Find great and fun things to do in South County

Rhode Island > South County > Things to Do and See > 60 Great Things to Do in Rhode Island

Scenic South County offers seaside lodging and unique shopping at a gourmet kitchenware outlet and a funky gift shop in the woods (The Fantastic Umbrella Factory). Hit the trails on horseback in a 14,000-acre state park. There’s a mobile paint party that will bring art and music to your home and a brew bus to transport you to small-batch and artisanal beer brewers. You’ll find pristine beaches and beach resorts , cozy harbors, lighthouses, the fishing fleet, and the Block Island ferry and free classes will teach you the simple art of digging for clams. The last of the great Victorian Hotels is here complete with Five Diamond Lodging status by AAA.

Save The Bay

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

Explore Narragansett Bay through tours and interactive marine science center exhibits

Get to know Narragansett Bay up close and personal through activities and tours at Save The Bay. The nonprofit organization’s goal is to connect the community, year-round, to the bay. Take a daylong lighthouse tour and motor by up to 20 active and inactive lighthouse sites, stopping for lunch and exploration around Rose Island. Go on a tour to observe migratory harbor seals or on a 90-minute scenic ride down the Pawcatuck River into the bay for foliage and seal views. At the Exploration Center and Aquarium in Newport, an educational and engaging marine science center, visitors interact with three touch tanks and dozens of exhibits to learn about the skates, dogfish sharks, urchins, seahorses, turtles, crabs and lobsters that call Rhode Island home.
Boat tours depart from Newport, Westerly, and Providence RI.

Tails Up Fishing Charters

1161 Old Succotash Road Wakefield, RI, 02879 Phone: 401-302-0963

Cast off for a fun day in Rhode Island’s waters with scenic tours, fishing charters

Looking for a fun day on the water? Check out Tails Up, providing a variety of fishing charters as well as a full slate of scenic cruises that take advantage of a coastline worth exploring. Cast off to a private beach or cruise around the bay on a getaway tour; experience Rhode Island’s beauty at daybreak and nightfall with serene sunrise and sunset tours; or cruise by the region’s scenic harbors or over a dozen lighthouses. Tails Up is always happy to talk about program modifications and special requests to help customize your experience. For fishing charters, be prepared to get excited as an experienced crew helps you go after striped or sea bass, bluefish, tautog – or sharks and mackerel.

Ocean House Resort

1 Bluff Avenue Watch Hill, RI, 02891 Phone: Toll-Free: 877-346-9442

So much to do both on site and off site at this luxury waterfront resort

One of the best things about your stay at the five-star Ocean House resort: There are so many fun activities both on and off the property. On site, there’s the private sandy beach, of course, with beach butler service. There’s croquet on a manicured lawn, championship-level squash courts, a 24-hour fitness center, heated indoor saltwater lap pool and summer programs for kids as well as movie nights and concerts. Take a wine or cooking class at the Center for Wine & Culinary Arts, learn how to surf or get a massage at the world-class spa. Off-site, play tennis or golf, go hiking or biking, visit a lighthouse or winery, take a trip out to glorious Block Island or a short drive to Mystic Seaport.

Visit our sister properties - Weekapaug Inn - Watch Hill Inn

Glass Blowers Create Shop & Studio of Delicate Art

The Glass Station Studio and Gallery on Main Street in Wakefield is an art project for Eben Horton and Jennifer Nauck, and a shopping delight for you. The glass blowing workshop is attached to the gallery, allowing visitors to see the artists at work and even to try blowing glass for themselves. The gallery offers many glass objects, from small hostess gifts to large platters, vessels, and sculpture. In addition to the owner / artists, other glass and jewelry makers display their art here. This is a fun shopping experience. Open Tuesdays to Saturdays. 401-788-2500

Visit Warwick, Rhode Island this Fall - Safe, Affordable, Convenient.

Visit Misquamicut Beach - Rhode Island's family beach town

Peace on a Pristine Pond

A visit to Ninigret Pond off Route 1A in Charlestown is a unique experience on the water. The pond is shallow, brackish, and protected from the Atlantic by a narrow barrier beach. Kayakers skim the surface and dart among the grassy hillocks while clamdiggers stand in the shallow water beside their boats and rake for quahogs. Watch for kids hitch-hiking from one tiny island to another. And, if you have a kayak, bring it!

Re Antiques and Interiors Makes Browsing Easy

Re Antiques and Interiors at 7511 Post Road in North Kingstown loves the concept of “re-”in the sense of re-use, re-design, and renew. The collection of antiques found here is vast in scope and very, very interesting. The objects to browse and buy are curated by the shop owner, who knows how to invite antiques into a contemporary design setting that maintains relevance with current interior trends. Here’ s a nice feature: on the Re Antiques and Interiors, you can click on the dropdown ”Shop” and see many and very detailed photos of what is in the store. Check website for operating hours. Pictured here: a Black Forest carved box with Meershaum pipes. (On your trip here, don’t miss the chance to also visit the charming village of Wickford, just a bit further down Post Road). 401-667-5996

Get the Spirit at Pump House Music Works

You get the feeling from the street view – just from the beauty of this old stone building – that the Pump House Music Works at 1464 Kingstown Road in Wakefield is a special place. The place started as a guitar-making school by Shady Lea Guitars, and has evolved into a live music venue, with shows every Friday, Saturday & Sunday. All manner of performers play music in all genres in this cozy, 125-seat space. Monthly open mic and pot luck socials, backyard barbecues and holiday parties are times for music makers and listeners come together and build community. A full bar helps add to the joviality. See schedule of events. 401-824-9971. [photo by Bob Kidd]

The Blues Finds a Place to Wail at the Knickerbocker

The Knickerbocker Café , a longstanding club serving up primo blues, jazz, and R&B, reopened in 2009 on Railroad Avenue in downtown Westerlyafter having been shuttered for a number of years. As if to make up for lost time, the places howls every weekend with excellent live music in a small, relaxed club atmosphere with tables wrapped around a little but hard-used dance floor. Groups that appear and re-appear at the reincarnated Knickerbocker include Soul Shot, The Shiny Lapel Trio, Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, The Commander Cody Band, Johnny and the East Coast Rockers, Roomful of Blues … you get it. Got it? 401-596-4225.

Paddy's Beach Club & Tikki Beach - Creative Oceanfront Dining in Misquamicut, RI

State

Blackstone Valley

Block Island

Newport

Providence Warwick