We make it a habit to drive down to the Historic District in Westerly and walk around, enjoying the…read moreold building styles, stopping by the farmers market, eating in the many restaurants, strolling through Wilcox Park. This town is a wonderful reminder of the old towns New England was once filled with. The center of the historic district is the monument at the intersection of High Streets and U.S. Rt. 1, just near the Westerly Library. There is on-street parking available throughout the area. This is the place to begin your visit by walking the streets, lined with one-off store fronts, small 'mom and pop' restaurants and beautiful old architecture. It really makes a fun morning adventure. Once you have satisfied your curiosity there, follow the river south along Main Street, to the Farmers Market near the intersection of Union Street. It runs June - October, 10am - 2pm on Thursdays. Check out the state's DEM website for updated info. After picking up some farm fresh foods for lunch or dinner, follow Union Street up the hill back toward Wilcox park and there is a nice brick tower on the left. I'm not sure what the building is used for today, but from the look of the stone foundation, it's quite an old edifice. Continue straight on, across the street into Wilcox Park for a nice stroll under trees. Maybe picnic on the food you purchased at the farmers market, enjoy the magnificent old trees or sit by the pond. There are signs around the park telling the history of the area. If you live in state, try to stop by throughout the year to see it in all it's seasons. If you are visiting the state, be sure to make it one of your stops while visiting the area. Be sure to check out all the spots to visit in town here on Yelp.

Classic, quaint, fantastic road that is the heart of Newport. Long, very walkable road, with a…read morerange of shops, clothing boutiques, food, restaurants, gift stores, etc! Strolling down Thames is a quintessential part of the Newport experience.

"I see you live on Love Street There's this store where the…read morecreatures meet" (The Doors) Thames Street is a long and narrow cobblestoned street in the very heart of Newport's Central Business District. You'll see scores of shops, restaurants, and bars on both sides of the street, and you'll even smell the ocean, as you're but a few blocks away from the water. You can spend hours and hours just strolling, people watching and window shopping. We must have seen 20 different bars and restaurants, a dozen coffee shops, and maybe a hundred stores selling everything from low end touristy stuff to high end clothing and furniture. We picked up an oil painting from the Seaside Art Gallery, a chocolate toffee apple and some chocolates from Kilwin's of Newport, and two long sleeve Tee Shirts and some souvenir postcards for the grandkids from the House of Scrimshaw. We parked in a municipal lot a block behind and perpendicular to Thames.

A local treasure of history and culture. On levels with so many historic homes in New Englsnd and…read moreyet to say you know Bristol or even RI history without visiting here you have cheated yourself. Be challenged and be awed by beauty, architecture, and history. And do not miss it!

I have been to Linden Place many times and I thought it was about time to write a review of this…read morebeautiful colonial home and museum. Linden Place was built in 1810 by George DeWolf. When the sea was America's highway, the DeWolf family ruled along with the Browns of Providence, and as with the Brown family, the DeWolfs made their money in trading slaves. George's family and descendants occupied the house for 177 years until the Friends of Linden Place, a non-profit group, assumed ownership in 1988. Perhaps the most famous occupant was Colonel Samuel Pomeroy Colt, George's grandson. He started Industrial Trust Bank which later became Fleet and he formed U.S. Rubber which became today's Uniroyal Tires. This house is considered the "architectural crown jewel" of Bristol and it is important to the social history of the town as well. Walking around the house with a guided tour, you can hear and learn about the history of the house and the town, bright time and dark times. Learning about the slave trade is important because it was a part of our history, even though it was a sad one. The decor is exquisite, with the furniture, chandeliers, artwork and interior design set the same way it was in the 19th century. We have also enjoyed the outside grounds during wedding receptions, concerts, special events. The grounds are always immaculate so the events outdoors always shine. A beauty of Colonial architecture in Bristol.

It is an amazing house that's part of the Vanderbilt legacy…read more We got discount tickets for two houses to visit. Amazing history and definitely visit at least one of the houses is you are in the area

My second favorite mansion. Mrs Vanderbilt's lavender room is probably my favorite of all rooms at…read moreall of the mansions. It's just lovely and they also did some filming for the gilded age here. The dining room is fantastic as well, and the whole house is wonderful to stop at and visit. The copper in the kitchens is some of my fave, and the tea house out back has been on my bucket list for almost 20 years. At some point I'll make it out there for tea!

We took a self-guided tour of this farm on a beautiful day recently. When we arrived we were…read moregreeted by the farm's border collies. The dogs are friendly and very playful. I got the impression that we could throw sticks all day and they wouldn't tire of the game. They accompanied us for most of our walk around the property. In the barn we met a very friendly guide who told me a little about the farm and game me a map along with a detailed description of what to look for. The farm is part of Historic New England along with a couple other properties in Rhode Island and many in Massachusetts. The admission is $4 for adults, $2 for kids and $3 for seniors. We headed out for a walk through the pastures. We saw the cows and sheep that live on the farm, a cool windmill they use to water the livestock and the most amazing views of the bay and the Jamestown bridge. When we got to the rocky beach the dogs were waiting for us to throw rocks into the water. We collected shells and sea glass before we followed the dogs back to the barnyard. There is a shop with grass-fed lamb and beef as well as restrooms which we didn't use so I can't comment on the cleanliness. The farm is beautiful and the views alone are worth the price of admission.

Really awesome walking trails. It reminds me of the English or Irish country side. If your out in…read morethe Newport area check this little farm out! You might even catch the sheep sheering season!

Benefit Street is a nice little walk and The Shunned House is a sweet little surprise. What I like…read moreabout The Shunned House is that you would have NO CLUE that this house was significant amongst the others in the surrounding areas. The armory down the street stands out a lot more than the lil house that HPLovecraft wrote about. Still it's a great side trip that will only take seconds out of your day if you are in or around the colleges in the area. This is obviously a residence and they have since named the house after someone but you can see the wall that used to be used as the front of the house and the descriptions stand strong in Lovecraft's writing. No big deal but I liked being there and seeing it.

I was going to write about this curiousity, but I realized I couldn't do any better than what…read morebrought me in the first place: "The house was--and for that matter still is--of a kind to attract the attention of the curious. Originally a farm or semi-farm building, it followed the average New England colonial lines of the middle eighteenth century--the prosperous peaked-roof sort, with two stories and dormerless attic, and with the Georgian doorway and interior panelling dictated by the progress of taste at that time. It faced south, with one gable end buried to the lower windows in the eastward rising hill, and the other exposed to the foundations toward the street. Its construction, over a century and a half ago, had followed the grading and straightening of the road in that especial vicinity; for Benefit Street--at first called Back Street--was laid out as a lane winding amongst the graveyards of the first settlers, and straightened only when the removal of the bodies to the North Burial Ground made it decently possible to cut through the old family plots. "At the start, the western wall had lain some twenty feet up a precipitous lawn from the roadway; but a widening of the street at about the time of the Revolution sheared off most of the intervening space, exposing the foundations so that a brick basement wall had to be made, giving the deep cellar a street frontage with door and two windows above ground, close to the new line of public travel. When the sidewalk was laid out a century ago the last of the intervening space was removed; and Poe in his walks must have seen only a sheer ascent of dull grey brick flush with the sidewalk and surmounted at a height of ten feet by the antique shingled bulk of the house proper. "The farm-like grounds extended back very deeply up the hill, almost to Wheaton Street. The space south of the house, abutting on Benefit Street, was of course greatly above the existing sidewalk level, forming a terrace bounded by a high bank wall of damp, mossy stone pierced by a steep flight of narrow steps which led inward between canyon-like surfaces to the upper region of mangy lawn, rheumy brick walls, and neglected gardens whose dismantled cement urns, rusted kettles fallen from tripods of knotty sticks, and similar paraphernalia set off the weather-beaten front door with its broken fanlight, rotting Ionic pilasters, and wormy triangular pediment. "What I heard in my youth about the shunned house was merely that people died there in alarmingly great numbers. That, I was told, was why the original owners had moved out some twenty years after building the place. It was plainly unhealthy, perhaps because of the dampness and fungous growth in the cellar, the general sickish smell, the draughts of the hallways, or the quality of the well and pump water. These things were bad enough, and these were all that gained belief among the persons whom I knew. Only the notebooks of my antiquarian uncle, Dr. Elihu Whipple, revealed to me at length the darker, vaguer surmises which formed an undercurrent of folklore among old-time servants and humble folk; surmises which never travelled far, and which were largely forgotten when Providence grew to be a metropolis with a shifting modern population." H.P. Lovecraft, The Shunned House Be mindful that this is a private residence. Please be respectful.

I purchased the membership last November and this was the second time I've visited the Breakers the…read morelast 6 months. I love having it because you don't need a timed ticket then and can visit at any time with a guest, so as an historian, I love it. The Breakers is probably my favorite of the mansions to visit, it's so big and expansive and beautiful. Every room you walk into, your jaw just drops a little more. I think my favorite season to visit is around. Christmas, but visiting now in spring and summer it's still really magical and beautiful to see. The library is probably my favorite room here, the light green is just gorgeous. Make sure to give yourself a good 20 minutes in the gift shop too, it's very expansive.

If you're in Newport, this is worth seeing at least once. I had a lot of fun walking through the…read moremansion and reading about the history of the Vanderbilt family and the property. The mansion itself is beautiful. The artwork is stunning, the interior is incredibly well preserved, and the ocean views are amazing. But still, my walk in closet and bathroom is bigger than their bathroom/closets, so take that, Vanderbilts! The admission price was very high. And really, don't these guys have have enough money already? And after all that, but I was a little disappointed that visitors are only allowed on the first two floors and the basement. It would've been nice to see the upper levels as well. Thankfully parking is free but the lot is relatively small considering how many people visit. Overall, I'm glad I visited. The history, architecture, artwork, and views made it a worthwhile experience and I'd recommend it to anyone visiting Newport.

The Preservation Society of Newport County is a non-profit organization based in Newport, Rhode…read moreIsland and its top priority is the preservation and conservation of its historic houses and their collections. This work includes restoration of roofs and windows, conservation of fragile textiles, cleaning and restoration of valuable paintings and much more. At any given time, dozens of projects are underway. A visit to the Newport Mansions is a donation to The Preservation Society of Newport County. During the holiday season, The Breakers, Marble House, and The Elms welcome visitors with spectacular holiday displays so it was a great opportunity to visit. In addition to the house holiday display, there is an outdoor holiday display called Sparkling Lights at The Breakers from November 22 to December 29, 2024 on select evenings. Admission is only at 4 pm, 4:30 pm, 5 pm, 5:30 pm and 6 pm. Gates close at 6:30 pm and the house and grounds close at 8 pm. Timed admissions tickets can be purchased online at https://www.newportmansions.org/. Tickets include access to the lavishly decorated rooms inside the house during the same visit. About a week prior, I bought 2 tickets for December 20, 2024 at 6:00PM ($40.00 each) and I was really looking forward to it. However, there was a winter advisory and it was snowing on the day of. Driving conditions were unsafe. I was worried I was going to lose my money since the website indicated tickets may not be resold, non-transferrable, non-refundable, and cannot be used for a different date. I tried calling the Preservation Society of Newport County, but there were just prompts and I couldn't talk to a live person. I sent a direct message to @newport.mansions through Instagram and they responded promptly that I could receive a refund by emailing info@newportmansions.org. Gary Ruff, Associate Communications Manager, responded and instructed me with what information he needed to provide the refund. I was so appreciative. Thankfully, the snow cleared and temperature warmed up a bit so I bought 2 tickets for December 29, 2024 at 4:00PM ($40.00 each). All the decorated Christmas trees, the 15-foot-tall poinsettia tree, poinsettias, garlands, wreaths and fresh floral in the interior of The Breakers were beautiful and then walking through the lights and illuminated displays of the outdoor 13-acre landscape was just a cherry on the top. The Preservation Society of Newport County also partnered with Stoneacre Brasserie to offer holiday treats and adult beverages. Thank you to The Preservation Society of Newport County for everything you are doing to protect, preserve, and present an exceptional collection of house museums and landscapes.

The family (wife, 10 y/o son, 2 y/o daughter) were visiting Newport and looking fo some activities…read moreto do. I noticed that the Newport mansions were on every to-do list, with the Breakers being the top choice of many. I looked at their website as well as other reviews and saw that this may not be the best place for younger ones. I saw that no strollers were allowed and I didn't think a tour of an old mansion is something my 10 y/o would be interested in. So I decided to take a solo trip on a nice Friday morning while the rest of the family slept in late at the hotel. The Breakers opens at 10 AM. The visitors parking lot is on the corner of Ochre Point Avenue and Victoria Avenue. There are other lots nearby but read the signs as they are for other buildings...The parking lot had adequate space when I arrived at 10:15 or so, but by the time I was leaving at about 11:45 is was pretty packed with visitors having to park in the rear overflow lot. Once you reach the front gate of the Breakers mansion, there are COVID restriction and general rule signs. As you proceed you can go to the left to buy tickets, use the bathroom or enter their cafe. Tickets are about $26 for adults and $8 for children 6-17 years old. The cafe has a bunch of premade food items, drinks, snacks, premade sandwiches... and few seats with tables. There are some more seats and table just outside of the cafe. Before you enter the mansion, there are signs showing you how to use their self tour audio app. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND DOING THIS...AND BRING HEADPHONES. You download the Newport Mansions app from the App Store onto your Apple or Google device, select the mansion you are visiting and begin the tour. The audio tour was excellent and follows you through the tour route of the mansion. I enjoyed listening to all the interesting facts about each room via bluetooth earbuds while my hands were free to take photos with my camera. You only thing you will need to do is to advance (click the play button) the tour to the next room before entering. There are some interesting facts about the mansion as a whole and each individual room. You can also stay around longer in each area for additional facts, essentially lengthening the tour. Without the audio tour, you will have to fread the printed information sheet. You go through the main floor, upper floor and back down into the service area where the kitchen is. You then exit through the gift shop. The gift shop has lots of interesting items, which includes typical magnets, mugs and prints, but they also have some luxury items like platters and wine stoppers as well as a small jewelry section. You finally exit out onto the side of the mansion and are able to walk back around outside to the front where you entered. Before sure to walk through the opened gate to the right of the mansion which takes you through a small garden to the back. Here you can see the Cliff Walk path and the ocean. Overall, I had a great time...It was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. The entire tour took just over an hour without listening to the extra information about each room. (During the tour, there are a few instances where you have to ascend/descend steps - I did NOT see any elevators - so you may want to call ahead to check if you cannot climb steps) Again, I highly recommend downloading the app and listening to the audio tour via headphones. It allows your eyes to focus on the beauty of the mansion instead of reading. Lastly, the mansion is right off of the Cliff Walk path...so be sure to make the short ride (or walk) north to Narragansett Avenue and visit the Forty Steps.