Newport History Walking Tour

Newport History Walking Tour Join an expert guide on this Newport History walking tour and learn about Newport's history from the colonial Golden Age to the Gilded Age! Hear stories of entrepreneurship, African American heritage, religious diversity, pirates, privateers, the American Revolution and more. Your tour starts at the historic Brick Market building. This award-winning institution provides people of all ages with an engaging introduction to the area's rich history and the beauty of its architecture. Glimpse the lives of the people --past and present-- who have made Newport one of America's most historic cities. Next, you'll visit the Washington Square. It is the geographical and historical heart of Newport, Rhode Island. More trapezoid than square, it exists at the intersection of several major streets and what was the colonial long wharf, projecting into the harbor off Aquidneck Island and into Narragansett Bay. Continue on to the Old Quarter. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1968 due to its extensive and well-preserved assortment of intact colonial buildings dating from the early and mid-18th century. In Newport, 17th-century English settlers started a community based on religious toleration, which lead to a thriving, cosmopolitan city. It attracted craftsmen and artists, and citizens with the wherewithal to patronize them. Distinctly American originals, such as Newport's Goddard-Townsend craftsmen, the finest furniture makers in America, flourished in Newport. In the 19th and 20th centuries, wealthy Americans, along with gifted artists, writers, and architects, made Newport their summer resort during the Gilded Age. Your tour concludes near the Washington Square. Book your spot on this historical tour today.