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11 things to do in Newport Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island was the historic playground of the ultra wealthy and has become the summer playground of New England. Tourists come for the beaches, the restaurant scene and to tour some of the most over the top mansions in the United States.If you are planning a trip to Newport and haven’t booked a hotel, here are our recommendations.
Table of Contents
Here are the 11 best things to do in Newport Rhode Island:
Best mansion tours in Newport, Rhode Island
One of the main attractions of Newport, Rhode Island are the mansions built by New York’s ultra rich as their summer “cottages.” The Vanderbilts, the Astors, the Morgans and many other titans of industry built lavish homes overlooking the water in Newport.
These enormous homes were generally occupied for 6-8 weeks every summer as their residents sought to get away from the oppressive heat in New York. Once you visit these homes you will be amazed at the opulence of these summer cottages and to think that they were only used a fraction of the year!
There are 11 mansions under the ownership of the Preservation society of Newport and most can be toured throughout the summer. If you visit during winter there are few options available, but still plenty to see!
Here are the mansions I recommend (Our family has seen most of the mansions over dozens of visits to Newport over the years.) for first time visitors.
The Breakers Mansion tour
If you can only tour one mansion this is the one to tour! It is the most opulent, incredible mansion you will see in Newport. (It is also the most visited and open year round.)
The Breakers was the summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt and his family and is a 70 room behemoth of a house. It is the grandest home in Newport and in my opinion has the best tour.
The tour is self-guided and takes about an hour. There is a special kids self-guided tour that will keep your little ones invested in the tour. (The kids tour is soooo good even my 5 year old loved it!)
If you happen to be visiting in December you are in for a treat. The Breakers is decked out for Christmas and it is even more impressive.
Plan on 2 hours
The Elms
The Elms was the home of the Berwinds of Philadelphia. Edwin Berwind had made a fortune in the coal industry and they built their home in 1901. The home was built to look like a French chateau and is the 2nd most visited mansion in Newport.
The Elms has the most extensive gardens of the mansions so make sure to figure in a little extra time to visit them.
There is a combination ticket available that will allow you to visit both The Breakers and The Elms.
Plan on an hour
Rosecliff
Rosecliff is vastly different from The Breakers and the Elms in style but still very grand. It was built in the style of the Trianon in Versailles and is much more French in style than any other mansion in Newport
It was built for the Oelrichs family from Nevada. They loved to hold parties so Rosecliff has the largest ballroom in Newport!
Plan on an hour
The Newport Cliff walk
The cliff walk in Newport is a great way to spend an afternoon. The walk is 3.5 miles of trail that takes you around the cliffs of Newport. You will be sandwiched between stunning mansions and glorious coastlines as you make your way along the path.
The Cliff walk well paved in most locations but there are a few parts that require you to take some big steps between broken rocks.
- Begin at the Northern part of the walk for the best paved parts and the widest parts, it is great for strollers.
- If you want to scramble along the cliffs start at Narragansett Avenue and head north.
Can you see my crazy cousin and my husband carrying her stroller?
- Narragansett Avenue
- Webster Street
- Sheppard Avenue
- Ruggles Avenue
- Marine Avenue
- Ledge Road
- Bellevue Avenue
Newport Trolley Tours
If you want a great tour that will give you an overview of Newport I recommend Newport Trolley Tours. These narrated tours are on a climate controlled trolley and take you to all the major points of interest in Newport. The tour guides are very engaging and informative. The tour is especially good for people who have limited mobility as you can cut down on walking.Head to the beach
The beaches in Newport are beautiful and the scenery is first rate! They get very busy in the summer so get there by 10 am if you want to find parking.
I suggest heading to the beach in the late afternoon and you will find ample parking with tons of beach going fun.
The best beaches (therefore the most popular) are:
First Beach
Fort Adams Beach – This beach has free parking!
King Park Beach
Walk along Thames street
Thames street runs parallel to the wharf and is the heart of Newport. There are all sorts of boutiques, amazing restaurants, bed and breakfasts and hotels running along the street.
Spend an hour or two walking up and down the street just window shopping, people watching, or getting lunch.
Eat some amazing food
Newport is renowned for its food scene. There is fresh seafood, traditional New England fare, and lots of international cuisine. Here are our favorites:Midtown Oyster Bar
Looking for fresh seafood with a great view? They have an extensive raw bar as well as yummy calamari. Burgers are great too. Plus there is a roof deck that feels festive any time of year.Diego’s
Fresh Mexican food with a twist. Enjoy the beet and butternut guacamole, ancho duck enchiladas and other unusual bites. Plus its right on the wharf!The Black Pearl
The best clam chowder ever! Don’t miss it. YUMGo for a sail
Sightsailing of Newport offers multiple sailings each day. They offer morning sailings complete with mimosas, afternoon sailing times and sunset sails.
On each sailing you will find calm waters, nice breezes and the option to help with the sails or steer the boat.
Sails are around an hour and 45 minutes long and are a great way to see Newport!
Ocean drive
Ocean drive is also known as 10 mile drive and is a scenic road that rambles around Aquidneck Island. The coastline along the drive is stunning and there are lots of places to pull over to enjoy the view.
The homes along the drive are almost as impressive as the old mansions and the rocky coastline is breathtaking!
If you are heading to Fort Adams you can take the drive there.
Plan on 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on how often you stop.
Fort Adams State Park
Fort Adams was an army post from 1841 to 1950 and is the centerpiece of the state park. Tours are offered daily from 10-4. The tour guides make it fun for the little ones too!
Reenactments occur throughout the summer months so if you are planning a trip you should check to see if one is happening while you are there.
If you love military history, like our family does you will really enjoy Fort Adams.
If military history isn’t your thing, you should still visit Fort Adams State park. There is a 2 mile trail around the fort that offers beautiful view with a gorgeous sea breeze!
Plan on 1 hour.
International Tennis Hall of Fame
I’ll be completely honest, this was not a highlight for my family. No one plays tennis or watches tennis, but if you do you will enjoy the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
The museum is full of historic memroblia dating back from the 1200’s and the amount that is housed here is impressive. If you are a lover of history you will probably enjoy this museum even if you don’t play tennis because of the way tennis has impacted history. The architecture of the place is impressive as well.
If you play tennis you might enjoy the grass courts in the center. You can rent them out to play a game!
If you want more information click here.
Plan on 1-2 hours
Where do you want to go next?
I hope you will love Newport as much as our family does. We continue going back because it is such a beautiful place. If this guide was helpful and you want to learn more about visiting New England you might enjoy: A day in New Haven Connecticut Boston with your family The best day trips in New England Brattleboro Vermont Camden, Maine
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