Brown University occupies the top of College Hill, its main green and surrounding streets forming one of the most pleasant university walks in New England. University Hall dates to 1770 and was used as a barracks and hospital during the Revolutionary War. The John Hay Library holds an unusual collection including Abraham Lincoln's letters and early science fiction manuscripts. Manning Chapel is a handsome Federal Revival building worth a look.
The surrounding College Hill neighborhood rewards exploration beyond the campus. Benefit Street, one block east of the main green, is called the "Mile of History" for its concentration of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century wooden houses. Thayer Street has the independent bookshops, cheap cafes, and student bars you'd expect. The whole area rewards a couple of hours of wandering, particularly in autumn when the trees on the hillside are turning.