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Fort Adams State Park, Newport, RI

Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingHistory BuffOutdoor Adventure

Fort Adams State Park

90 Fort Adams Dr · Newport, RI

Why you should go…

Fort Adams State Park covers 105 acres at the mouth of Newport Harbor, built around a coastal fortification that was active from 1841 into the mid-20th century. You can swim at a small roped beach, picnic, launch a boat and look out over Narragansett Bay. The Fort Adams Trust runs tours of the fort, where you walk the 6.5-acre parade field and enter the casemates. The park is also the home of the Newport Jazz Festival and the Newport Folk Festival.

  • #state park
  • #historic fort
  • #fort tours
  • #harbor views
  • #newport jazz festival

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Fort Adams State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Tours
    Date Night

    Sightsailing of Newport

    $25–$50

    Newport Harbor sailing charters and sunset cruises from Bowen's Wharf.

    1.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Tours
    Iconic

    Newport Classic Cruises

    $50+

    Sail Newport Harbor aboard classic schooners and a vintage 1929 motor yacht.

    1.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Tours
    Date Night

    Gansett Cruises

    $25–$50

    Narrated harbor and sunset cruises out of Newport, Rhode Island.

    1.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Touro Synagogue

    Under $25

    Take a guided tour of the oldest surviving synagogue building in the United States, dedicated in 1763.

    1.5 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Bellevue Avenue Historic District

    Free

    Stroll or drive past Newport's Gilded Age mansions, several open for tours, along a landmark avenue of summer cottages.

    1.6 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Rosecliff

    $25–$50

    Walk through a Gilded Age mansion with Newport's largest ballroom and a heart-shaped grand staircase.

    1.8 mi awayMore like this