country. It has a unique history and famous writers were also fans. Edgar Allan Poe frequented the library and courted Sarah Helen Whitman here, a poet, who also regularly visited this library. It's full of charm and would make a great place to study as many do in the lower level. It's free to visit (donations are welcome); be sure to do the self guided tour through the library to learn additional interesting facts.

    Library view from upstairs
    Lynn S.

    This library is worth it to check out in your next visit to Providence, Island! Never been in such a old, historical library before. Also very cool to visit a library that Edgar Allan Poe actually visited and checked out a book, a book we actually learned which was called Stanley from the librarian. Poe actually had a romance with a local woman here and she also checked out that same book after their relationship ended which I found very interesting. As we also noticed, many local students were studying here which I also thought would be a great, productive place to study in knowing about all the historical poets and philosophers who came before them. The best place for was the rare books room which also houses an artifact that Napoleon built on his travels to Egypt. We throughly enjoyed exploring the nooks and crannies of this place and what it represents to Rhode Island. The earliest books that first started coming here were from the late 1700's in London so what an incredible piece of history.

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    Ask the Community - Providence Athenaeum

    I've a wedding reception on feb.17. Is there parking anywhere near this?

    Mostly street parking. But a church nearby might let you rent or use their lot if you are hosting the event. If you're just attending. There's most likely parking with 2 blocks

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Providence Athenaeum

    The VERY old building dates back to Edgar Allan Poe (well, before his time) and is rich with history, books, artifacts and so much more.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

    Read more highlights

    South Providence Library

    South Providence Library

    (2 reviews)

    Lower South Providence

    On September 23, I attended a Sublimation Tote Bag Workshop at 5:30 pm at South Providence Library…read more Canvas tote bags, pre-printed images on sublimation paper, scissors, and heat-resistant tape were laid out on the table. There were two options to design the bag: Option A: Make a collage-style tote using pre-printed images and Option B: Create a fully custom tote using your own images (from your phone, the internet, or personal photos). I took a look at the pre-printed images and they were great for my tote bag. Great job to Sarah for picking these images! There were a great variety. After I chose the pre-printed images and created my design on the canvas tote bag, Sarah showed me how to use the heat press machine. The heat press machine needed to warm up to 390 degrees. Sarah also checked the bag to make sure they're clean and didn't have any creases. I first pressed the background on the sublimation paper face down and then I used heat-resistant tape to hold in place the characters face down on top and pressed again. The tote came out great and it didn't take long at all. The Sublimation Tote Bag Workshop at South Providence Library was so much fun and I was able to create my own one-of-a-kind tote bag using the sublimation press. Sarah was a great instructor and very friendly. Only 4 people including myself were doing the workshop. I hope more people attend the workshops in the future. South Providence Library is located on Prairie Ave and it is a two way narrow street. When I arrived about 5:30pm, it was quite busy and I parked about a block away. There is street parking available.

    A historic branch…read more Most branch libraries are pretty small and undistinguished, useful but certainly not very interesting or aesthetically appealing. But there are exceptions. The South Providence Branch Library is one of those exceptions. Designed and built by Howe and Rathbone in 1930, the library was actually placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1998. Not one of the grand and stunning libraries that are so common around New England, this library does have it's charms. Nice staircases and lighting and even a fireplace or two, it's obvious that this library isn't just something thrown up by the lowest bidder. Parking can be a be iffy and the building doesn't really stand out from the outside, but this library deserves more than just a casual glance to appreciate it's beauty.

    Brown University

    Brown University

    (38 reviews)

    College Hill

    I got rejected from Brown University in high school. It was one of my dream schools back then…read more Thankfully, life had other plans, and I'm forever grateful I ended up at my other dream school, UC Berkeley. But life has a funny way of circling back with plot twists. Over a decade later, I'm thrilled to be admitted to Brown University for my Master's! I joined the inaugural cohort of their Online Master's in Data Science: Policy, Governance & Society. I didn't think I'd get into such a small, competitive program, but I shot my shot. And I got in! I was very fortunate to be able to visit the Brown campus on my own dime for grad school orientation week. Brown clearly takes very good care of its community and students. I enjoyed attending multiple events, meeting fellow Brunonians, and exploring the gorgeous New England campus. Go Bears! Once a Cal Bear, always a Cal Bear. Now officially a Brown Bear too. Head-canoning Oski and Bruno being West Coast and East Coast brothers.

    First of all, Brown University has an absolutely GORGEOUS campus. Long, kind of funny story short,…read moreI stumbled upon this campus. I was exploring the area, literally, walking around taking in the beautiful scenery on a surprisingly "summer-like" fall day. And as I approached AND walked on the campus, I kept saying to myself, this has got to be a college campus... this is somebody's school. Lol! And just like that - BAM! I walked by a sign that said Brown University. My mouth dropped and I smiled big... chuckling at myself. Everything was so peaceful and well-manicured (as expected from an Ivy League school). I blended in as I perused the campus, people watching the students go about their day. I love architecture and the buildings are beautiful. It was such a pleasant time!

    Providence Athenaeum - libraries - Updated May 2026

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