The Best Time to Visit Rhode Island: A Seasonal Guide

B.  Summer (June, July, August)

1.  Historic Buildings/Homes

As the 13th state in the nation, it is not surprising that Rhode Island has 45 national historic landmarks, which include significant historic buildings and homes, mostly located in Newport or Providence.  Although some of those sites can be viewed from outside or toured at any time of year, others are closed during the winter.

• • • Newport:  Historic Buildings/Homes and Cliff Walk

Newport has a wealth of 18th- and 19th-century architecture not limited to the Gilded Age mansions that line the aptly named Bellevue Avenue.  Although four mansions (The Breakers, The Elms, Marble House, and Rosecliff) are open year-round, the other  Preservation Society of Newport County properties are open on a seasonal basis from early spring to late fall:  Hunter House, Kingscote, Chateau-sur-Mer, Chepstow, and Isaac Bell House.  In good weather, you can combine a tour with a stroll along the 3.5-mile seaside Cliff Walk.

Other significant homes or buildings in Newport include:

• • the fourth oldest statehouse, Old Colony House (National Historic Landmark);
  • the oldest lending library in the United States, Redwood Library & Athenæum (National Historic Landmark);
  • the Brick Market (National Historic Landmark), now housing the Museum of Newport History and Shop;
  • the Griswold House (National Historic Landmark), now housing the Newport Art Museum;
  • the Edward King House, now housing a senior center;
  • the oldest synagogue in the United States, Touro Synagogue (National Historic Site);
  • Trinity Church (National Historic Landmark);
  • United Congregational Church (National Historic Landmark);
  • the oldest surviving house in Newport, the Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House (National Historic Landmark);
  • the Sherman House (National Historic Landmark), now part of Salve Regina University;
  • The Newport Casino (National Historic Landmark), now housing the International Tennis Hall of Fame; 
  • the Vernon House (National Historic Landmark);
  • Fort Adams (National Historic Landmark); and
  • the original U.S. Naval War College (National Historic Landmark).

For more historic homes or buildings in Newport, see the Newport Restoration Foundation and the Newport Historical Society’s websites.

• • • Providence:  Benefit Street

Although the Providence Preservation Society has a number of self-guided tours of historic architecture in the city, one of the most popular areas to explore with a guided (June to October) or self-guided walking tour is Providence’s Benefit Street.  Referred to as “A Mile of History,” the area has the “most impressive concentration of original Colonial homes in America,” including the 1707 home of Declaration-signer Stephen Hopkins (National Historic Landmark).

Because Benefit Street is in the College Hill section of Providence, you can also see the Rhode Island School of Design and Museum as well as: 

• • the Brown University campus and the nearby John Brown House Museum (National Historic Landmark);
  • the First Baptist Meetinghouse (National Historic Landmark);
  • the Thomas Poynton & Hope Brown Ives House (National Historic Landmark);
  • the Corliss-Carrington House (National Historic Landmark);
  • the Lippitt House Museum (National Historic Landmark); and
  • the Nightingale-Brown House (National Historic Landmark).

Note that if you visit in June, you could also see some private historic homes that open up annually during Providence’s Festival of Historic Houses.  

2.  Beaches and Water-Related Activities

Because Rhode Island’s air temperatures dip below 75°F in the spring and fall, summer can be the best time to enjoy the many water-related activities in or on the Ocean State’s rivers, bays, or the Atlantic Ocean.  Fishing, shellfishing/clamming, surfing, swimming, parasailing, stepboarding, kayaking, and sailing are all possible in Rhode Island (see travel guide on pages 28-31).  Indeed, as the longtime host of the America’s Cup, Newport is known as one of the sailing capitals of the world.  From late April through October, you should be able to see sailboats and various regattas in and around Narragansett Bay especially if you cruise out of Newport Harbor.  

For a description of beaches and their amenities and parking fees/number of spots, see Rhode Island’s electronic summer guide on page 48 or the VisitRhodeIsland.com website.  Rhode Island’s beach season runs from Memorial Day until Labor Day.  A popular choice for beach-lovers is the resort community of Watch Hill that is overlooked by a Victorian grand hotel and surrounded by the beach, a lighthouse, and “the oldest continuously operating carousel in the United States.”  Watch Hill is also less than a 30-minute drive to Connecticut’s Mystic Seaport Museum, which includes a recreated New England coastal village, a working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art artifact storage facilities.

3.  Lighthouses

For such a small state, you might be surprised that Rhode Island’s 400 miles of coastline are protected by 21 working lighthouses and a handful of those have seasonal museums.  For example, Block Island North Light’s museum is open from late June to mid-September (daily) and from Memorial Day to Columbus Day (weekends).  The Watch Hill Lighthouse’s museum is only open during the summer from July through the week after Labor Day.  The most accessible lighthouse in Rhode Island is the Beavertail Light in Beavertail State Park, which has a climbable tower and museum.  Lighthouse cruises run from June to October.

4.  Outdoor Activities

Summer can be a great time to enjoy Rhode Island’s numerous walking trails.  You can also find water trails to kayak and canoe or tackle the 14.3 mile East Bay Bike Path that goes from Providence to Bristol.  

5.  Block Island

From the 1860′s to the 1920′s, Block Island became a resort island and now has the largest collection of Victorian era inns and hotels of any vacation destination on the eastern seaboard.  These days, summer visitors flock to Block Island to enjoy its natural beauty.  Over 47 percent of the tiny island is preserved and, for that reason, the Nature Conservancy has identified Block Island as 1 of the 12 “Last Great Places” in the Western Hemisphere.  The Block Island National Wildlife Refuge, in particular, is internationally recognized as one of the most important migratory bird habitats on the east coast and is a landing spot for migrating songbirds every fall.  Although the Refuge is open year-round, the Beane Point facility is generally only open and staffed during the summer months.

With 28 miles of walking trails and 190 acres of the Clay Head Preserve, summer is a great time to hike, bike, or ride a moped around the island that is only 7 miles long and 3 miles wide.  Use this self-guided bike tour for inspiration and make your way to Mohegan Bluffs for a stunning view of the ocean.  

After your workout, you can cool off on Block Island’s 17 miles of beach.  All sorts of water activities are available on the island as well as fishing and boating.  If you have access to a kitchen, you can even go clamming for dinner.  

6.  Providence: Park and WaterFire

To beat the heat, a summer morning stroll through Roger Williams Park (with Zoo/Carousel Village) might be the perfect time to check out the gardens and botanical center or visit the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium.

On select evenings from May to November, you can see the art installation on Providence’s rivers called WaterFire.  From the sidewalk or on a boat tour, spectators enjoy the dazzling light of over eighty bonfires and watch torch-lit vessels float down the river.

Before or after viewing WaterFire, you might try one of Federal Hill’s Italian restaurants for a special dinner or dessert.  Or, if you’re visiting in July, save your appetite for a restaurant participating in Providence’s Summer Restaurant Weeks.

7.  Events and Festivals

If you’re in Rhode Island in July, you should know that “Bristol’s Annual Fourth of July Celebration, established in 1785, is the oldest continuous celebration of its kind in the United States.”  Consider adding the fireworks over Bristol Harbor or the parade to your holiday itinerary.

In addition to sailing, Newport also has a long tennis history.  The first U.S. National Men’s Singles Championship, now known as the U.S. Open, was held in Newport in 1881.  Today, Newport is the location of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and each July the top Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour pros head to Newport to compete in the Hall of Fame Open.

If you’re interested in music, the granddaddy of American music festivals, the Newport Jazz Festival also runs during the summer (July or August) along with the Newport Folk Festival and the classical Newport Music Festival.