10 great Things to do in Newport This rainy weekend
Rhode Island has an astounding 400 miles of Atlantic
coastline and boasts the sailing capital of the world, Newport. You'll find Gilded Age Mansions like The
Breakers, The Elms, Marble House where Alva Vanderbilt once held women's rights
rallies, and several other grand estates.
The Cliff Walk was
designated a National Recreation Trail in 1975, the first in New England. This
unique 3.5-mile walk combines the stunning natural beauty of the Newport
shoreline with its premier architectural history in the National Historic
District.
Guests will be delighted
by the geology, wildflowers, and birds while walking from smooth paved pathways
to rugged and rough terrain along the shore. One-minute visitors will be
passing through manicured lawns on private property, and the next they'll be
scrambling across sandy boulders or staring into a 70-foot drop. The stunning
views coupled with the mixture of history and nature make this a top attraction
in Newport.
2)Beavertail Lighthouse Museum
The Beavertail
Lighthouse Museum is the third oldest lighthouse in North America, sitting on
the southernmost point of Jamestown, Rhode Island. This historic lighthouse
boasts a museum that offers a collection of artifacts and informational
material on the lighthouse itself, Narragansett Bay's maritime science, technology,
and art pieces depicting the culture of the community.
In addition to the
museum, guests can climb the tower via 49 steps up a spiral staircase and a
7-foot ladder that opens onto the observation catwalk. The reward is an epic
view of the bay and skyline. There is a museum gift shop and also open space at
adjacent Beavertail State Park.
3. Visit the Mansions.......
Elms
The Elms became a
National Historic Landmark in 1996 after having been occupied from the late
1800s to the mid-1960s by the Berwind family. Used as a summer home, Mr.
Berwind commissioned architect Horace Trumbauer to construct it, drawing
inspiration from the mid-18th century French Chateau d'Asnieres.
The stately home was
completed in 1901 and featured interior designs and furnishings by Paris
designers Allard and Sons. It became the backdrop to Berwind's accumulation of
18th century oriental jades and French and Venetian paintings. Guests can see
this lovely home, artifact collections, and intricate Classic Revival gardens by
joining one of the hourly Servant Life tours or audio tours.
4. Marble House
The Marble House was
designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006 after changing hands from Alva
Vanderbilt to Fredrick H. Prince in 1932, and then to the Preservation Society
in 1963. Designed by architect Richard Hunt and modeled after the Petit Trianon
at Versailles, it was a gift to Alva Vanderbilt from her husband.
The home served as an
architectural and social landmark, becoming the first home to begin
transforming the Newport neighborhood of summer homes into an opulent vacation
resort area for the elite. Years later, Alva Vanderbilt had a seaside tea house
built on the property where she held women's rights rallies. Audio tours are
available.
5.The Breakers
The Breakers is a
National Historic Landmark comprised of a 70-room Italian Renaissance-style
palazzo, stable, and carriage house. Originally a premier summer cottage
purchased by the esteemed Vanderbilt family in the late 19th century, a fire
burned its wood-framed structure to the ground. This allowed for the
construction of the grand estate, inspired by the Genoa palaces of the 16th
century, to be created.
Open to the public since
1948, guests can tour the impressive grounds where one-of-a-kind sculptures by
Karl Bitter and pristine architecture by Ogden Codman are eloquently featured.
Beneath the Breakers tours are offered every half hour, where guests learn of
the rich history the Vanderbilts brought to steamships and railroads.
Rough Point is the
shoreline estate of Doris Duke - heiress, art collector, and philanthropist.
The estate remains exactly as she left it, with stunning French furniture,
opulent European art on the walls, Flemish tapestries, and her collection of
Chinese porcelains.
When its season opens in
April each year, guests are welcomed on guided tours of the house and on
self-guided exploration of the exquisite grounds and gardens. Exhibitions
change annually, including the 2016 Waterscapes exhibition prominently
displaying Doris Duke's collection of Shangri La art pieces, and the 2017
Nature Tamed exhibition, visualized in garden, landscape, and estate
collections.
7) Rosecliff Mansion: The Rosecliiff Mansion
was commissioned by Theresa Fair Oelrichs, a Nevada silver heiress in 1899.
Modeled after the Grand Trianon - the garden oasis of French kings at
Versailles - and designed by architect Stanford White, it was completed in
1902.
Throughout the years,
Mrs. Oelrichs hosted lavish parties, including her famed fairytale dinner with
special guest magician, Harry Houdini. The mansion was eventually gifted to the
Preservation Society by subsequent owners Mr. and Mrs. J. Edgar Monroe,
complete with furnishings and an endowment, in 1971. It's currently open to the
public for tours and private events and features annual exhibits.
8) Must go to Bowens Warf
Bowen's Wharf is one of
the premier natural harbors in New England - a year-round destination that has
a little something for everyone. Visitors will feel as though they've been
transported to a different era with the brick walkways, granite docks, and
18th-century commercial buildings from the thriving seaport's beginnings.
Known as the anchor of
Newport, businesses on the wharf trade with countries from all over the world
providing excellent shopping and dining opportunities. Guests to the wharf can
engage in various activities from harbor cruises, sunset sails, and parasailing
to boutique shopping, wine tasting, and gallery hopping.
9) International Tennis Hall of Fame
The International Tennis
Hall of Fame (ITHF) is committed to the preservation of the game of tennis and
the celebration of the sport's greats, as reflected in the museum and historic
grounds. ITHF resides within the Newport Casino, a National Historic Landmark
and social club that opened in 1880 for Newport's summer elite.
Its museum displays
roughly 2,000 artifacts of the ITHF's impressive collection of over 25,000
objects, publications, videos, and photographs. Museum guests will be
captivated by interactive experiences with exhibits and learn about the history
and evolution of tennis over time with comprehensive narratives.
10) Fort Adams State Park
Fort Adams State Park is the biggest and most intricate complex coastal fortification in the nation, built between 1824 and 1874 in Newport, Rhode Island. This fortress, surrounded by Narragansett Bay, was active during World War II; it was able to mount over 400 cannons and house just under 2,500 troops.
Now inactive, guests are welcome to tour the grand facility on hour-long guided walks from the top of its massive walls to the depths of its underground tunnels. Visitors can also experience a sunset walk around the perimeter of the state park. The 2.5-mile jaunt offers exemplary views.
