22 of Rhode Island's best places to visit
Travel
Superblogseo.web.id - Even though Rhode Island is the smallest state in the US, it has a lot to offer in terms of history and natural beauty.Find out what the best things to do in Rhode Island are so you can add them to your travel plans. First, see why Rhode Island is called the "Ocean State" by going to the sandy beaches that are tucked between the rocks along the coast.
1. Providence
The Providence River runs through town, so take some time to relax at Waterfront Park or Riverwalk. Take a break with some coffee and doughnuts. Providence has the most coffee and doughnut shops per person of any city in the United States. Visit Roger Williams' church, which is the oldest Baptist church in the United States. The "Big Blue Bug," the world's biggest termite, is a roadside attraction in Providence.
2. Block Island and Mohegan Bluffs
Take one of the bike tours around the island to see some of the most interesting places. Find out about the famous Native American battle at Mohegan Bluffs, which gave these cray cliffs their name.
Mohegan Bluffs is on the southern coast of Block Island, 200 feet above the sandy beaches. Take in the view of the ocean before going down the 141 steps and putting your feet on the warm sand.
3. Newport Cliff Walk
New England's first National Recreational Trail is 3.5 miles long and has some of the best sights on and off the coast of Rhode Island.
Get to Easton's Beach early so you can find a parking spot and start the cliff walk.
As the paved path winds past The Breakers, Marble House, and McCaulay Hall, some of the most famous places in Rhode Island, the beauty of Easton's Bay comes into view.
4. The Breakers, Newport
The Breakers is one of many houses that grew up in this Gilded Age area of Rhode Island. It was built by a family whose wealth came from owning shares in the New York Central Railroad.
Did you know that the Breakers was first built as a place to spend the summer? Something so grand and expensive on the Newport coast doesn't seem like it could be temporary, but that's just the start of figuring out how the family lives so well.
You can take a tour of The Breakers to see the beautiful things that have been kept inside this Beau-Arts masterpiece.
5. WaterFire Providence
WaterFire is a piece of public art by Barnaby Evans that has won awards. This half-mile-long display is a metaphor for community. It is set up in Downtown Providence.
The fire burns like it is floating along the river every night until midnight. Many tourists visit this well-known place in Rhode Island to walk along the river under the star-shaped street lights.
6. Rough Point
It's one of the famous mansions in Rhode Island that was built during the Gilded Age. It's on the Newport Cliff Walk, and people can now go inside to see how the rich lived.
Rough Point is the waterfront mansion where Doris Duke spent her summers. It is one of many tours of her properties, like the Duke Farms in New Jersey, that are named after her.
You can look around many of the grand home's 105 rooms, some of which are filled with living plants and others with gold in every detail.
7. The Providence Athenaeum
It's known as "the Ath," and it's one of the most popular places to visit in Rhode Island. It's known for being the place where Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft got their ideas.
When you walk into the main reading room, you'll see book stacks that are several stories high.
8. The Elms
One of the best ways to spend an hour in the shoes of a wealthy person from the Gilded Age in Rhode Island is to take a tour of the mansion.
The Elms mansion was built for coal judge Edward Julius Berwind. It was based on a French chateau from the 18th century. It's now a National Historic Landmark, and it's a great example of how people lived back then.
9. Blithewold Mansion & Gardens
In Bristol, Blitheworld Mansion is a huge estate with 45 rooms. It welcomes people with views of Narragansett Bay before taking them on a guided tour of the mansion.
Walk through the halls to get to the rooms where family heirlooms and decorative designs are on display.
But as beautiful as the inside of the mansion is, it is really the gardens outside that make it one of the top things to do in Rhode Island.
10. Roger Williams Park Zoo
With its many themed zoo areas, the 16-acre park is as close as you can get to a trip around the world without leaving Providence.
Journey into the Fabric of Africa, where you'll see adult lions showing off their sharp teeth while they eat lunch, giraffes walking gracefully through the fields, and elephants splashing around while they take their afternoon baths.
Next, go to Australasia, where baby kangaroos will greet you with a friendly "g'day" and panda bears will show you their beautiful black and white fur.
11. Narragansett Bay Beaches
When the weather is nice, it has beautiful sandy beaches and a bay where you can do all kinds of water sports.
Unique beaches line the state coast. Narragansett Town Beach is on a bay, where people can swim in the cool water or lay out in the sun during the summer.
Roger W. Wheeler State Beach is a big beach on Block Island South that is 27 acres in size.
12. Colt State Park
You can rent bikes and ride along the paved paths. Around the state park, you can walk or ride a bike for four miles, taking in statues, the historic stone wall, and amazing views of Narragansett Bay.
After working out, you can relax on the grassy fields and have a picnic in a beautiful park.
Evening is one of the best times to go to Colt State Park. People say that it has the best view of the sunset in Bristol.
13. Fort Adams State Park
Visit Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island, to learn about the history of the second-largest fort in the United States and why it was never used, as well as to see amazing views of the ocean.
During the 19th century, defenses were getting stronger to protect the harbors of Newport from attack. Fort Adams was built on a peninsula that stuck out into the harbor in a way that was smart.
On a guided tour, you can hear stories about what it was like to live on the fort, explore the fort's secret tunnels, look at historical artifacts in the museum, and see cannons that have never been fired.
14. Beavertail Lighthouse Museum
There is a lot to do and see at this historic landmark. It has beautiful views of the water and a museum with public exhibits.
The 64-foot-tall Beavertail Lighthouse looks out over Narragansett Bay. It can be seen from more than 15 nautical miles away, so ships can use it to get in and out of the Rhode Island port.
The beautiful wooden structure has been well taken care of and is a great place to take pictures.
15. International Tennis Hall of Fame
When the building became the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1954, it kept its tennis history. Today, people can really get into the world of tennis.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame is a sports complex with a museum and tennis courts both inside and out.
The hall of fame has over 260 athletes from all over the world. Inside, you can look at displays about great tennis players like Arthur Ashe and Martina Navratilova.
16. National Museum of American Illustration
The National Museum of American Illustration has been around since 1998, when it first opened its doors.
It has a huge collection of art by well-known artists like Normal Rockwell, McClelland Barclay, Harry Anderson, and a lot of others.
Visitors are welcomed with a film about the art collection, and an audio guide helps them learn more about the pieces.
17. Naval War College Museum
This naval base tells us a lot about what the Navy does in Narragansett Bay.
Join one of the group tours and let knowledgeable guides show you around the two floors of the museum. See the amazing details on the scale models of historical ships or see how big real torpedoes are.
Exhibits show what the Navy wore in the colonial era and give a sneak peek into the secrets of naval warfare.
18. McCoy Stadium
The Pawtucket Red Sox, who are part of the Boston Red Sox organization, used to play their home games at this historic baseball stadium until they moved in 2020.
Today, the stadium is empty, but it is one of the best places in Rhode Island to think about the exciting baseball games that used to happen there.
At McCoy Stadium, where the PawSox played professional-level games for more than 50 years, they were treated like professionals.
19. Rhode Island State House
As you walk across the marble and red brick plaza to the entrance, you will step into the shadow of the grand Neoclassical building's huge dome.
While you wait for the top of the hour, you can walk around the open gallery of art and fancy decorations under the gold-painted dome.
Volunteers who know their stuff give free tours of the Rhode Island State House.
20. Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge
You can't understand why it's one of the most-visited outdoor spots in Rhode Island by tens of thousands of people every year until you see it for yourself.
Visit the Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center to find out which trails are the best.
Along the rocky coast, there are routes with beautiful views of the ocean. On nature trails, you can learn about the unique plants that grow in wetlands, salt marshes, and grassy meadows.
21. Newport Car Museum
Since it opened in 2017 and is one of the newest things to do in Rhode Island, it has become a trendy place for people to stop in Portsmouth.
Car lovers will be in heaven while walking around a half dozen galleries full of exotic cars like McLaren and Ferrari, Ford Muscle Cars, Corvettes, classic fin cars from the 1950s, and more.
There are more than 70 cars on display, and visitors can get up close and personal with their favorites.
22. Old Harbor
Old Harbor is on the east side of Block Island. To get to it from the rest of Rhode Island, you can take a beautiful ferry ride. Old Harbor is one of the best places to go boating in New England, so it's no surprise that the harbor is full of yachts and boats and has a Victorian-style waterfront.