Newport

Newport sits on Aquidneck Island in Narragansett Bay, about 33 miles southeast of Providence and 74 miles south of Boston. It was founded in 1639 by eight settlers, including Nicholas Easton and William Coddington, many of whom had left Portsmouth after a religious schism; it grew into the largest of the four original settlements that became Rhode Island, known as a colonial port for religious tolerance.

The Gilded Age transformed Newport's waterfront into a display of American industrial wealth. Along Bellevue Avenue, families including the Vanderbilts, Astors and Wideners built elaborate summer “cottages,” many designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt, who kept a Newport residence of his own. The Breakers, the Vanderbilt family's 1895 house, is the largest; Marble House was built by William Kissam Vanderbilt; Chateau-sur-Mer, built by the Wetmore family in 1852, predates the others. Several are open to the public as museums: Rosecliff is a Preservation Society of Newport County property, and Rough Point is owned and operated by the Newport Restoration Foundation.

Newport has also been called the “Sailing Capital of the World,” a reputation built in part on hosting the America's Cup races from 1930 to 1983. The New York Yacht Club and other sailing organizations maintain a presence in the city, and the biannual Newport Bermuda Race starts here. The city's historic district holds what is described as one of the highest concentrations of colonial homes in the nation, including the White Horse Tavern, in operation since before 1673, and Touro Synagogue, described as the oldest synagogue in America.

The Cliff Walk is a 3.5-mile public access walkway along Newport's eastern shoreline, designated a National Recreation Trail, running past the ocean-facing lawns of the Bellevue Avenue mansions. It can be walked in full or joined at several access points; the city describes about two-thirds of it as easy walking, with the rest rougher ground.

*Fees subject to change, please check newportmansions.org for updated information.

Thames Street, in Newport's downtown, is lined with shops, restaurants and bars, in a city sometimes called the “Sailing Capital of the World.”

Rhode Island clam chowder is made with a clear broth and contains no milk, butter or tomatoes, a regional distinction from the cream-based New England style; the clear style is common in southeastern Rhode Island.

5 breweries within 10 miles of Newport, one of them a brewpub with a kitchen.

Brewpub locations from Open Brewery DB (MIT)

Newport has no professional or major college teams; the International Tennis Hall of Fame is a museum and historic site, not a home team.

20 more Highway Heads places lie within about 180 miles of Newport in a straight line — far enough that most are a night away rather than an afternoon.

• MysticConnecticutabout 35 mi
• PlymouthMassachusettsabout 45 mi
• BostonMassachusettsabout 60 mi
• Provincetown (Cape Cod)Massachusettsabout 70 mi
• HartfordConnecticutabout 75 mi
• SalemMassachusettsabout 75 mi
• Basketball Hall of FameMassachusettsabout 80 mi
• SpringfieldMassachusettsabout 80 mi
• New HavenConnecticutabout 85 mi
• ManchesterNew Hampshireabout 100 mi
• PortsmouthNew Hampshireabout 110 mi
• ConcordNew Hampshireabout 120 mi
• Albany/CooperstownNew Yorkabout 150 mi
• Museum of Modern Art — MoMANew Yorkabout 150 mi
• New York CityNew Yorkabout 150 mi
• Statue of Liberty National MonumentNew Yorkabout 150 mi
• NewarkNew Jerseyabout 160 mi
• PortlandMaineabout 160 mi
• FreeportMaineabout 170 mi
• North Conway (White Mountains)New Hampshireabout 180 mi

• Newport Tower (Old Stone Mill)Offbeat landmarkNewportin town

  Cost to see it

  Free

  When you can see it

  Any time — outdoors, visible from the road

  Nearest road

  RI-138

  Mysterious stone tower with debated origins

  Read on the page we checked

These are things you can go and look at, not a recommendation of any of them. Oddities move, get sold and quietly disappear more than anything else we list, so check anything you are driving a long way for. Some sit on private land and can only be seen from the road — please do not go onto anyone’s property. Every entry links the page we read it off.

Mansion admission is priced per property or as multi-property packages; check the current ticket page before planning which houses to visit.

The Cliff Walk is a 3.5-mile public trail with several access points; the city describes about two-thirds of it as easy walking, and the rest as rougher ground.

Bellevue Avenue, the historic downtown and the harbor area are each walkable but separated by some distance; a car or rideshare between them is typical.

Newport's population changes with the seasons, and a draft amendment to the city's comprehensive plan describes summer months that draw thousands of visitors every day. We were unable to confirm which dates bring the heaviest traffic and parking demand.

The Breakers (Preservation Society of Newport County)

Address

44 Ochre Point Ave, Newport, RI 02840

Hours

Check the official site for current hours

Price

$25–$57 for adults depending on property; check the official site for current pricing^*

Link

newportmansions.org

*Fees subject to change, please check newportmansions.org for updated information.

We checked fees, closures, operating status, opening hours and seasonal opening on 2026-09-22. These change without notice — confirm with newportmansions.org, cityofnewport.com, newportri.gov, blockislandferry.com and blockislandinfo.com the week you travel.

Straight-line distance from Newport, not drive time.

• Newport State (NPT) — 3 miles
• Quonset State (NCO) — 9 miles
• Rhode Island T. F. Green International (PVD) — 17 miles