The structure serves as the seat of municipal government for the city. Designed by Boston architect Samuel J. F. Thayer and completed in 1878 in the ornate Second Empire Baroque style, it features a granite‑faced exterior, a prominent mansard roof (sometimes referred to as a “dome”), and a central pavilion that projects forward as the main entrance. The interior retains its original layout, highlighted by a central, silver-toned stairwell and a skylit light court, along with richly detailed council chambers adorned with gilt trimming and polychrome stencil work. The building earned the nickname “Our Municipal Palace” upon its inauguration and remains a well-preserved symbol of civic identity.
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Downtown PVD turns up the music and the light on 2.19! #lumina2026
Did you know Providence has its own Festival of Lights? ✨
From February 19 – March 5, downtown transforms into a winter wonderland filled with glowing public art, interactive installations, and reasons to fall in love with the city all over again.
Cold nights, bright lights, and a whole lot of joy — LUMINA 2026 is coming. Save this and start planning who you’re bringing downtown. 💫
Meet Maestro 🎶✨
A set of four giant illuminated musical notes that come to life through human power. Turn the crank, trigger the music, and watch the lights respond as sound and glow build together in real time.
Designed for playful discovery and shared moments, Maestro invites everyone to step in, take a turn, and transform the streetscape into an interactive performance during LUMINA 2026.
Come play. Come connect.
You Belong Here.
Installations by @lemondestudio
Most people walk past it every day without knowing its story.
For more than 200 years, this corner has been known as Turk’s Head — long before street signs, maps, or skyscrapers defined downtown. From a carved wooden figurehead on a ship called the Sultan, to the stone face watching over Westminster and Weybosset today, this building carries Providence’s maritime history, memory, and movement through the city.
What looks like just another tower is really a landmark of identity, wayfinding, and shared civic life. Downtown isn’t just something we pass through — it’s something we inherit, protect, and shape together.
Want to learn more stories behind the banners you see downtown?
Join our newsletter for deeper dives into Providence’s history, places, and people.
You Belong Here.
LUMINA 2026 is about JOY. ✨
Joy in the middle of winter.
Joy in public spaces.
Joy in showing up for one another.
This year’s festival is about coming together as a community for something good 🫶 gathering downtown to experience art, light, music, and shared moments that remind us how powerful it is to be together.
For two weeks, Providence becomes a place to linger, laugh, explore, and feel connected. Because joy is worth making space for;
and it’s even better when it’s shared. 💛
30 Exchange Terrace
Providence, RI 02903