Captain Simeon Potter House Blog

  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. 

 

1.Cliff Walk

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.

6) Rough Point

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.