Newport
Newport is one of the smallest communities in size in the state, but packed into this small area are all the attractions you would expect to find in a much larger vacation area. Here in the famous "City-by-the-Sea" are saltwater beaches, excellent fishing and boating, golf courses, tennis courts, good restaurants and hostelries, scenic attractions and nationally known historic shrines. Scores of internationally known events like the Newport Music Festival, Folk and Jazz Festivals, fishing tournaments, ocean yacht races and the Casino Tennis Tournaments bring thousands of visitors to Newport from all over the world. In nearby Middletown are two more beaches, good fishing and the beautiful Norman Bird Sanctuary. There is more to see and enjoy in this area than can be accomplished in just one day; the charm of Newport is bound to bring visitors back again and again.

Newport's world-famous Ocean Drive, Bellevue Avenue and the Cliff Walk have been popular with visitors for decades. The famous Newport "summer cottages" are best viewed as you motor or walk along these routes. One, "The Breakers," has been described as America's most famous mansion. Located on Ochre Point Avenue, it commands a superb view of the Cliff Walk where visitors can see as far eastward as Sakonnet Point and sometimes Martha's Vineyard. Since it was first opened in 1948 under the auspices of the Preservation Society of Newport County, it has been seen by thousands of visitors from all over the world. A few blocks away, also open in the summer, is "The Breakers" Stable. It is believed to be the only display of its kind in the country, where a collection of horse drawn carriages and vehicles are shown in their original setting. This should be a "must" on anyone's Newport itinerary.

A short drive away is another mansion open to visitors, "Marble House," built in 1892 for William K. Vanderbilt. The lavish use of marble and gilding make this one of the most sumptuous buildings in America. Another great house, also open under the auspices of The Preservation Society of Newport County, is "The Elms," built in 1901 for Edward J. Berwind, the Philadelphia coal magnate. Modeled after the Chateau d'Asnieres near Paris, it features extensive grounds with terraces, teahouses, statues, fountains and a wide variety of beautiful trees. Floral displays of tulips in the spring, begonias in the summer and chrysanthemums in the fall are an added attraction in the beautiful sunken formal French garden. Six additional mansions are maintained by the Preservation Society. "Kingscote" dates from the earliest of the "summer cottages." It was built around 1840, as the home of the King- Armstrong Rives families, who had associations with the lucrative China Trade of the early 19th century. "Chateau-Sur-Mer," built for William S. Wetmore in 1852, is an outstanding example of the Victorian period. Nearby on Bellevue Avenue is "Rosecliff," built in 1901 for Herman Oelrichs, who made his fortune from the famed Comstock Lode and whose wife was the daughter of Senator James Fair.

Hunter House is one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture from Newport's "golden age" in the mid-18th century. The house was built and decorated when Newport was a cosmopolitan city with a principle of religious tolerance that attracted Quakers, Baptists, Congregationalists and Sephardic Jews. The great mercantile families lived patrician lives, building harbor front mansions overlooking their trading ships, and entertained in grand style both in Newport and at their country seats on Aquidneck Island. They bought furniture and silver from local craftsmen and were the patrons of such important early painters as Robert Feke and Gilbert Stuart. The north half of Hunter House was constructed between 1748 and 1754, by Jonathon Nichols, Jr., who was a prosperous merchant and colonial deputy. After the death of Nichols in 1756, the property was sold to Colonel Joseph Wanton, Jr., who was also a deputy governor of the colony and a merchant.

He enlarged the house by adding a south wing and a second chimney, transforming the building into a formal Georgian mansion with a large central hall. Colonel Wanton also ordered the graining, or "spreckling," of the pine paneling in several rooms to resemble walnut and rosewood. During the American Revolution, Colonel Wanton fled from Newport due to his Loyalist sympathies. His house was used as the headquarters of Admiral de Ternay, commander of the French fleet, when French forces occupied Newport in 1780. After the war, Colonel Wanton's house was acquired by William Hunter, a U.S. Senator and President Andrew Jackson's charge d'affaires to Brazil. ?e Hunters sold the house in the mid 1860s, and it passed through a series of owners until the mid-1940s.

Concerned that the fine interiors of the house would be purchased and removed from the building, a preservation effort was initiated in 1945 by Mrs. George Henry Warren and a small group of supporters. They purchased the building in 1945 and transferred it to the newly formed Preservation Society of Newport County with Mrs. Warren as its first President. The Preservation Society chose to restore Hunter House to the era of Colonel Wanton (1757 to 1779). Today, the house exhibits examples of the finest achievements in the arts and crafts of 18th century Newport. The collections include furniture by the Townsend-Goddard family of craftsmen, premier cabinetmakers of the colonial era who worked in the neighborhood of Hunter House.  Newport pewter and paintings by Cosmo Alexander, Gilbert Stuart and Samuel King are also on display. Hunter House is on the Register of National Historic Landmarks.

An Italianate style villa, "Chepstow" was built in 1860 by the resident Newport architect George Champlin Mason as the summer residence of Edmund Schermerhorn. Acquired by Mrs. Emily Morris Gallatin in 1911, the estate continued in the Morris family until bequeathed in 1986 to the Preservation Society with its collections and an endowment by Mrs. Alletta Morris McBean. Containing the original Morris-Gallatin furnishings together with the important 19th century American paintings and documents from other former Morris family residences, Chepstow is highly evocative of the taste and collections of a descendant of one of America's founding families placed in the context of a contemporary Newport summer home. The Isaac Bell House is one of the best surviving examples of shingle style architecture in the country. The house was designed by the firm of McKim, Mead and White in 1883 for Isaac Bell, a wealthy cotton broker and investor. After passing through a succession of owners, the Isaac Bell House was purchased by the Preservation Society in 1996. In 1997, it was designated a National Historic Landmark. The exterior of the house has been extensively renovated and interior restoration work is continuing. The house is presented for tour as a work in progress. It is a combination of Old English and European architecture with colonial American and exotic details, such as a Japanese-inspired open floor plan and bamboo-style porch columns. "Belcourt Castle," built in 1890 in the style of a Louis XIII Chateau, was the residence of O.H.P. Belmont. The mansion is privately owned but is open to visitors.

Visitors can now tour the recently opened Rough Point, the house of Doris Duke, the founder of the Newport Restoration Foundation. The home is filled with one of a kind antique furnishings and works of art, including the works of such painters as Gainsborough, Van Dyck, Renoir and Della Robbia.

More than 20,000 people visit Touro Synagogue each year. Built in 1763, it is the oldest Society, Redwood Library, the Old Stone Mill, Trinity Church, Newport Artillery Co. Armory, Old State House and the Brick Market. Wanton- Lyman-Hazard House, open to visitors, built in 1748 and completely restored in all its original beauty. The house is one of the ten best examples of colonial residential architecture in America. It is completely furnished with outstanding pieces made by Townsend and Goddard, famous Newport cabinetmakers.

Many activities are held in Newport in the summer, including the famous music festivals, tennis tournament, yacht races, 18th century house tours and mansion tours. Tourists are not new to this seaport city, for it has been host to visitors since the 1720s, which gives Newport, and our state, the claim to being America's first resort.

Providence
The capital of Rhode Island, with a 2005 estimated population of over 175,000, was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams and his followers. In Colonial times, the city was a thriving shipping and ship-building town. The evidence of this historic period is preserved in many of the streets, buildings, cultural treasures and architecture of the city.

Providence neighborhoods display a remarkable variety of ethnic communities, which are close knit, well-maintained and vibrant. The city has preserved what so many other cities have losta sense of charm, security and confidence in the ability of its citizens to manage their own environment. The streets are relatively free of congestion. The crime rate is low and it is served by safe, affordable public transportation.

Progressive health care and medical research are high priorities in Providence. The city has six hospitals, including three teaching hospitals affiliated with the Brown University School of Medicine. Because of its national reputation as a center for research into heart disease, cancer, prenatal care and preventive medicine, the city has become a base for a growing number of health care-related industries.

Recreational and cultural resources are numerous and inexpensive in Providence. Roger Williams Park, a 430 acre enclave of woodlands, waterways and winding drives, includes a much acclaimed zoo and attractive sites, indoor and out, for public entertainment.

Providence is about a 45 minute drive north of Newport and can be reached by either of two major routes. Visitors can take Highways 138 and 114 through Portsmouth, Bristol, Warren and Barrington to 195 and Providence. Route 138 over the Newport and Jamestown bridges joins with Highway 1 and then Interstate 95 to Providence.

Jamestown
Conanicut Island
Jamestown is an island at the mouth of Narragansett Bay, approximately nine miles long and one mile wide. It has a community of 4,000 people, most of whom find employment off the island. Summer is the busiest time when boating, fishing and all water-related activities abound, causing the population to swell. The main street houses shops, restaurants, a drug store, banks, hardware stores, real estate offices and a grocery store. There are doctors and a dentist with practices on the island. There are three churches on the island and two others open for the summer months.

This island, known as Conanicut, is connected to the mainland on both sides by bridges, which enables the residents' access to Newport (5 minutes away) on the east and South County area to the west. Conanicut Island, because of its location at the mouth of Narragansett Bay, has been considered strategically important since the first white colonists settled in Rhode Island. John Winthrop, governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, wrote to Roger Williams asking that the island be settled and fortified to deter any attack through the "back door of Boston." In 1656, Benedict Arnold, William Coddington and several others from Newport purchased the island, whose name commemorates the sachem Canonicus, of the Narragansett Indians. A few homes of that 17th century settlement survive in private hands today.

From the colonial period, the island has been an important link in the network of ferries connecting the towns along Narragansett Bay. Since 1940, with the opening of the Jamestown Bridge, Conanicut Island has been tied economically to the western shore of the bay. In 1969, the opening of the Newport Bridge linked the island to Newport, marking the end of an era in the history of transportation in Rhode Island.

Middletown and Portsmouth
Middletown, a community of light industry and homes, derives its name from its location on Aquidneck Island and its identity from the opposition of its rural inhabitants, to the dominance of the urban settlement of Newport. Originally part of the Newport plantation, it remained a rural agricultural community as Newport grew into an urban center. On Dec. 7, 1776, a British fleet of 11 ships landed at Middletown. After a night of pillaging, the British and Hessian soldiers made their way to Newport, which they were to occupy for the next three years.

Middletown, which has always enjoyed the benefit of rich farmland, is today a nursery center. It also boasts industrial parks housing many contractors working with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center.

At the northern end of Aquidneck Island is the town of Portsmouth. Originally known as Pocasset, it was founded by 19 colonists from Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638. This group, led by John Clarke and William Coddington, formed a pact that ensured a democratic government. The settlement flourished and soon attracted a larger group of colonists from Massachusetts, who came with Anne Hutchinson. In May 1639, Coddington, Clarke and nine others left Pocasset, taking with them all town records, to establish a plantation at Newport. ?Those settlers who remained in Pocasset formed a new political organization, again based on democratic principles. Within one year, the two groups joined together in a union, the State of Rhode Island (Aquidneck Island had been named Rhode Island, after the Greek island of Rhodes, by Verrazano, who discovered it in 1524).

Tiverton and Little Compton
The Sakonnet Lands, once part of Massachusetts, today form one of the most peaceful and beautiful corners of Rhode Island. The towns south of Fall River developed from agricultural communities and fishing ports, became resort areas of large summer homes. Completely bypassed by industrial development, the "Summer Cottages," seem today, to be suspended in time, surrounded by the sea. Part of Newport County, they are prime residential areas and boast many fine shops, restaurants and sightseeing vistas.

Tiverton, south of Fall River, was once part of Plymouth Colony. Governor Bradford of Plymouth, who purchased the area down to Sakonnet Point from the Pocasset Indians, also secured an English patent for it in 1629. Because of its proximity to Aquidneck Island, Tiverton was the scene of considerable activity during the Revolutionary War. The town was a haven for Americans fleeing the British occupation, and it was close enough to enemy-held territory to provide a base from which patriots, under the cover of night, could get back to the island to gather the latest information on British movements and supplies.

The picturesque village of Tiverton Four Corners clusters around the junction of West Main Road (Route 77) and East Road (Route 179). As visitors approach the intersection, the industrial and urban sprawl of the communities to the north recede and green fields stretch down to the shore of the bay. Surely one of the most beautiful corners of the state; here farmland, sky and sea create a portrait of tranquility. Little Compton occupies the southern portion of Sakonnet, an Indian name for the "haunt of the wild black goose." The rocky coastline, salt marshes and swamp lands of the area, even today, suggest the rich natural community that once must have inhabited it. Little Compton, claimed by both Plymouth Colony and Rhode Island, embodies, in the very plan of the village, two different approaches to civic government and religious practice. The settlers from Plymouth were mainly Congregationalists. The Town House built on the Commons in 1693, acted as both a Congregational meeting house and town hall, because the Puritans of Plymouth believed that church and state were linked. A small group of Quakers from Aquidneck Island were the second group of settlers here. Their meeting house, erected around 1700, was the first solely religious building of the little settlement.

Fall River
Bordering Tiverton to the north, Fall River is located in Massachusetts at the mouth of Mt. Hope Bay, about a 20-minute drive from Newport. This port city has industries that manufacture cotton goods, men's and women's clothing, rubber and latex products, plastics and textile machinery. More than 60 factory outlet stores, in huge old mill complexes, offer bargains for the whole family.

Housing in Fall River is more reasonably priced than the Newport area. It has two hospitals and offers a wide variety of cultural and recreational activities, including a city-wide network of parks and playgrounds. Within the city, Bristol Community College offers day and evening classes such as business administration, engineering and computer science, as well as self-enrichment and technical training programs.

The World War II battleship Massachusetts is berthed in Battleship Cove as a war memorial. The Marine Museum nearby displays ship models, paintings and mementos of the Old Fall River Line. Also on display at Battleship Cove are a submarine, destroyer and two PT Boats. (See Points of Interest section). Settled in 1656, Fall River grew to be the world's leading producer of woven and reprinted cotton fabric by the 1880s. People from across the world came to work in the mills, including large numbers of French Canadians and Portuguese, as well as English, Irish and other nationalities intermingled with Native Americans.

Points of Interest
Newport
Abraham Rodrigues Rivera House (1740)
Washington Square
In this building, then the residence of Deputy Governor John Gardiner, the Reverend James Manning, in July 1763, met with interested citizens and first "made the design known" to establish a college in the English colony of Rhode Island, which eventually became Brown University. Open: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call 849-8048 for more information.

Artillery Company of Newport,
Military Museum (1836)
Armory, 23 Clarke St.
The command, chartered in 1741, is the nation's oldest active military organization. It has the most complete collection of American and foreign military uniforms on view. Admission is free, though donations are welcomed. Open: June through September, Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, 12 to 4 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday. The Astors' Beechwood Mansion 580 Bellevue Ave.

A preservation with a sense of humor! Beechwood's cast of characters brings the mansion to life. Meet Captain Horatio Rumprear of the British Royal Navy, Miss Ruth Twombley (of New Jersey) and yachtsman Trevor Ashley Doddington III, among others. 'No tedious historical lectures,' promises the Beechwood Theater Company. This was the summer home of The Astors (it was Caroline who created the Four Hundred) and visitors may sense their lingering spirits, as they explore the most gilded home of the Gilded Age. The Ticket Connection offers discount tickets. Call for hours: 846-3772.

Belcourt Castle
657 Bellevue Avenue
King Louis XII style castle built for Oliver H.P. Belmont and the former Mrs. W.K. Vanderbilt. Designed by Richard Morris Hunt, the castle was also worked on by John Russell Pope. It exhibits a collection of antiques, architectural models of Newport joiner and cabinetmaker Merral Holt, stained glass windows, armor, rugs and paintings. Shown by the Royal Arts Foundation, is a collection of French furniture and silver as well as a Coronation Coach. Coffee, tea, pastry and ghost tours are available upon request and additional admission fees. Open: February through March, November through December, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; April through October 31, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Group rates are available. Call 846-0669 for more information. The Breakers (1895)

Ochre Point Ave.
Originally built for Cornelius Vanderbilt, the mansion's symmetry in design, opulence and lavish use of alabaster, marble, mosaics and antique woods rival the magnificent northern Italian Renaissance palaces after which it was modeled. Open: April 1 through Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; July through Labor Day, Saturday until 6 p.m. Decorated for the holidays every other year. Purchase tickets at http://www.newportmansions.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the house. Combination tickets are available. Call 847-1000 for more information.

Brick Market (1762)
127 Thames St.
Originally a market and granary. Designed by Peter Harrison and used initially as a market and granary. Now, the quaint restored area offers a tremendous variety of gift shops, boutiques and restaurants. Open: 7 Days, Year-round. Chateau-Sur-Mer (1852)

Bellevue Avenue
Originally built for William S. Wetmore, the Victorian mansion displays some original furnishings, as well as elegant additions by Richard Morris Hunt. Open: April, Saturday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; May 1 through Sept. 30, daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; weekends in October; November through March, Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Decorated for the holidays, December, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Purchase tickets at http://www.newportmansions.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the house. Call 847-1000 for more information. Group rates are available.

Chepstow (1860)
Narragansett Avenue
The Italianate style villa was built by architect George Champlin Mason, as the summer residence of Edmund Schermerhorn. The villa, acquired by Mrs. Emily Morris-Gallatin in 1911, contains original Morris-Gallatin furnishings, as well as 19th century American paintings and documents from other former Morris family residences. The Chepstow villa is highly evocative of the taste and collections of a descendant of one of America's founding families placed in the context of a contemporary Newport summer home. Advance reservations are required for tours. Open for tours from June 24 through Sept. 4, daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations are required for tours at this location. Purchase tickets at http://www.newportmansions.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the house. Call 847-1000 for more information.

Cliff Walk
In 1975, the Walk was designated as a National Recreation Trail...the 65th in the nation and first in New England. The Walk runs 3.5 miles and about two-thirds of the walk is in easy walking condition. What makes Cliff Walk unique is that it is a National Recreation Trail in a National Historic District. Parts of the southern half of the walk are a rough trail over the natural and rugged New England rocky shore line. Walkers need to be especially careful and alert in these challenging areas. You pass at your own risk on the walk, which is a public right-of-way over private property. In spots just a couple of feet from the path are abrupt drops of over 70 feet. Wild bushes and weeds often hide this danger. As you walk further south you have to scramble from rock to rock and proper shoes are a must. Even with good shoes, fine sand on some of the rock surfaces can be very slippery. One of the main things to watch for is Poison Ivy which grows well in rainy summer weather along some areas of the path. Nevertheless, the walk remains one of the top attractions in Newport and is taken by people of all ages. The walk starts at the western end of Easton's Beach (Newport's First Beach) at Memorial Blvd. and runs south with major exits at Narragansett Avenue, Webster Street, Sheppard Avenue, Ruggles Avenue, Marine Avenue, Ledge Road and Bellevue Avenue at the east end of Bailey's Beach.

Edward King House
35 King St.
Aquidneck Park. Designed by Richard Upjohn for Edward King. This mansion is considered one of the finest villas of Italianate design in America. The house is now a Senior Citizens' center. Open: year round, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Arts and crafts shop. Admission is free. 846-7426.

The Elms (1901)
Bellevue Avenue
This mansion is the magnificent estate of the late E.J. Berwind, Philadelphia coal magnate. The mansion, largely modeled after the early 18th Century Chateau d'Asnieres, near Paris, was designed by famous Philadelphia architect, Horace Trumbauer. The estate sports a unique, formal sunken garden designed by French landscape architect, Jacques Greber. Open: April, Saturday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; May 1 through Oct. 31, daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; November through March, Saturday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Purchase tickets at http://www.newportmansions.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the house. Call 847-1000 for more information. Group rates and specialty tours are available.

Fort Adams State Park
Lincoln Drive
Fort Adams, the second largest bastioned fort in the U.S. was the Key to Narragansett Bay area defenses, between 1799 and 1945. This granite work was designed to be the most heavily armed fort in America and to garrison 2,400 troops. Sprawling over 21 acres, its extensive landward defenses include listening tunnels, numerous power magazines, and breast height walls for musket men and reverse fire galleries. It mounted three tiers of guns to defend the East Passage of Narragansett Bay. Picnic area, bathing beach, fishing piers, boat launching ramps and hoist are available. Open: Dawn to Dusk. Visit http://www.fortadams.org or call 841-0707 for more information.

Hunter House (1748)
Washington Street near Goat Island Causeway The house holds a special original exhibition of Newport's famous Townsend-Goddard furniture, silver and portraits of the period. The house was once the Revolutionary War headquarters of French Admiral de Ternay. Group rates are available. Open: April, Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; May 1 through Sept. 30, daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekends in October. Purchase tickets at http://www.newportmansions.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the house. Call 847-1000 for more information.

International Tennis Hall of Fame (1880) Newport Casino, 194 Bellevue Ave. The museum is housed in the Newport Casino, an architectural masterpiece built in 1880. The six-acre facility played host to the U.S. National Lawn Tennis Championships, now known as the U.S. Open, 1881-1914. Visitors can tour the grounds, which include 13 grass tennis courts. Grass courts are open to the public, May to October and host major professional tournaments each summer. Tennis history comes alive at the world's largest tennis museum, which opened five newly renovated galleries in July 1995. New exhibitions focus on the modern game. A simulated tennis gallery and interactive videos allow visitors to test their tennis savvy. Open: Year-round, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 849-3990, 849-6053, 846-0642 (pro shop) for more information.

The Isaac Bell House (1883)
70 Perry St., off Bellevue Avenue
The house is one of the best examples of Old English and European shingle style architecture in the country. The house was designed by McKim, Mead and White, for Isaac Bell, a wealthy cotton broker and investor. The house, with colonial American and exotic details, features a Japanese-inspired open floor plan and bamboostyle porch columns. Open: daily, June 24 through Sept. 4, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Purchase tickets at http://www.newportmansions.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the house. Call 847-1000 for more information. Kingscote (1839)

Bellevue Avenue
Built by Richard Upjohn as a summer residence for George Noble Jones of Georgia. Considered the nation's first "summer cottage." The house features the celebrated McKim, Mead and White dining room, added in 1881, with a Tiffany glass wall and cork ceiling. It exhibits Townsend Goddard furniture and outstanding Chinese export paintings and porcelains. A gift of Mrs. Anthony Rives to the Preservation Society of Newport County. Admission: $10.00 adults; $4.00 youths (6 to 17). Group rates are available. Open: April, Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; May 1 through Sept. 30, daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; weekends in October. Purchase tickets at http://www.newportmansions.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the house. Call 847-1000 for more information.

Marble House (1892)
Bellevue Avenue
The mansion, built for William K. Vanderbilt, is predominately styled after the Louis XIV period. The building utilizes features of the Grand and Petit Trianon at Versailles. The Harold S. Vanderbilt Memorial Room features yachting trophies and memorabilia. Meetings, advancing the cause of woman's suffrage, were held here. Chinese Tea House (1913-1914) on grounds. The tea house open only April through November. Admission: $10.00 adults; $4.00 youths (6-17). Group rates: 847-2251. Open: April through Oct. 31, daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; November through March, Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Purchase tickets at http://www.newportmansions.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the house. Call 847-1000 for more information.

Redwood Library (1748)
Bellevue Avenue
Redwood Library is the oldest continuously used library building in America, with an outstanding collection of paintings. It was used by the British during the Revolutionary War as an officers' club. Open: Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Call ahead as planned renovation may impact accessibility for both building and paintings. Call 847-0292 for more information.

Rosecliff (1902)
Bellevue Avenue
The mansion, built for Hermann Oelrichs, overlooks the famous Cliff Walk and Atlantic Ocean. Designed by McKim, Mead and White; modeled after the Grand Trianon at Versailles; features Newport's largest private ballroom. It was presented to the Preservation Society of Newport County by Mr. and Mrs. J. Edgar Monroe of New Orleans. Scenes from "The Great Gatsby" and "The Betsy" were filmed here. Admission: $10.00 adults, $4.00 youths (6-17). Group rates are available. Open: April through Oct. 31, daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Purchase tickets at http://www.newportmansions.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the house. Call 847-1000 for more information.

Rough Point (Doris Duke's House)
In 1925, at the age of 12, Doris Duke, the only child of James B. Duke, inherited the family's Newport home Rough Point that her father had purchased in 1922, along with a sizeable estate. Forever using her money wisely Doris Duke traveled the world collecting works of art, tapestries, and exotic furnishings which grace Rough Point to this day. As well she founded the Newport Restoration Foundation in 1968 in order to rescue Newport's rapidly disappearing 18th century architecture. Avoid the lines! Book your tour online up to 24 hours before your visit. Tickets are sold at the door on space-available basis for tours on the hour. Spring Schedule: Open: April 12 through May 12, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 9:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. (last tour). Summer/Fall Schedule: Open: May 15 through Nov. 10, Tuesday through Saturday, 9:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. (last tour). For more information call Newport Restoration Foundation at (401) 849-7300 or visit online at http://www.newportrestoration.org.

Samuel Whitehorne House (1811)
416 Thames St.
This Federal period house features the exquisite furniture, silver and pewter made by Newport's famed artisans from 1740-1840. A garden completes this Federal showcase. General Admission for adults is $10.00 and $4.00 for children. Group rates are available. Open: May through October, Tuesday through Thursday, by appointment with 24-hour notice; Friday, 1 to 4 p.m.; Saturday through Monday and holidays, no appointment necessary, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 847-2448, 849-7300, 849-7301 for more information.

Trinity Church (1726)
Queen Anne Square
(Spring Street and Church Street)
George Washington worshiped in this parish, which was founded in 1698. The parish is one of the finest structures in America. Its noted spire has been topped by a bishop's miter weather vane since before the Revolution. It features the only three-tiered wine glass pulpit in America. The parish organ was tested by Handel before being sent from England by philosopher Bishop George Berkeley. The parish has been visited by Queen Elizabeth II in 1976 and recently by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Open: May, daily, 1 to 4 p.m.; June 15 through Labor Day, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sept.8 through April 30, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Sunday worship (Episcopal), 8 and 11 a.m. (summer, 8 and 10 a.m.). Call 846-0660 for more information.

Wanton-Lymon-Hazard House (1675)
Broadway near Washington Square
The house is the oldest surviving house in Newport, sporting a lovely Colonial garden. Displays include a charming exhibition of 18th Century cookware. Open: Summer Hours, Open by appointment, Wanton-Lymon-Hazard House (1675) Broadway near Washington Square. The house is the oldest surviving house in Newport, sporting a lovely Colonial garden. Displays include a charming exhibition of 18th Century cookware. Open: Summer Hours, Open by appointment, call for other times. Group rate are available. The house is owned by Newport Historical Society, and additional information can be obtained by calling the Society at 846-0813.

World War I Memorial Tower
Miantonomi Memorial Park 
An 80-foot tower sits atop a 120-foot hill. It is the site of the Revolutionary War redoubts. The tower was designed by McKim, Mead and White.

Arcade Building (1827-28)
1230 Westminster St.
The oldest and grandest shopping arcade to survive. It was also the first monumental business building in Providence, built at a time when trade and whaling had made Providence one of the most prosperous seaports in New England. The architects Russell Warren and James C. Bucklin designed it, and the Arcade Realty Company and builder Cyrus Butler erected it in 1828. Warren was the earliest exponent of the Greek revival style in Rhode Island. At the time, the Arcade's columns were the largest monoliths in the country. Now a lively marketplace filled with shops and eateries. Open daily.

Bayard Ewing Building (1840s),
Rhode Island School of Design
231 South Main St.
The building is a superior example of Rhode Island commercial architecture. A brick building with Greek Revival details, it was used by the Fall River Ironworks, the Rumford Chemical Company and the Phillips Lead Company. It was renovated in 1977 by the Rhode Island School of Design for re-use by its Division of Architectural Studies. Changing exhibitions and lectures are open to the public throughout the school year. Open: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday through Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Brown University (1764)
Waterman St.
Brown University is not only one of the world's leading universities; it is a very attractive landmark to tour on top of College Hill on Providence's East Side. With a mixture of architectures in its older buildings, from Federalist to Gothic, and pleasant greens, flowering bushes (spring and summer), libraries and snack bars, the campus is a must-see if you are touring Providence. A call ahead via Brown's information number might get you onto one of the guided tours conducted throughout the year. Call 863-1000 for more information.

First Baptist Church in America (1775)
75 N. Main St. at Waterman Street
This church is the oldest Baptist Church Corporation in America, established in 1638 by Roger Williams. An artistic triumph designed by Joseph Brown, it is flawlessly preserved. Guided and self-guided tours of the Meeting House: June through October, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., 1 and 3 p.m., Saturdays, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Closed holidays. Self-guided tours of the Meeting House: November through May, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., 1 and 3 p.m. Closed Saturday and holidays. Group tours are offered by appointment only. Visit http://www.fbcia.org or call 454-3418 for more information.

Governor Stephen Hopkins House
(c. 1707 with 1743 addition)
15 Hopkins St.
This was the home of Stephen Hopkins, ten times Governor of Rhode Island and signer of Declaration of Independence. It is an early clapboard house with a quaint 18th century parterre garden. Open: April through December, Wednesday and Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m. and by appointment. (401) 751-1008 or (401) 751-1758.

John Brown House (1786)
52 Power St.
Described by John Quincy Adams as being "the most magnificent and elegant mansion" that he had ever seen on this continent. It is now the headquarters of the Rhode Island Historical Society. Timed tours are offered throughout the year. Open: Sept. 5 through Dec. 30, Tuesday through Friday, tours at 1:30 and 3 p.m.; Saturdays, tours at 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 and 3 p.m.; January through March, Friday and Saturday only, tours at 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 and 3 p.m. Closed holidays. John Brown and Aldrich Houses, combination rates available. Call 273-7507 for more information.

Museum of Art,
Rhode Island School of Design
224 Benefit St.
One of the nation's finest small museums. The museum houses 19th century French art, classical Greek, Roman and Etruscan art; medieval and Renaissance art; European decorative arts and Oriental art. Visitors can view 19th and 20th century American painting, modern Latin American art, contemporary art and major holdings in graphics, costumes and textiles. Adjoining the museum in the Pendleton House is the Charles L. Pendleton Collection of 18th century English and American furniture, silver, china and paintings. It is modeled after Providence's Colonial homes. Pendleton House is the earliest example of an "American Wing" in a United States Museum. Open: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Two wheelchairs and two Braille gallery guides are available. Call 454-6500 for details.

Old State House (1762)
North Main Street between North and South Court Streets. Entrance at 150 Benefit St. The Rhode Island General Assembly here renounced allegiance to King George III on May 4, 1776. The Old State House now serves as the offices of Rhode Island Heritage Commission and Rhode Island Historical Preservation Commission. Open: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed holidays. Call 222-2678 for more details.

Providence Children's Museum
Providence Children's Museum is Rhode Island's only museum especially for children and their families. Providence Children's Museum is a hands-on place where kids and grown-ups play and learn together. Explore the swirling, whirling ways of water, discover the secret world beneath the city streets and learn how much fun learning can be! Open: September through March, Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m, April through Labor Day daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and every Friday evening in June, July and August for "MetLife Family Friday—Free at Five!" Visit http://www.childrenmuseum.org for more information.

Providence City Hall (1875-1878)
Kennedy Plaza, west end
Providence City hall was designed in the manner of the Louvre and the Tuileries Palaces in Paris. Its imposing interior spaces are liberally ornamented. Tours Open: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. City Hall is closed holidays. Call (401) 421-7740 for more information.

Providence Public Library
150 Empire St.
This is the second largest public library in New England. Visitors may view collections on whaling, printing, architecture, Civil War and slavery, ship models, early children's books, Irish and Italian culture. There are monthly exhibits. Also available for visitor use is the patent depository and computer access to U.S. Patent and Trademark office. Open: Monday and Thursday, noon to 8 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Group tours arranged. Call 455-8000 for details.

Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame
110 Benevolent St.
Visitors can view portraits and photographs of famous Rhode Islanders or adopted Rhode Islanders such as stage and screen star Nelson Eddy; Broadway playwright, producer, composer George M. Cohan; baseball great Napoleon Lajoie and "Good Morning America" host, David Hartman. Visitors are welcome whenever no events are scheduled. Advance telephone notice requested. Call 277-2669 for more information.

Rhode Island School of Design (1877)
224 Benefit St.
The RISD Museum traces the history of art from antiquity to the present through its collection of more than 85,000 works of art in all media from all cultures. The Museum is widely acknowledged as one of the country's best museums of its size, and brings its collection alive through special exhibitions, lectures, family-oriented activities, educational programs and other initiatives. Open: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; third Thursday monthly until 9 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; 5 to 9 p.m. on the third Thursday monthly; Friday, noon to 1:30 p.m.; and for Free-for-All Saturdays (last Saturday of the month). Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Roger Williams National Memorial 282 North Main St.

The memorial has a visitor Center, exhibits and slides. The original Providence settlement (1636) is located here. Admission is free. Open: Daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. year round. The Memorial is closed on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Call (401) 521-7266 for more information.

Roger Williams Park
950 Elmwood Ave., off Interstate 95
This beautiful public park consists of 450 acres of landscaped terrain, waterways, drives, walks and numerous special facilities. The park is open daily, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Featured are the Rose, Japanese, Hartman and Hillside outdoor gardens. Visitors can also go to the Betsey Williams Cottage, Museum of Natural History, Casino, Planetarium and Zoo. Seasonal activities include tennis, sliding, skating, concerts, folk arts, festivals, and holiday celebrations. Motor launch, paddleboard, merrygo- round and ponies are available. 785-9450.

Roger Williams Park
Museum of Natural History
1000 Elmwood Ave.
Exhibits include American Indian, Eskimo, Pacific area artifacts, wildlife, mammals, earth sciences and Narragansett Bay room. Featured is also the Cormack Planetarium. There is a family education program Saturday and a folk arts program on Sunday. Open: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.; Sunday and holidays, noon to 5 p.m. During normal business hours call (401) 785-9457 ext. 221. Weekends and evenings call (401) 785-9457 ext. 221.

Roger Williams Park Zoo
Entrance on Elmwood Avenue. The zoo was formed from a revitalized city park. There is a Children's Nature Center, an interpretive learning area of various concepts of animal adaptation; a Farm yard; a Polar Bear exhibit with underwater observatory; a Wetlands Reserve North American Continent section with Prairie Dog Village; a Plains exhibit and new Tropical American exhibit. Special programs are available. There are also mobile Outreach Programs, slide presentations and safari tours. Hours: Spring/Summer (mid-April through mid- October) 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily; Fall/Winter (mid-October through mid-April) 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The Zoo is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Visit http://www.rogerwilliamsparkzoo.org or call (401) 785-3510 for more information.

Slater Mill Historic Site
67 Roosevelt Ave.
Site of several colonial structures, including Slater Mill (1793), birthplace of American industry, the Sylvanus Brown House (1758), and Wilkinson Mill (1810), home to an authentic 19th century machine shop. The site also features a eight-ton working water wheel, constructed in 1826, and regular demonstrations of early textile machinery, hand-spinning, and weaving. Open to the public March through December. Call (401) 725-8638 for more information.

State Capital (1895)
82 Smith St.
Considered to be the most beautiful in the country, the state capital is built of white Georgia marble. It has the second largest unsupported marble dome in the world. Historic Rhode Island relics, paintings and battle flags are also on display. Open: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except holidays. Educational tours are offered daily and can be scheduled by calling the Secretary of State's office at 222-2357.

University Hall (1770)
Prospect Street at Brown University
This is the administrative headquarters of the nation's seventh oldest college (1764). It was used as barracks by American and French troops during the Revolution.

Jamestown
Jamestown Windmill
North Road and Weeden Lane
Windmills, at one time common throughout Rhode Island, are fast disappearing from the landscape. The Jamestown Windmill, recently restored to its original condition by the Jamestown Historical Society, operated continually from 1789 to 1896. Open: mid-June through mid-September, weekends, 1 to 4 p.m. Visit http://www.jamestownhistoricalsociety.org or call (401) 423-0784 for more information.

Friends Meeting House
North Road and Weeden Lane
This small handsome structure, built in 1786, is typical of many Quaker meeting houses that at one time dotted Rhode Island. Open: Sunday, May 10 through October for worship and by appointment. Visit http://www.jamestownhistoricalsociety.org or call (401) 423-0784 for more information.

Sydney L. Wright Museum
Jamestown Philomenian Library, North Road
The museum displays Indian artifacts from prehistoric times through the early colonial period, as well as colonial artifacts. Open: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to noon; 1 to 5 p.m.; 7 to 9 p.m. Contact the museum at 423-7281 for more details.

Fire Museum
Narragansett Ave.
The museum exhibits some of the early firefighting equipment used in Jamestown, including a horse-drawn pumper. Open: Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit http://www.jamestownfd.com for more information.

Jamestown Museum
92 Narragansett Ave.
The Jamestown Ferry to Newport, a major link in the communications system among the many islands of the state, operated for 300 years. The Jamestown Museum displays memorabilia of the ferry system, as well as an Old Jamestown exhibit. Open: June 14 through Sept. 7, 1 to 4 p.m. and by appointment. Call (401) 423-0784 for more information.

Mackerel Cove
Studded with boulders and bordered by the spacious homes of the island's summer colony, the cove is a delightful place to swim.

Conanicut Battery
At end of Fox Hill Road
Well-defined earthworks are all that remain of Conanicut Battery of Beaver Head Fort. Constructed by the colonists in May 1776, the fort was occupied by the British from December 1776 until August 1778 and was instrumental in keeping the Continental Navy bottled up in Providence. In 1900, the federal government built Fort Getty at this site. Parts of this fort remain. Open: Year round during daylight hours.

Portsmouth
Portsmouth Historical Society/
Union Meeting House
Route 138 and Union St.
The Union Meeting House was thus named in an attempt symbolically to unite the Christian community. Julia Ward Howe, who summered in Portsmouth, was a parishioner of the church. A woman of independent spirit and conviction, she often delivered sermons here on world peace and woman's suffrage. The church was built in 1866. Its plain clapboard exterior is marked only by "eyebrow" frames over the windows. ?e main sanctuary has a stamped tin ceiling (dating from the 1880s or 1890s) painted blue and gold to resemble gilding in the style of the Renaissance. Open: July through Labor Day, Saturday and Sunday, or by appointment. Call 683-1195 for appointments.

The building today houses the Portsmouth Historical Society, whose collection includes the last horse-drawn mail coach used in the area, clothes dating from the 18th century and a room of Julia Ward Howe memorabilia. Founder's Brook

Off Boyd's Lane
This is the site where the first settlers from Massachusetts landed in 1638. The Portsmouth Compact, by which these settlers established a democratic government, is inscribed on a stone marker here.

Boyd's Windmill
Mill Lane
Built in 1810, the windmill grounded corn for Johnny cakes until the 1900s. The cakes, whose name is a corruption of "journey cakes" because they were originally taken by sea captains on long voyages, are made of locally grown flint corn. Recipes for the little cakes are guarded by the old families of the state and argument is often heated about where the best cakes are made, on the east or west side of the bay.

Butts Hill Fort
Behind the American Legion Post
on Sprague Street
With a commanding view of the Sakonnet River to the east, Narragansett Bay to the west, and Middletown in the distance, Butts Hill is a natural location for a military outpost.

Memorial to Negroes
Junction of Route 114 and Route 24
A flagpole marks the spot at which the First Rhode Island Regiment, composed solely of slaves who had been promised freedom after the war, took the brunt of the British attack in the Battle of Rhode Island.

Green Animals Topiary Garden
380 Cory's Lane
A peacock, a policeman, an elephant, a giraffe, 80 sculptured trees and shrubs, a triumph of the art of topiary gardening, are displayed in the formal gardens here on the Brayton estate. Open: May 6 through Oct. 29, daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Purchase tickets at http://www.newportmansions.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the house. Call 847-1000 for more information.

Portsmouth Abbey
Corey Lane. An outstanding contemporary church, the Chapel of St. Gregory, designed by Pietro Belluschi, is a noteworthy addition to the campus of this Benedictine abbey and school. A wire sculpture by Richard Lippod enhances the interior of the church.

Route 138
Also know as East Main Road, this is the oldest street in Portsmouth. It was originally called "His Majesty the King's High Road" and is bordered by most of the surviving 18th century houses in the town. A drive along this road not only provides glimpses of these houses but of the few remaining farms in the area that stretch to the water's edge. Seeing them suggests the tranquil, sparsely settled farming community that Portsmouth remained throughout the 19th century.

Friends' Meeting House
Route 138 and Hedley Avenue
The Quakers dominated Portsmouth society for its first 150 years. Until the beginning of the 19th century, the Friends' Meeting House was the only church in the community. The original meeting house was built on this site in 1656 and the present two-and-one-half-story frame building was erected in 1702.

Prescott Farm
West Main Road
On the night of July 9, 1777, one of the most daring and hazardous expeditions of the Revolution took place here—the capture of the British commander, General Prescott. Lieutenant Colonel William Barton, an officer at Tiverton Heights, learned of Prescott's intended rendezvous here at Overing House with a young lady. Embarking from Warwick Neck with a few officers and a group of forty men, Barton's party slipped by three British frigates as they passed the east side of Prudence Island. Having landed two miles from Overing House they proceeded on foot, using the trees and blackberry brambles for cover. After overcoming Prescott's sentry, the party crashed through the house from all sides, overtook the general, and dragged him from his bed. Open: May through October, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The grounds are open to the public free of charge. Guided tours are offered, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $3 for adults and $1 for children.

Tiverton and Little Compton
Fort Barton
Lawton and Highland Avenue
The British capture of Aquidneck Island in 1776 threatened not only Rhode Island, but also Massachusetts Bay Colony, for a British attack through Narragansett Bay would have had Boston surrounded. Massachusetts, quick to realize this danger, aided in building this fort on Tiverton Heights in 1777. The fort was named for Lieutenant Colonel William Barton, who conceived his daring raid on Portsmouth in July 1777, while stationed here.

Along the serpentine path leading to the summit of the heights are markers explaining the topography of the area. From the observation tower built at the center of the fort, visitors can see the length of Aquidneck Island, the Atlantic Ocean, Fogland Point, Stone Bridge, the site of Howland's Ferry at the foot of Lawton Avenue and Butts Hill.