This is another one of those places I've passed by probably a thousand times and never gave a…read moresecond thought to. But, on this nice holiday I finally stopped by. Tours end in October, which was nice as had the place to myself and could freely roam about. It's a nice place. Couple walking trails, nice waterfront view, and obviously the historical grounds. Would probably be nicer to visit in the summer, but then you have to deal with the crowds. Well worth a trip if for nothing else than the walking trails and the historical aspects.

Came here tonight (8:30) because we had a visitor from Hawaii staying with us for a couple of…read moreweeks. Thought this would make an interesting outing. I have been here a few times before but never on a night that had an event planned. I was expecting to see some of the Perseid meteor showers but instead we were informed by the volunteer in front that there was a special event in the observatory's theater. A spokesperson from NASA was here with a presentation about the James Webb Space Telescope. The asking donation price was $5. I'm happy to give that! It was standing room only by the time my group got in. The presentation was so informative. I learned a lot of things. Like how they were able to origami fold the tennis court sized telescope into a space shuttle only to unfold in space while still traveling tens of thousands of miles per hour. All of the mirrors can move and auto correct themselves to adjust to what they're focusing on. Also what was amazing was that they used really thin layers of Mylar like material and the air passing through each of these layers was able to change the temperature from about 240°c to -130°c We were each able to try out an infrared gun on our hands (covered by a tarp) to see that the infrared gun could see through and our hands would be visible. After the presentation we were able to grab some NASA swag and I was totally geeking out. My son only took 1 small sticker. It was dark in there and I just grabbed a handful. Don't worry! He said that he had more for everyone if the table ran out so I didn't leave any one empty handed. After the presentation we headed back to the observatory. The telescope was pointed at a binary star system. I don't remember the name. We were lucky to see anything because the sky had a thin veil of clouds. While still in the park- driving home- the full moon was so glorious. With thin ribbons of clouds swirling around it- it looked like a sunrise. But more mysterious. Almost monochrome. I would have definitely snapped a pic if I weren't driving. I plan on coming here a lot more. This is such a gem! I recommend coming to Ninigret during the day so you can learn to navigate to the observatory easier. It is pitch black. They also ask that once you make it into the park that you turn off your head lights and only drive with your running lights. There is a parking lot to the right of the observatory. Other Astronomy enthusiasts are usually on the lawn in front of the observatory so please do not have your headlights on. The observatory is kind of a tight space. And it's dark. It's a circle but enter on the right. Halfway around inside there will be a sign in book. The book generally sits on top of a donation box. The telescope will be pointed at something and usually it will stay in that position. On slow nights they can point it somewhere else as long as everyone has had a chance to see and most of them show an interest in seeing something else.

An awesome little spot within a park in south county. It's a little observatory for us nerds that…read morelove space things. Saturn was clear that night so there was a long line of people waiting to see it. I was surprised at how many people were out there lined up to get a glimpse of the planet. It was complete darkness out there so you could see millions of stars and the Milky Way with your own eyes. I saw 3 satellites and a couple of shooting stars! We waited in line for about 30 minutes before we got inside the observatory. It's a small dome with a large telescope inside. There were two men working in there and we were able to look through the telescope for a few minutes. You could see the the blue planet with rings around it; it was so clear! It's a brilliant and fascinating experience. And the coolest part, it was free! If you have a chance, go check it it!

A beautifully landscaped and aesthetically pleasing educational venue. Focusing on Rhode Island…read moreindigenous species of butterflies and moths...you will get swept away amidst the soft fluttering wings of the butterflies and the giant leave eating machines of the caterpillars. The Farmer's Daughter Garden Center is home to the pavilion and is beautiful in its own right.

Newport, RI - This is a small but exquisite and well-curated car museum, showcasing mostly…read morevintage/classic cars and prestige motors from retro to present day, with a mission of "preserving, celebrating & sharing automotive history." They also host the annual Audrain Concours and Motor Week each October. We were having lunch next door and were debating whether it was worth it to drive back up to Portsmouth to visit the Newport Car Museum (having a few moto enthusiasts in my family including my car-obsessed child) when we came upon Audrain, and caught the Porsche exhibit. Helpful and knowledgeable staff were on hand to answer questions and were very happy to chat about the cars and tell us more about the history and culture. It's an incredible and selective collection. For those who wish to learn more, the description plaques had QR codes that you can scan for more information or to watch and hear the car. They rotate exhibits every few months, so check their website or social media for upcoming themes if you're in the area.

The other car musuem in Newport. Smaller than the Portsmouth one, but $2 cheaper. This one is a…read morelot more crowded, partly because of the size but its still a fun time. The cars here cyle every few months so its always something different. If you had to pick between the 2, the one in Portsmouth is probably the way to go. But if you have little ones with shorter attention spans, you may be better off here.

Very old church and it's very nice inside you can have parties and weddings in there it's a church…read moretoo

Excellent crew accommodations paired with this awesome cold brew and breakfast sandwich I just got…read morefrom Empire Tea and Coffee, located inside Seamen's Institute!! Well priced and yummy. Portuguese English Muffin?!?! Thanks SCI!

Picked strawberries today at $3.25/lb at Quonset View Farm, Portsmouth, RI on Aquidneck island near…read moreNewport and they were divine. That is all.

Love this place! Been going here for pick-your-own strawberries since I was a kid, and I'm over 50…read morenow. They have already picked ones if I'm in a rush, which I often am.

Absolutely beautifully kept. We did not go inside the museum but we did walk the grounds. They…read morealso have a lovely gift shoppe. Outdoor but well kept grass in the middle of the winter. They also have public courts that anyone can play on. This is truly a special place if you love tennis. Museum is pricey. Lovely staff. Great selection of gift store items.

If you're a huge tennis fan, this is a no brainer. This also may be one of the only spots to play…read moreon grass courts. As tourists, doesn't seem like there is any dress code. If you're playing, it looks like you must be in all whites. They also have a running "real tennis" court, which is funky and cool to witness players play this unconventional game. They run a ATP tournament in mid-July if you're lucky enough to catch that while the pros prepare to play at Wimbledon.

Beautiful example of Shingle Style architecture. Built in 1881-1883 by the firm of McKim, Mead &…read moreWhite, it was the summer residence for Isaac Bell, Jr. Bell's brother-in-law was James Gordon Bennett, Jr., the publisher of the New York Herald. The house is a blend of English Queen Anne, New England colonial and Oriental design. The name Shingle Style is due to the white cedar shingles that cover the exterior. The firm McKim, Mead and White influenced the work of Fran Lloyd Wright. The open floor plan is perfect for the current use to display art exhibits. This current exhibition, Pictus Porrectus, shows contemporary art based on classic paintings. Parking is available on site. No furniture is displayed in this historic Newport Mansion. A very unique property, but not as elaborate as the other Gilded Newport Mansions.

This was one of the smaller homes of the "Newport Mansions" in Rhode Island, but is one not to be…read moremissed. It was an architectural tour and it didn't contain most of the furnishings as most of them were sold off years ago. They chose not to buy period pieces though instead focused on many of the interesting features. For one, the outside roof is covered in wood shingles in all types of interesting designs which is why the style of the house is classified as shingle style architecture and is one of the few in the country. Because the owners traveled quite extensively, they incorporated many design details from France, Japan and China mostly, but also from other areas of the world. One that that surprised me is that the main floor has a fairly open floor plan with wasn't standard for that time period. This concept was borrowed from Japan. I had also not seen pocket windows before - they disappear into the walls completely to bring in lots of fresh air! Much of the wallpaper was custom designed for them. The designer also was very creative. He framed bed warmers and used them as a feature in the dining room. I now realize that if all the period pieces were in the house, it would almost overshadow all the design features of the house itself.