Past Programs

Stroll Newport's historic neighborhoods and hear tales of colonial adventure. Offered daily during Newport Winter Festival, February 18-27. See schedule.

Tours offered during Winter Festival:

• Discover Colonial Newport
• Lantern Tour of Colonial Newport
• Tastes of the Working Waterfront
• Rogues and Scoundrels
• Common Burial Ground
• Bricks & Sticks: Newport's Architectural History
• Newport's Buried History: Slavery and Freedom
• Road to Independence
• Colonial Site Tour
• Meeting House Site Tour

All tours are weather permitting. Please make sure to dress appropriately for the season. Tours depart from the Museum & Shop at Brick Market, located at 127 Thames Street at Washington Square.

Tickets are $12 for adults ($10 with Winter Festival button) and $5 for children 12 and under. Space is limited. For reservations, call (401) 841-8770.

$12/adult, $5/child (12 & under)

Riots and rebellion, enemies and allies! Hear stories from the years surrounding the American Revolution in Newport. This tour is a new offering from Newport History Tours, a collaborative program of the Newport Restoration Foundation and The Newport Historical Society.

Tickets sold at the tour departure point, the Museum & Shop at Brick Market, located at 127 Thames Street.  Call (401) 841-8770 for reservations. Tour lasts approximately 75 minutes. See a full schedule of tours at www.NewportHistoryTours.org

$5 per person; $1 for Newport Historical Society members. Reservations requested at (401) 841-8770. The lecture will be held at the Colony House on Washington Square.

Historian Judy Anderson will discuss the colonial architectural heritage of Marblehead, MA, which shares much in common with Newport in its architectural legacy as well as its social and cultural history.  She will focus on the pre-Revolutionary architecture of Marblehead, placing it in context with the town's colonial-era history, and discuss conditions for the preservation of many early homes that closely rival Newport's in number and heritage.

Judy Anderson is a social and cultural historian with an emphasis on 17th and 18th century Anglo-American topics: primarily furniture, architecture, historic interiors, and social history.  She has worked in the museum field for over 30 years.  Half of that time was with Marblehead's 1768 Jeremiah Lee Mansion, including ten years as curator, for the entire decade the position existed.

This is a joint program with the Newport Historical Society.

Celebrate Dandelion Day in the Rough Point gardens! Experience the creation of Frederick Law Olmsted, renowned father of landscape architecture, who initially designed the grounds at Rough Point in the 1890s. The tour traces Newport's development as a premier vacation spot with as reflected in its landscape, going back 250 years to when this part of Newport was farmland, to the earliest summer cottages, to the more formal estates built by America's wealthiest families. Learn about the distinguished design history of this landscape while enjoying exquisite gardens and breathtaking views. (Participants will receive garden-inspired recipes from Doris Duke's Rough Point archives, including one featuring dandelions!)

Space limited. Book tickets online or contact Liz, (401) 846-4152 or liz@newportrestoration.org

This lecture is free and open to the public. It will be held in the Young Building (Pell Center) at Salve Regina University.

Independent Scholar Elizabeth Cazden will examine the life of Thomas Robinson, a Newport Quaker merchant, and his transition from involvement in the slave trade to his staunch advocacy for abolition. His story provides a lens for looking at the Quaker community as a whole, and its evolution from a position of toleration of slavery to one of abolition. 

For information, call (401) 846-0813 or (401) 841-8770.

The lecture is sponsored by the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, The Newport Historical Society, the Newport Restoration Foundation, and Salve Regina University.

 

 

$12/adult, $5/child (12 & under)

Riots and rebellion, enemies and allies! Hear stories from the years surrounding the American Revolution in Newport. This tour is a new offering from Newport History Tours, a collaborative program of the Newport Restoration Foundation and The Newport Historical Society.

Tickets sold at the tour departure point, the Museum & Shop at Brick Market, located at 127 Thames Street.  Call (401) 841-8770 for reservations. Tour lasts approximately 75 minutes. See a full schedule of tours at www.NewportHistoryTours.org

Rhode Island Blood Center blood drive at Rough Point.  One donation can help save three lives.  All donors will receive a voucher for $10 off a Rough Point tour.  To make an appointment visit our sponsor page, Sponsor Code 2752.

 

For questions call (401) 846.4152 or email Liz@newportrestoration.org

Celebrate May Day in the Rough Point gardens!  Experience the creation of Frederick Law Olmsted, renowned father of landscape architecture, who initially designed the grounds at Rough Point in the 1890s. The tour traces Newport's development as a premier vacation spot as reflected in its landscape, going back 250 years to when this part of Newport was farmland, to the earliest summer cottages, to the more formal estates built by America's wealthiest families. Learn about the distinguished design history of this landscape while enjoying exquisite gardens and breathtaking views. (Participants will receive garden-inspired recipes from Doris Duke's Rough Point archives.)

Space is limited.  Book tickets online or contact Liz for reservations, (401) 846-4152 or liz@newportrestoration.org

$12/adult, $5/child (12 & under)

Riots and rebellion, enemies and allies! Hear stories from the years surrounding the American Revolution in Newport. This tour is a new offering from Newport History Tours, a collaborative program of the Newport Restoration Foundation and The Newport Historical Society.

Tickets sold at the tour departure point, the Museum & Shop at Brick Market, located at 127 Thames Street.  Call (401) 841-8770 for reservations. Tour lasts approximately 75 minutes. See a full schedule of tours at www.NewportHistoryTours.org

Jetsetter Doris Duke relaxed at home playing table games.  Flex your gaming muscles and join us for a game night in Rough Point's Great Hall.  From beginner to advanced, come try your hand at backgammon or mahjong, two of Doris' favorites, and more.  There will also be a cash bar and music.

The admission cost is $5 for adults; children 12 and under are free.  For questions contact Liz@newportrestoration.org or (401) 846-4152.

Tour the 2011 special exhibition "Dressed to Play: The Sporty Style of Doris Duke" which celebrates Doris Duke's various recreational pursuits such as surfing, dancing, and swimming; and the attire she wore to maintain her active lifestyle.  

Rough Point After Dark is part of Newport Gallery Night, held the 2nd Thursday of each month, May through October (note the July date for Rough Point is the 21st).

Stroll the neighborhood where Newport's early Jewish settlers worked side by side with their neighbors. Hear stories about the founders of Touro Synagogue and learn about the legacy of religious freedom they left behind.

Tickets sold at the tour departure point, the Museum & Shop at Brick Market, located at 127 Thames Street.  Call (401) 841-8770 for reservations. Tour lasts approximately 75 minutes.  See a full schedule of walking tours at www.NewportHistoryTours.org

Learn to build and repair traditional stone walls in this hands-on experience.  Join master class instructors Chris and Dan Smith for their ninth year of this active workshop.

Reservations required: (401) 846.4152 or Liz@newportrestoration.org

Come tour the bee hives at Prescott Farm with beekeeper Jeff Mello of Aquidneck Honey. Learn about the art and science of beekeeping. Enjoy tasty samples of this local honey along with homemade johnnycakes.

Reservations required: (401) 846.4152 or Liz@newportrestoration.org

Jetsetter Doris Duke relaxed at home playing table games.  Flex your gaming muscles and join us for a game night in Rough Point's Great Hall.  From beginner to advanced, come try your hand at backgammon or mahjong, two of Doris' favorites, and more.  There will also be a cash bar and music.

The admission cost is $5 for adults; children 12 and under are free.  For questions contact Liz@newportrestoration.org or (401) 846-4152.

Tour the 2011 special exhibition "Dressed to Play: The Sporty Style of Doris Duke" which celebrates Doris Duke's various recreational pursuits such as surfing, dancing, and swimming; and the attire she wore to maintain her active lifestyle.  

Rough Point After Dark is part of Newport Gallery Night, held the 2nd Thursday of each month, May through October (note the July date for Rough Point is the 21st).

Come celebrate the 200th anniversary of Whitehorne House, home to the Doris Duke Collection of 18th century Newport furniture!

• Enjoy refreshments in the garden
• See woodworking demonstrations by craftsmen from the Society of American Period Furniture Makers
• Stroll through the house to see a stunning collection of early Rhode Island furniture

Admission is free for residents of Newport county, $6 for non-residents. For questions contact Liz, (401) 846-4152 or Liz@newportrestoration.org

Join the URI Master Gardeners for informal presentations on a variety of gardening topics.  Bring along a soil sample from your garden to receive a basic analysis.

3rd Sunday of the month, June-September
11:00 am - noon
Admission is free.

For questions contact Liz, (401)846-4152 or liz@newportrestoration.org

Have you always wanted to see the inside of the 1812 Prescott Farm windmill?  Now is your chance at this windmill open house!  Explore how this amazing machine works and learn about the importance of grist milling on Aquidneck Island.  Enjoy a family-friendly evening with johnnycake tasting and hands-on activities for kids.  
Please note: Windmill will not be in full operation due to safety and preservation concerns.

Last Wednesday of the month, June-September
$5 per person, children under 5 free

For questions contact Liz, (401)846-4152 or liz@newportrestoration.org

Over 30 gardens designed or maintained by URI Master Gardeners will be open to the public throughout Rhode Island, including the herb and kitchen gardens at Prescott Farm. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions, share their knowledge, and provide educational handouts.  Visitors will be able to tour the historic buildings, including the windmill.

Tickets are $15 and will be available at sites around Rhode Island. For more information visit www.urimga.org or call 401.874.2900.

Join the URI Master Gardeners for informal presentations on a variety of gardening topics.  Bring along a soil sample from your garden to receive a basic analysis.

3rd Sunday of the month, June-September
11:00 am - noon
Admission is free.

For questions contact Liz, (401)846-4152 or liz@newportrestoration.org

Doris Duke was an avid surfer and learned from the best - the celebrated Duke Kahanamoku.  Come see her 1960 Velzy surfboard and learn about the sport's history from surfing legend Sid Abruzzi of Water Brothers.  Kevin Cunningham, founder and designer of Spirare Surfboards, will discuss his innovative, eco-friendly boards.  Enjoy classic footage of Newport surfers in action. Enter raffles for lessons and equipment.  There will also be a cash bar and music.

Surfing film at the Jane Pickens Theater, July 28.

The admission cost is $5 for adults; children 12 and under are free.  For questions contact Liz@newportrestoration.org or (401) 846-4152.

Tour the 2011 special exhibition "Dressed to Play: The Sporty Style of Doris Duke" which celebrates Doris Duke's various recreational pursuits such as surfing, dancing, and swimming; and the attire she wore to maintain her active lifestyle.  

Rough Point After Dark is part of Newport Gallery Night, held the 2nd Thursday of each month, May through October (note the July date for Rough Point is the 21st).

Have you always wanted to see the inside of the 1812 Prescott Farm windmill?  Now is your chance at this windmill open house!  Explore how this amazing machine works and learn about the importance of grist milling on Aquidneck Island.  Enjoy a family-friendly evening with johnnycake tasting and hands-on activities for kids.  
Please note: Windmill will not be in full operation due to safety and preservation concerns.

Last Wednesday of the month, June-September
$5 per person, children under 5 free

For questions contact Liz, (401)846-4152 or liz@newportrestoration.org

Come join us at the Jane Pickens Theater for the follow up to the Rough Point Surfing Fest on July 21.  In celebration of Doris Duke's love of surfing we will be screening "Gidget Goes Hawaiian." Join Gidget and her friends as they head to Hawaii for a summer of hula, beach parties, and of course, surfing.   Wear your Hawaiian shirts!  Cost is $10.

 

What could be better than croquet on the lawn with stunning ocean views? Join the Croquet Pro from the Tennis Hall of Fame for a half-hour lesson or just in enjoy the sunset while knocking the ball around.  Cash bar.

The admission cost is $5 for adults; children 12 and under are free.  For questions contact Liz@newportrestoration.org or (401) 846-4152.

Tour the 2011 special exhibition "Dressed to Play: The Sporty Style of Doris Duke" which celebrates Doris Duke's various recreational pursuits such as surfing, dancing, and swimming; and the attire she wore to maintain her active lifestyle.  

Rough Point After Dark is part of Newport Gallery Night, held the 2nd Thursday of each month, May through October.

Come experience August in the Rough Point gardens.  Butterflies abound, the vegetables are ripe, and dahlias in full bloom (one of Doris Duke's favorite flowers).  The tour traces Newport's development as a premier vacation spot as reflected in its landscape, going back 250 years to when this part of Newport was farmland, to the earliest summer cottages, to the more formal estates built by America's wealthiest families. Learn about the distinguished design history of this landscape, first created in the 1890s by Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of landscape architecture,  while enjoying exquisite gardens and breathtaking views. (Participants will receive garden-inspired recipes from Doris Duke's Rough Point archives.)

Space is limited.  Book tickets online or contact Liz for reservations, (401) 846-4152 or liz@newportrestoration.org

Join the URI Master Gardeners for informal presentations on a variety of gardening topics.  Bring along a soil sample from your garden to receive a basic analysis.

3rd Sunday of the month, June-September
11:00 am - noon
Admission is free.

For questions contact Liz, (401)846-4152 or liz@newportrestoration.org

Have you always wanted to see the inside of the 1812 Prescott Farm windmill?  Now is your chance at this windmill open house!  Explore how this amazing machine works and learn about the importance of grist milling on Aquidneck Island.  Enjoy a family-friendly evening with johnnycake tasting and hands-on activities for kids.  
Please note: Windmill will not be in full operation due to safety and preservation concerns.

Last Wednesday of the month, June-September
$5 per person, children under 5 free

For questions contact Liz, (401)846-4152 or liz@newportrestoration.org

How better to celebrate Doris Duke's passion for Hawaiian culture than by dancing the hula? Join the dance troupe Napua O' Polynesia for a night of hula dancing and traditional music. With demos and lessons alternating throughout the evening you can try it yourself or just enjoy the show.  Cash bar.

The admission cost is $5 for adults; children 12 and under are free.  For questions contact Liz@newportrestoration.org or (401) 846-4152.

Tour the 2011 special exhibition "Dressed to Play: The Sporty Style of Doris Duke" which celebrates Doris Duke's various recreational pursuits such as surfing, dancing, and swimming; and the attire she wore to maintain her active lifestyle.  

Rough Point After Dark is part of Newport Gallery Night, held the 2nd Thursday of each month, May through October.

Celebrate preservation in Newport at Rough Point, the former home of Doris Duke, an heiress and avid preservationist. Enjoy a rare chance to spend the evening at Rough Point. Stroll through the mansion and view the 2011 exhibit, Dressed to Play: The Sporty Style of Doris Duke. A brief awards ceremony will honor several Newport preservation projects and a distinguished individual for his contributions to historic preservation. Learn more about the 2011 award winners. An elegant buffet supper celebrates Newport's heritage. Proceeds benefit the Doris Duke Fund for Historic Preservation, which supports local preservation projects through grants.

WORKSHOP CANCELLED.  Try your hand at blacksmithing in this participatory workshop.  Join Jim Crothers, experienced master blacksmith from the South County Museum, in this hands-on, semi-private tutorial.  Participants will create and take home an S-hook.

Reservations required, call (401) 846.4152 or liz@newportrestoration.org

Join the URI Master Gardeners for informal presentations on a variety of gardening topics.  Bring along a soil sample from your garden to receive a basic analysis.

3rd Sunday of the month, June-September
11:00 am - noon
Admission is free.

For questions contact Liz, (401)846-4152 or liz@newportrestoration.org

Join us for our third annual Fashion Show of Canine Couture at Rough Point, sponsored by Wag Nation, a Newport boutique for pets.  Bring your own four legged friend to see the fall's finest canine fashions modeled on the sweeping, oceanfront landscape of the former home of heiress and animal lover Doris Duke.   All canine models will be outfitted by Wag Nation.  Doors open at 5pm, show begins at 6pm.

This event benefits the Newport Restoration Foundation Education Department and the Potter League for Animals.  Visit their table and learn about pet adoption, pet care, and dog training.  At 5pm you can check out their doggy manners class, 'The Cafe Dog.' Tour the 2011 special exhibition "Dressed to Play: The Sporty Style of Doris Duke" which celebrates Doris Duke's various recreational pursuits such as surfing, dancing, and swimming.

$10 per person, free for children 5 and younger; purchase all tickets at the door.  Purchase raffle tickets to win a Bellevue Avenue Shopping Spree- $2 per ticket or 3 tickets for $5.

All canine guests must be on a leash.  Dog waste bags will be provided.  For more information, email Liz@NewportRestoration.org or call (401) 846-4152.

The rain date is Thursday, September 22.

Have you always wanted to see the inside of the 1812 Prescott Farm windmill?  Now is your chance at this windmill open house!  Explore how this amazing machine works and learn about the importance of grist milling on Aquidneck Island.  Enjoy a family-friendly evening with johnnycake tasting and hands-on activities for kids.  
Please note: Windmill will not be in full operation due to safety and preservation concerns.

Last Wednesday of the month, June-September
$5 per person, children under 5 free

For questions contact Liz, (401)846-4152 or liz@newportrestoration.org

Stroll the neighborhood where Newport's early Jewish settlers worked side by side with their neighbors. Hear stories about the founders of Touro Synagogue and learn about the legacy of religious freedom they left behind.

Tickets sold at the tour departure point, the Museum & Shop at Brick Market, located at 127 Thames Street.  Call (401) 841-8770 for reservations. Tour lasts approximately 75 minutes. See a full schedule of walking tours at www.NewportHistoryTours.org

Doris Duke developed a love of belly dancing while studying with noted experts.  Join instructor Jamie Lee Fury of Creative Fusion Dance for a night of belly dancing demos and lessons - try it yourself or just enjoy the show and music.  See Doris' own belly dancing attire in the exhibit.  Cash bar.

The admission cost is $5 for adults; children 12 and under are free.  For questions contact Liz@newportrestoration.org or (401) 846-4152.

Tour the 2011 special exhibition "Dressed to Play: The Sporty Style of Doris Duke" which celebrates Doris Duke's various recreational pursuits such as surfing, dancing, and swimming; and the attire she wore to maintain her active lifestyle.  

Rough Point After Dark is part of Newport Gallery Night, held the 2nd Thursday of each month, May through October.

Join Linda Oakley, food history and hearth cooking expert from Old Sturbridge Village, in a hands-on workshop in the c.1730 Guard House at Prescott Farm.  Learn about open hearth cooking and bake oven methods as you make and enjoy a colonial era harvest dinner.

Reservations required, call (401) 846.4152 or liz@newportrestoration.org

Winter is coming. It's time to think about tuning up your old house and lowering those heating bills. At the same time you will be protecting Rhode Island's heritage and helping to save the planet!  In this half-day workshop learn how to make your old home more "green," saving both money and energy without damaging its historic character. You will receive a Historic Homeowners' Toolkit and a checklist for seasonal home maintenance.

The partially restored Gibson House (c.1848) in historic Bristol, RI (1200 Hope Street), is the setting for this workshop. Experts will present information and demonstrations on:

• Insulation
• Weatherizing the building envelope (walls, doors, roof, windows)
• Efficient heating systems
• Basic maintenance
• and more

This workshop is a project of the Collaborative for Common Sense Preservation: Historic New England, the Newport Restoration Foundation, and Preserve Rhode Island.

Advance registration required. For more info: 401-846-4152 or liz@newportrestoration.org

Enjoy an authentic view inside a Newport mansion in winter.  Heiress Doris Duke spent Christmas in sunny Hawaii far away from Rough Point, her Newport estate.  Experience the quiet house, see the decorated staff wing, and hear about Miss Duke's tropical holiday.  Learn how Rough Point's winter caretaking traditions have remained the same for the past half century.  Tour the first floor and enjoy refreshments in the staff dining room, not normally open to the public. Tours offered every 1/2 hour.

Questions? Email Liz Spoden or call (401) 847-8344.

Glimpse the simple Christmas festivities of the early 1800s in a Federal-style Newport home.  Meet the two Whitehorne daughters who are preparing for a Christmas meal.  Learn about the history of the holiday and why some less tolerant colonies had even outlawed holiday celebrations.  Enjoy a taste of a period dessert straight from one of Mrs. Whitehorne's recipes and take away a booklet withseveral period recipes.

Enjoy an authentic view inside a Newport mansion in winter.  Heiress Doris Duke spent Christmas in sunny Hawaii far away from Rough Point, her Newport estate.  Experience the quiet house, see the decorated staff wing, and hear about Miss Duke's tropical holiday.  Learn how Rough Point's winter caretaking traditions have remained the same for the past half century.  Tour the first floor and enjoy refreshments in the staff dining room, not normally open to the public. Tours offered every 1/2 hour.

Questions? Email Liz Spoden or call (401) 847-8344.