Newport Tower

See the round stone tower in Touro Park that was most likely a 1600s windmill and has drawn Viking theories since 1837.

Touro Park, Mill Street · Newport, RI

About Newport Tower

The Newport Tower, also called the Old Stone Mill, is a round stone tower about 28 feet tall that stands on eight columns joined by arches in Touro Park. Most scholars think it is what remains of a windmill from the mid-1600s: Governor Benedict Arnold mentioned "my stone built Wind Mill" in his 1677 will, and carbon tests of the mortar point to the 1600s. In 1837 a Danish scholar proposed that Norse explorers built it, an idea with little support among mainstream scholars today. The park sits at the top of Mill Street, on the hill above the waterfront.

#historic tower
#colonial history
#park
#mystery

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What's around here?

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

Museums
Newport Art Museum
Under $25
Art museum in Newport, Rhode Island, with American and contemporary art, rotating exhibitions, and a school.
Right next doorSwitch it up: Museums
Museums
Iconic
International Tennis Hall of Fame
Under $25
A Newport mansion turned museum honoring tennis's greatest champions with interactive and immersive exhibits.
Transit: reachable by public transit
0.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
Sightseeing
History Buff
Touro Synagogue
Under $25
Take a guided tour of the oldest surviving synagogue building in the United States, dedicated in 1763.
Transit: reachable by public transit
0.3 mi awayMore like this
Tours
Outdoor Adventure
Coastal Queen Cruises
$25–$50
Board a 58-foot excursion boat at Bowen's Wharf for narrated cruises past Newport's lighthouses, harbor and seals.
Transit: reachable by public transit
0.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours
Sightseeing
Kingscote
$25–$50
An 1841 Gothic Revival house in Newport, designated a National Historic Landmark, run by the Preservation Society of Newport County.
Transit: reachable by public transit
0.3 mi awayMore like this
Sightseeing
The Elms
$25–$50
A Gilded Age mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, cared for by the Preservation Society of Newport County.
Transit: reachable by public transit
0.6 mi awayMore like this