Newport Open Air Trolley Tour (Ages 5+ only)
Overview
This narrated tour covers 150 points of interest including Newport's Gilded Age, Colonial era, and Naval History .
Shopping, dining, boat tours, lighthouses, sunsets and Newport's best activities of today are also explained
See TV and movie sets come to life such as Hocus Pocus 2, HBO's The Gilded Age, and classics such as Amistad, True Lies, The Great Gatsby, and a dozen others.
Your guide also explains how to navigate the city on your own and the best places to park for free.
Inclusions
- Narrated tour
What to expect
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Newport Travel Trolley Tours, 23 America's Cup Ave, Newport, RI 02840, USA
(For ages 5 & up only). Park in the public lot at 23 America's Cup Ave (Newport Transit Center) and locate the white open air trolley at Platform #7-9 outside. Show your cell phone or printed ticket to driver.
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: 80 Fort Adams Drive Fort Adams State Park Visitor Center, Newport, RI 02840-4388
The trolley tour will enter Fort Adams, a historic 1799 landmark and home of today's annual Newport Jazz Festival and Newport Folk Festival. The fort is also home to President Eisenhower's summer home called the Eisenhower House.
The Welcome Center features a snack bar, clean restrooms, and ticket sales counter to take a tour inside of the fort.
There are also 2 water taxi stops and free public parking at Fort Adams State Park. The Bennington Overlook section of Fort Adams offers breathtaking sunsets over Narragansett Bay with free parking as well.
Pass By: Brenton Point State Park, Ocean Drive, Newport, RI 02840
The trolley tour passes by Brenton Point State Park, former estate of RI's 2nd governor William Brenton (elected 1665). This is a free public park offering pristine views of the Atlantic Ocean on 2 sides of the park plus free sunsets over the water 12 months per year. Seasonal restrooms are available in the stone building.
Pass By: Ocean Drive, Newport, RI
The trolley tour travels through the Ocean Drive Historic District. Visitors will begin to see Newport's Gilded Age Mansions lining the Atlantic Ocean with breathtaking scenery.
Mansions on Ocean Drive include Mavis and Jay Leno's Seafair, and several filming locations of HBO's TV series "The Gilded Age" including Indian Spring Castle, The Ledges and Crossways mansions.
Pass By: Cliff Walk, Newport, RI 02840-3659
Once the trolley tour enters the Newport Cliff Walk area of the Bellevue Ave Historic District, riders will begin to learn about the Gilded Age mansions along the Cliff Walk, which are on the ocean side of the mansions for 3.5 miles between Reject's Beach and Newport Beach.
Your guide will explain how to best access the Cliff Walk and areas where parking is free to enjoy the Cliff Walk and the best areas for viewing.
Pass By: Marble House, 596 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI 02840-4265
The trolley tour stops in front of the 2nd of the 3 Newport Vanderbilt mansions "The Marble House".
This small palace built in 1892 was instrumental in the passage of the women's suffrage movement, as Alva Vanderbilt hosted fundraisers in her pagoda (Chinese Tea House on the Cliff Walk) whereby she raised a great deal of money to pass the 19th amendment.
Both the Marble House and Chinese Tea House were the Asian wedding set in the Katherine Heigel classic movie "27 Dresses"
Free parking for Marble House tour visitors is available across the street at 585 Bellevue Ave.
Pass By: Rosecliff, 584 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI 02840-4265
The trolley tour stops in front of the Rosecliff Mansion, a 1902 'summer cottage" of Tessie Fair-Oelrichs. The most famous movie filmed here was The Great Gatsby (Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston).
Tours are available at the Rosecliff mansion on a seasonal basis.
Stop At: The Breakers, 44 Ochre Point Ave, Newport, RI 02840-6906
The trolley tour stops at The Breakers Newport, the 3rd Vanderbilt Mansion in Newport and discharges passengers who purchased this interior tour option.
This 1895 'summer cottage' is the largest mansion in the region and is RIs most visited tourist attraction. It sits on the Newport Cliff Walk facing SE towards the Atlantic Ocean.
Duration: 5 minutes
Pass By: The Elms, 367 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI 02840-6915
The trolley tour continues along Bellevue Ave and passes by The Elms Newport, a Gilded Age mansion of Edward and Sarah Berwind. The guide explains the 2 tours that are available inside the Elms Mansion
Pass By: International Tennis Hall of Fame, 194 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI 02840-3515
The trolley tour passes by the front door of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the 1881 site of the old Newport Casino (shopping district of the Gilded Age millionaires). The guide explains the free and for-fee tours available inside the ITHOF.
Pass By: Bowen's Wharf, 13 Bowens Wharf, Newport, RI 02840-3004
The trolley tour continues into Downtown Newport's bustling waterfront district anchored by Bowen's Wharf. The guide explains the shopping, dining, boating excursions, and other waterfront attractions along America's Cup Ave.
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- *MINIMUM AGE TO EXPERIENCE THIS TOUR IS 5 YEARS OLD*
- Departure point is the Newport Transportation Center, 23 America's Cup Ave, Newport RI, platform #2. Parking available on site for a fee
- This is an open air trolley. Please dress accordingly. Tour may be canceled if rain is in the forecast.
- This tour departs promptly at the scheduled time. The tour duration is 70-90 minutes, depending on traffic conditions
- The trolley is not handicapped accessible.. Driver may assign seating based on customer needs.
- Drivers have updated manifests on their devices. Cancelled tickets are not accepted for admission
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 34 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
Cancellation
This is a must do! We took this 90 minute open air trolley tour on Saturday 9/24/22 and we were extremely satisfied. It was a beautiful 70 degree low humidity day and our guide was the best! The vintage trolley was open air and comfortable. The guide Russ was humorous and knowledgeable.We learne...
This is a must do! We took this 90 minute open air trolley tour on Saturday 9/24/22 and we were extremely satisfied. It was a beautiful 70 degree low humidity day and our guide was the best! The vintage trolley was open air and comfortable. The guide Russ was humorous and knowledgeable.We learned so much info about Newport's past and present. I will do this same tour again when I return next season. A must do!Super informative! Russell was an awesome guide and funny too! Cool hearing about the mansions as we drove by them. Got time to snap photos too.
Super informative! Russell was an awesome guide and funny too! Cool hearing about the mansions as we drove by them. Got time to snap photos too.An open air trolley concept in Newport is long overdue. This is the way to see Newport's beauty! We took this tour last weekend and were very satisfied. Our driver was prompt and enthusiastic and we were able to take some amazing photos of the Newport sites and mansions we passed. The trolley was...
An open air trolley concept in Newport is long overdue. This is the way to see Newport's beauty! We took this tour last weekend and were very satisfied. Our driver was prompt and enthusiastic and we were able to take some amazing photos of the Newport sites and mansions we passed. The trolley was clean and comfortable too.Rob was great, however late getting to pick up location. Pickup location is just a bus stop with no one there at the departure time. They say to be 20 minutes early however no one is there till the bus shows up. No signs no information letting you know it’s the right spot. Manu of the people we w...
Rob was great, however late getting to pick up location. Pickup location is just a bus stop with no one there at the departure time. They say to be 20 minutes early however no one is there till the bus shows up. No signs no information letting you know it’s the right spot. Manu of the people we were with were not sure if this was right spot. Tour was very good lots of information some of the mansions you don’t get to see very well.It was great to find this open air trolley in Newport. Weather was cloudy and chilly but I like the concept of open air wherever I travel. The guide stopped in all the right places and announced the stops beforehand so I could point and shoot. The mansions in Newport are all gems to see and open ...
It was great to find this open air trolley in Newport. Weather was cloudy and chilly but I like the concept of open air wherever I travel. The guide stopped in all the right places and announced the stops beforehand so I could point and shoot. The mansions in Newport are all gems to see and open air is the only way to go!I have been to Newport several times, but never took this tour. I am so glad that I did. They explained more history and interesting facts about Newport than I had known. I actually will visit some of the places mentioned on the tour. I hadn't realized all the history and the fun facts around...
I have been to Newport several times, but never took this tour. I am so glad that I did. They explained more history and interesting facts about Newport than I had known. I actually will visit some of the places mentioned on the tour. I hadn't realized all the history and the fun facts around Newport. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone that is either new to Newport, or had been there several times.