The John Nicholas Brown Center helps connect academic communities and the broader public through history, art, and culture. We support people and organizations that explore, preserve, and interpret cultural heritage. Our programs explore the ways in which the humanities enrich everyday life.

We believe that an increased appreciation of diverse cultures and cultural heritage is essential to American society. We are dedicated to helping further understanding by providing the skills practitioners need to preserve and manage cultural heritage, and by building new links between universities, cultural organizations and communities.

The John Nicholas Brown Center is located in the historic Nightingale-Brown House, near the Brown University campus, at 357 Benefit Street. It was created as the John Nicholas Brown Center for the Study of American Civilization following the death of John Nicholas Brown in 1979, when his widow and children established an educational foundation in his memory to encourage study and original research in American art, history, architecture and historic preservation. In 1995, the Center became a part of Brown University, and in 2008 it took on its present name to more accurately describe its work.