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Rhode Island > State > Things to Do and See > Destination Newport

Newport County, RI - A Year-Round Destination

Read about more great things to do & places to visit in this region!

Newport, also known as The City by the Sea, and the Newport region have been among America's premier vacation destinations for centuries. Within this historic city are excellent restaurants, interesting shopping venues like lower Thames Street and the Brick Market Place, and picturesque wharves that remind visitors of the city’s dynamic seafaring past and present.

Visitors come from far and wide to tour the Gilded-Age mansions like Rosecliff, The Elms, The Breakers, Marble House, Kingscote, and several others. Several of the mansions have gorgeous gardens, and the major properties host beloved annual events, like the springtime Newport Flower Show and a variety of sparkling, festive celebrations at Christmas. During the summer the city buzzes with activity from waterfront shopping and great New England dining, and the sounds of the city's famous music festivals, featuring leading jazz musicians and folk music legends.

The Newport Historical Society conducts interesting walking tours that show the places and tell the stories of Newport's pirates, rum runners, Colonial structures, food, and, of course, ghosts. Lodgings like historic inns and B&Bs are perfect for a romantic getaway or any other kind of vacation.

Newport's Pell Bridge & Goat Island Lighthouse Bannister's Wharf - A Newport Shopping & Seafaring Destination
Front Exterior Rough Point Mansion Newport Rhode Island
Rough Point

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

Tour Doris Duke’s art-filled mansion on Newport’s waterfront

Take yourself back into the Gilded Age when you tour Rough Point, the oceanfront estate of philanthropist and art collector Doris Duke. When the heiress died in 1993, she left her seaside home, originally built for a Vanderbilt in 1887 in the English manorial style, to the Newport Restoration Foundation to be opened as a public museum. It is preserved as she left it, with French furniture, European art, Chinese porcelains and Flemish tapestries from her global travels. An eclectic collector, she combined her treasures with those of her family to decorate her home. Visitors may take a 75-minute guided tour or a self-guided stroll through the mansion and the magnificent formal gardens, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.
Open seasonally March-early January - For information about operating hours please check the Rough Point website.
Wine & Beers - Newport Vineyards - Middletown, RI - Photo Credit Annabelle Henderson Photography
Newport Vineyards

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

Popular winery, brewery, restaurant features fine selection of food, beverages – and views

One of Rhode Island’s most popular beverage and culinary destinations, the Newport Vineyards combine award-winning wine, farm-to-table dining experiences, fresh craft beer and unique events on over 100 acres of preserved, picturesque farmland. The family-owned and -operated winery, renovated and expanded in 2012, offers tours and tastings of its wide variety of reds, roses, whites and specialty wines. At its Taproot Brewery, the focus is on unfiltered hop-forward beers made in small batches. You can sit and sample either, or both, indoors and out while dining on fresh farm-focused menus, artisanal cheeses and house-made pretzels. Beer tastings are available, and there’s a full slate of events, from live music to days featuring specialty menu items.
New Loft Suite - Mill Street Inn - Newport, RI
Mill Street Inn

75 Mill Street Newport, RI, 02840 Phone: 401-849-9500 Toll-Free: 800-392-1316

Small comforts by the sea

This small boutique hotel, housed in a building named a National Historic Landmark, is perfectly set on the scenic harbor steps away from waterfront shops and restaurants in the Historic Hill neighborhood of Newport. This all suite hotel features 23 spacious and luxurious suites with original beams and exposed brick walls combining combine contemporary design and technology with historic charm. Each offers down feather beds with 400 thread count linens, free wireless internet, flat screen TV's, marble bathrooms, plush bathrobes, mini-bar and fridge, and complimentary continental breakfast and afternoon tea. You may also request suites with balconies, living rooms and gas fireplaces. A rooftop patio for sunny morning breakfasts give guests an expansive view of this beautiful city by the sea.
Save the Bay Exploration Center - Newport, RI
Enjoy the Bay With Save the Bay

175 Memorial Boulevard Newport, RI, 02840 Phone: 401-324-6020

Save the Bay's Exploration Center and Aquarium at Easton’s Beach in Newport is an ideal place to whet the interest of young kids in the mystery and value of marine life. The center shelters 40 species from Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island waters, and kids may meet some of them via three touch tanks and dozens of exhibits. Skates, dogfish sharks, urchins, crabs and lobsters, seahorses, turtles, and more!
Block Island Ferry - 866.783.7996 - Click Here to Sail Away!
Newport Vineyards Wine & Dine - Newport RI - Reserve your visit today!
Rough Point
Daffodils - Newport County Chamber of Commerce - Newport, RI
Newport County Chamber of Commerce

35 Valley Road Middletown, RI, 02842 Phone: 401-847-1600

Newport County is steeped in history and beauty. The City on the Sea, in addition to the famous mansions, has the distinction of having more authentic colonial era structures than any other American city. The region, which also includes Jamestown, Portsmouth and Middletown, features beaches, vineyards, scores of great and interesting shops, an array of restaurants, luxury hotels and quaint inns and B&Bs. Beautiful parks and dramatic vistas are found along Ocean Drive. Also not to be missed are the Tennis Hall of Fame, Fort Adams, and Newport’s world famous folk, jazz, and classical music festivals. The Newport County Chamber of Commerce can provide you complete information and help in planning your visit.
Newport, Rhode Island - The City by the Sea