Newport: Tennis History, Mansions, and Seaside Paths

Newport offers a variety of experiences: tennis on grass courts, Gilded Age history, and paths overlooking the sea and bay. You can book time to play on grass courts, explore exhibitions on the history of tennis, or take in the scenery on two routes of different lengths. The Breakers also offers different ways to explore its history—including an audio guide featuring personal stories and a tour for children.

Experience Tennis and Discover Its History

The public can book time to play on the grass courts at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame museum complements this sporting experience with immersive exhibitions and interactive displays on the history of tennis. You can focus your visit on discovering the sport’s development through exhibitions and interactive formats, or book time to play yourself.

You can also explore the historic grounds of the International Tennis Hall of Fame on foot. They are located in Newport’s Bellevue Avenue Historic District. This brings tennis history together with a visit to the historic grounds; when planning, you can decide whether to focus primarily on the museum exhibits or a walk through the grounds.

Personal Stories at The Breakers

The Breakers is Newport’s largest Gilded Age mansion. Through first-person accounts, the audio guide tells personal stories of what life was like in the house. Speakers include family members, servants, and their children.

The Breakers offers a dedicated tour of the mansion for children; it is included with regular admission.

Two Paths with Different Views

The Fort Adams Bay Walk is a 2.5-mile loop around Fort Adams State Park. Along the way, you’ll find views of Newport Harbor, the Newport Bridge, and the bay. The loop combines a set route length with several named viewpoints. If you like to plan your days around an outdoor route, you can include this loop among your Newport experiences.

The 3.5-mile Cliff Walk reveals a different side of the landscape: on one side are panoramic sea views, crashing waves, and ocean breezes; on the other, you’ll see centuries-old Gilded Age mansions. The route therefore combines coastal views with mansion architecture. Its stated length can help you account for the walk when planning your day, without implying a walking time.

When choosing your vacation rental, your preferred scenery can help guide you: harbor panoramas or the coast and mansions.

Getting to The Breakers

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority trolley on Route 67 stops at The Breakers. If you include the mansion in your day’s plans, you can keep this stop in mind as a transit option.

More Destinations

If you’d like to add more destinations to your travel plans, you can also explore Middletown, Little Compton, and Jamestown.

Back to the main travel overview: Newport.