The largest coastal fortification in the United States, Fort Adams served as a home to soldiers from 1824 to 1950. Today, visitors to the state park can explore the grounds on a guided tour of the officers’ quarters, defensive walls, overlooks, and tunnels. The Museum of Yachting is housed nearby inside a 19th-century stone barracks.
The Fort Adams Bay Walk, a 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) loop around the park, offers stellar views of the East Passage of Narragansett Bay and the downtown waterfront, as well as one of Newport’s best sunset views toward Conanicut Island. Most guided tours of Newport, including self-guided audio tours and day trips from Boston, include a visit to Fort Adams.