With only two nights in Newport, our rough itinerary was this:
- day 1 – arrive in the afternoon and go to Fort Adams
- day 2 – trolley tour, the Breakers, and Cliff Walk
- day 3 – Green Animals Topiary Gardens and/or another mansion
But, as often happens in travel, things did not go exactly as planned. The last tour of the fort is at 4pm so we aimed to get there by 3:00. But a late start and traffic got us there closer to 3:45. But we still made it! We rushed in to the visitor’s center to buy our tour tickets only to discover that the fort had been rented out for a private event and they were not running the last two tours of the day. Agh!
The boys were really disappointed and I was immediately trying to figure out how this would alter our schedule for the rest of the trip. The fort was something they were really excited about so I knew we would have to shift things around to fit it in another day. While we were discussing our options, the staff overheard that we drove straight from NJ to the fort and felt terrible. (They admitted that they had planned to continue the tours that day but the corporation that rented it out chased away / was rude to their last tour group so they decided to cancel the others.) To make up for it, the tour guide offered to take the boys down into the tunnels instead of doing the full tour. The boys really wanted to see the whole fort though so we declined their generous offer and told them we’d come back the next morning.
Meanwhile, we had a beautiful day and a beautiful view so we decided to just walk around along the water outside the fort. The boys skipped stones from the rocky beach and we just explored the grounds and took in the views.
The boys prioritized the fort tour over the previously planned trolley ride so we returned the next morning for the tour. We had no issues this time and were able to join a group starting a few minutes after we arrived. The tour took us inside, outside, on top, and underneath the fort.
Our guide gave us a detailed history of the fort. Named after President John Adams, Fort Adams was originally built in 1799 but was replaced with a newer fort after the War of 1812. The new fort functioned as an active army post for over 100 years, from 1841 to 1950. Although active during 5 wars, no battles were ever fought here. Our tour guide talked about all the different defense elements and after each one said sadly, “We were ready. Nobody came.” That was the continuing theme of the fort – it was well designed and well prepared but never called into action.
The fort’s main purpose was to defend the bay and a three-tiered system of firepower was built to do so. Cannons at the top level of the fort were to fire at the mast and rigging of attacking ships. The center level aimed for the deck, and the bottom level aimed at the waterline with the intention of piercing the hull. Clearly as our tour guide said again and again, they “were ready. Nobody came.”
After seeing no action in its 150 year history, the army closed the fort in 1950. It was turned over to the Navy, who used it as officer’s quarters for about 15 years. In 1965 the Navy gave the fort to the state of Rhode Island, which proved to be disastrous for the fort. It was neglected and fell into disrepair. Homeless people lived in the fort and looters stripped the officer’s quarters of anything valuable. It was sad to see the crumbling walls of what was once clearly a beautifully designed room and the fireplaces stripped of their marble mantels.
As our tour guide kept pointing out, “nobody came”. As he also pointed out, if they had come and a battle had been fought there, this impressive fortress would have been designated as a national park and well-preserved. Thankfully, the Fort Adams Trust was formed in the 1990s and they began restoration of the fort. You can see their progress today, but there is still a long way to go.
One thing that neglect and vandalism could not diminish is the incredible view. We walked to the top of the fort’s walls and took in the views of the bay and harbor. It was stunning.
While cannons, crumbling buildings, and gorgeous views do interest the boys, their absolute favorite part of the tour was going into the fort’s tunnels. The fort was designed to protect against both sea and land attacks. Part of the land defense was “listening tunnels”. Anticipating that an enemy’s best mode of attack would be to tunnel into the fort, listening tunnels were created to hear the enemies coming, dig towards them, and blow them up before they got anywhere near the actual fort.
The tour took us down into the tunnels. Flashlights were provided and warnings were issued: wait here if you are afraid of the dark or claustrophobic. It was good advice and several people in our group heeded it. The tunnel tour is not for the faint of heart. But it is well worth it if you aren’t bothered by small, dark places. My boys absolutely loved it.
We really loved the tour at Fort Adams. It was well worth our return trip out there and the reasonable ticket price ($15 adults, $8 youth, under 5 free). Interesting and informative, the tour offers fascinating history, incredible scenery, and creepy tunnels. It’s a win-win-win for kids and adults alike. And be sure to leave some time to explore the grounds outside the fort and take in the gorgeous views of Newport and the surrounding area.
