Find great and fun things to do in Newport Rhode Island

Rhode Island > Newport > Things to Do and See > 60 Great Things to Do in Rhode Island

The pleasures of a visit to Newport are many and widely known. From its stunning harbor to gilded mansions, you’ll also find the International Tennis Hall of Fame, music fests, great dining and lodging and places to relax body and soul . Visit one of New England’s most popular vineyards, historic lighthouses, landmarks and homes and a revolutionary fort. Stroll Cliff Walk and romantic gardens, cruise the harbor and enjoy great places to swim, bike, experience wildlife and Newport’s provocative colonial history.

Save The Bay

Multiple Centers & Dock Locations Providence, Newport, Westerly, RI and Fall River, MA Phone: 401-272-3540

Hands-on fun on beautiful Narragansett Bay

Narragansett Bay is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems on earth. Save The Bay connects the community and the Bay through hands-on and on-the-water experiences for families, groups, students, and schools. Take in the beauty and history of Narragansett Bay on Summer and Fall Lighthouse Cruises. Get up close with hundreds of critters that call Narragansett Bay home, at the Exploration Center & Aquarium in Newport, open year-round. Our week-long Summer BayCamps give youngsters the perfect mix of fun and marine science education. And enjoy 360º views of harbor seals on Winter Seal Watch Cruises. Join Save The Bay in protecting and improving Narragansett Bay, keeping it swimmable, fishable and accessible to everyone.
Boat tours depart from Newport, Westerly, Providence RI and Fall River, MA.

Naval War College Museum

686 Cushing Road Newport, RI, 02841 Phone: 401-841-4052

See & learn the Navy’s role in New England, and in history

Want to learn about naval activities in the Narragansett Bay area in colonial times? Or how the science of naval warfare has changed from the time of the Greeks and Romans through the Civil War, both World Wars to today? Then head to the Naval War College Museum, free and open to the public, where naval battles and strategies come to life via changing art collections, exhibits and documents. Starting Dec. 14, learn about the Navy’s role in World War I from the new exhibit, “To Win or Lose All: William S. Sims and the U.S. Navy in the First World War.”
Year round hours: Monday -Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. NOTE: We are no longer open on weekends during the summer.

Newport Vineyards

909 East Main Road (Route 138) Middletown, RI, 02842 Phone: 401-848-5161

Raise a glass, have a laugh, enjoy the view

More than a place about wine, for more than 20 years Newport Vineyards continues its traditions of outstanding wines with daily tours and tastings, and adds the Brix Restaurant, The Marketplace, Vineyard Cafe, a new Tasting Room and Tank Room, new and expanded venue facilities for public and private event, and a unique wine shop. The vineyard is the largest grower of wine grapes in New England producing and bottling over 20,000 cases of estate-grown wine each year through sustainable farming methods on nearly 60 acres of historically preserved farmland. The region’s leading agritourism destination, the vineyards are alive with seasonal activities including music, comedy, annual clambakes and celebrations of every kind.

Rough Point

680 Bellevue Avenue Newport, RI, 02840 Phone: 401-847-8344

An Heiress’s mansion is her gift to the public

The oceanfront estate of heiress Doris Duke was built by Frederick Vanderbilt in 1887 with the grounds landscaped by Frederick Law Olmstead’s’ firm in 1890. It was then the largest summer house in Newport. In 1922, James B. Duke purchased the house then left it to his 12 year-old daughter upon his death. Upon her death in 1993, Doris bequeathed the estate to the Newport Restoration Foundation, which opened the estate as a museum in 2000. The house is decorated with French furniture, European art, Chinese porcelains, and Flemish tapestries. Opening April 2017, you’ll see the exhibition "Nature Tamed in the Landscape, Gardens, and Collections", an exploration of the history of the grounds, plus fashion and objects inspired by the natural world.

Newport, Rhode Island - A Year Round Destination!

Block Island Ferry - 866.783.7996 - Click Here to Sail Away!

Bohemian Beauty and Origins of the Arts & Crafts Movement

The exhibition, Bohemian Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement and Oscar Wilde’s Newport on display through November 4, 2018, in Rosecliff, 548 Bellvue Avenue in Newport,, celebrates the Aesthetic Movement (1870-1890), an important era of artistic experimentation. Irish poet Oscar Wilde was a leading proponent of the Aesthetic Movement in Britain, and he traveled to North America in 1882 to promote it. The style was influential in the Gilded Age, as it merged interests in traditional crafts - a precursor of the Arts & Crafts Movement.

Easton’s Beach Is Primo for Families

There is plenty to do on the streets and wharves of Newport, but when you are ready for a full-on beach day, join the Newport people at their favorite place, Easton’s Beach, also known a First Beach, on 175 Memorial Blvd. This three-quarter-mile-long sand beach starts at the entrance to Cliff Walk, sweeping below the gaze of the elegant Chandler at Cliff Walk. Besides sun, sand, and surf, visitors to Easton’s Beach can enjoy 1950's-era carousel, a nature center run by Save the Bay, and Rosie's Beach Store, which rents out beach chairs, boogie boards and umbrellas in summer. Facilities include restrooms, showers, a shade pavilion, playground, skate park, picnic and grill area, bike racks, first aid, beach wheel chairs for persons with disabilities, a snack bar and two parking lots.

Coastal Beauty and History Too

Like so many places in Rhode Island, Fort Wetherill State Park in Jamestown offers stunning ocean views and coastal walking trails. Situated upon 100-foot-high granite cliffs overlooking Narragansett Bay, the site was first used as by the colonists during the Revolutionary War. Now visitors can explore the labyrinth of empty concrete gun emplacements set into the side of the hill. It’s a military ghost town, but it’s fun to climb all over the abandoned forts and take in some breathtaking views of Newport Harbor. And don’t forget your scuba gear; this spot is a favorite amongst divers.

Pedal the Rails with Rail Explorers USA

Personal train travel is so last century, it seems. Amtrak aside, lots of train tracks are being torn up to make biking and hiking trails. But here's an exception. Rail Explorers USA offers, for your exercise and outdoor fun, the “rail explorer.” It is a comfortable, pedal-powered vehicle with steel wheels, hydraulic disc brakes, pedals for each seat – and it rides on railroad tracks. You can enjoy a scenic ride along Aquidneck Island and aside beautiful Narragansett Bay with Rail Explorers USA. All trips depart from 1 Alexander Road in , Portsmouth. 877-833 8588

Learn to Sail in Newport Harbor

If you’ve had your fill of being mired on dry land while admiring sailboats skimming across Narragansett Bay, take the plunge and enroll in sailing classes in Newport Harbor. You are never too old to start, or old enough to stop; sailing is a life-long joy. Sailing schools offer a variety of levels of instruction. Sail Newport at 60 Fort Adams Drive in Newport offers sailing lessons for adults at all levels. 401-846-1983.

Distinctive Wines in an Island Setting

Newport Vineyards at 909 E Main Road in Middletown Is a showcase of the excellent wines and hospitable vineyard operators in New England. Since its founding in 1978 this family-owned orperation has grown to 50 acres of varietal and hybrid grapes. Visitors are offered public tours every day. These include a tour in the vineyards, a behind the scenes look at the winemaking process and a tasting of five wines. The winery features an art gallery and retail shop, occasional Paint Nites, yoga sessions, clambakes, farmers market on Saturdays in season. Open year around. Phone: 401-848-5161.

Fort Adams Is a Window Into Colonial Warfare

For a tour of a beautifully preserved Revolutionary War fort, make a trip to Fort Adams on Harrison Avenue in Newport. During this tour, visitors may see the officers’ quarters and tunnels under the fort; visit a scenic overlook for views of Newport Harbor; and stroll the six-acre parade field and the complex outerworks; and learn bout more than 180 years of American history, military culture, architecture, and engineering. Check fort website for details on tour dates and hours. Phone: 401-841-0707.

Immerse Yourself in Bird Life at Sachuest Point

At 240 acres, Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge in Middletown is important stopover and wintering area for migratory birds. Nature- and bird lovers know this rocky peninsula as the place to see colorful harlequin ducks, loons, eiders, gannets, and, in winter, snowy owls. A walk on the three miles of trails around Sachuest Point reveals several habitats, including salt marshlands and steep rocky shorelines around the perimeter. Elevated observation platforms along the trails provide unobstructed views. The visitor center is an ideal way to begin or end a trail walk; creative exhibits tell you all about the land and creatures you will be traversing. You can get a permit for nighttime fishing. Trail map. Brochure.

State

Blackstone Valley

Block Island

Providence Warwick

South County