Location

First Unitarian sits proudly at the intersection of Benefit Street and Benevolent Street, at the foot of the Brown University campus in downtown Providence. While our official postal address is One Benevolent Street, the main entrance to our sanctuary faces Benefit Street, under the very tall steeple. We are one block up the hill from South Main Street, not far from the back upper entrances to the Court House and the RISD museum.

Our Google Maps link offers you door-to-door directions for driving, walking, biking, or public transit.

Entrances

On Sunday mornings and when events are held in the sanctuary — for worship, weddings, memorial services, and more — we open doors to our main entrance, located under the steeple facing Benefit Street. During the week, we use the breezeway entrance to the Parish House or the glass door entrance on Benevolent Street.

Parking

On Sunday mornings, parking for 25 cars is available in the First Unitarian lot on Benefit Street, beside the church. We can also park in the Hope Club lot on Benevolent Street and in Brown University’s Horace Mann lot on George Street, both on Sunday mornings only. On the weekends, abundant on-street parking is available for several blocks around the church.

Handicapped parking spaces are marked in both First Unitarian’s lot and in street spaces beside the church on Benevolent Street. Both our sanctuary and Parish House are accessible via the breezeway that connects the buildings. For more information on accessibility, click here.

During business hours on weekdays, street parking only is available; all spaces in our parking lot are rented out to area businesses.

Office Hours

The church office is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is closed on national and state holidays plus the week after Christmas.

Summer office hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Winter Storms

In case of extreme weather, the minister and staff will determine if First Unitarian services and activities will be held or cancelled. Any time that the City of Providence announces a ban on street parking, our church will be closed.

If the church is open during a storm, please do not make heroic efforts to get here. Use your best judgment about whether it is safe to drive or walk.

On Sunday mornings, a cancellation decision will be made by 7am. You can find a notice on the home page of our church website, and we send email blasts to those on our contact list.