Brown University Department of Public Safety personnel coordinate all emergency services, including medical emergencies. Call 401-863-4111 (3-4111 from a campus phone) or activate the red emergency button on campus phones (indicated by blue lights) to obtain help in any emergency in the Brown community. To report a non-emergency or seek other assistance, call 401-863-3322 (extension 3-3322 from any campus phone). 

Opt in for text alerts from the University’s emergency campus alert system by texting BrownParentFamily2024 to 77295. Alerts will automatically expire on Monday, October 28, 2024. Subscribers who reply via text to alerts will not receive a response.

Brown Health & Wellness, located at 450 Brook Street, encompasses five departments: Brown Emergency Medical Services (BEMS), BWell Health Promotion, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Health Services and Student Accessibility Services (SAS). Families are welcome to visit the new center, which opened in 2021. 

The Health Services hours of operation for Family Weekend are as follows:

• Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Saturday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Sunday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

24-hour nursing advice is available for students by calling 401-863-3953.

While visitors and guests of Brown are not eligible for care at Health Services, we are happy to provide first aid or an initial assessment of a person and refer out to a local urgent care center or emergency room if deemed necessary.

The local urgent care center we would recommend for care greater than first aid would be Brown University Health Urgent Care on Branch Avenue. 

Brown's Department of Public Safety coordinates the lost and found desk. If you find an item, bring it to the Department of Public Safety headquarters at 75 Charlesfield Street. Call 401-863-1663 regarding any lost items.

All Brown University parking lots on the main campus (except lot 57, located at 13 Brown Street and and lot 71, located at 101 Benevolent Street) will be open to Family Weekend guests starting at 5 p.m. on Friday through Sunday afternoon. The Power Street Parking Garage (both lower and upper levels) at the corner of Power and Thayer streets is the largest lot on campus. The top level is entered on Power Street and the bottom level is entered on the corner of Williams and Brook streets.

For more information on parking, driving and transportation, visit this page.

Andrews Dining Hall
Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Located below Andrews Hall, Pembroke campus 
Average meal costs $11.25

Blue Room
Open Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Located in Stephen Robert '62 Campus Center
Average meal costs $11-$13.

Gourmet To Go (Grab 'N' Go)
Open Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Located in the lower level of Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center 

Josiah's
Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Located in Vartan Gregorian Quad (VGQ), lower level
Average meal costs $11.25.

Sharpe Refectory
Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Located on Wriston Quad
All you care to eat: Breakfast $13.75, Lunch $18, Dinner $21.

Verney-Woolley
Open Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Located below Emery-Woolley residence hall, Pembroke campus
All you care to eat: Breakfast $13.75, Lunch $18, Dinner $21.

Guests are welcome to log in using Brown's visitor network. Wireless service is available in all residence halls, on College Green and in many classrooms. To access service, choose Brown-Guest from your list of available networks.

Download the BrownU app for maps and other information on the go.
Download the app

Guests planning to attend in person should stop by the Family Weekend check-in tables located on College Green (near the Faunce Steps). Check-in tables will be open from noon to 6 p.m. on Friday, October 25 and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 26. 

Parents of current medical students do not need to visit the Welcome Center on College Green to check in, and should instead check in at The Warren Alpert Medical School (The Herbert M. Kaplan Atrium, 222 Richmond Street) on Friday from 2-4 p.m.

The Brown Bookstore, located at the corner of Thayer and Angell Streets, is open: 

• Friday: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Saturday: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Sunday: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visit The Bookstore's Website

Most Family Weekend events are free and available on a first come, first served basis, but some are ticketed; additional information will be provided in the event listings on the digital schedule. 

Fall weather in New England is unpredictable, and many events take place outdoors. We recommend dressing for a variety of weather conditions since the days may be hot, the nights may be cool, and rain may be possible.  A message will be posted on the Family Weekend website if weather conditions cause major events to be canceled or relocated.  

Brown University will sponsor a reception during the WaterFire lighting on Saturday, October 26. The lighting will begin just past sunset (5:47 p.m.) and conclude around 11 p.m. Created by Brown graduate Barnaby Evans, WaterFire is a public art installation featuring more than 80 bonfires lit along the Providence and Woonasquatucket rivers, stretching half a mile from Providence Place to the Crawford Street Bridge.

Family Weekend guests are invited to visit the Parent and Family hospitality tent located at the Providence Riverwalk at the Washington Street Bridge from 6-10 p.m. to enjoy some light refreshments and connect with other families as you enjoy the sights and sounds of WaterFire.

This event is free and open to the public. Please be sure to register for Family Weekend if you plan to attend. We will ask to see your family's Family Weekend Eventbrite ticket to enter the tent.

Family Weekend takes place at a unique moment of heightened activism across colleges and universities nationally, and one part of the campus you may experience is the activity surrounding advocacy as part of student life. Brown students have long engaged in rallies and demonstrations as a form of activism.