Newport, Rhode Island, a picturesque coastal town, is renowned for its rich maritime history, stunning Gilded Age mansions, and vibrant arts scene. Among its many treasures are the iconic lighthouses in Newport that have stood as silent sentinels, guiding mariners safely through the waters for centuries. In this post, we’ll delve into the history and significance of four prominent lighthouses.
1. Castle Hill Lighthouse
- Location: Castle Hill Point
- Built: 1890
- Best viewed: A short walk along the public footpaths beside Castle Hill Inn
Built of local granite and sketched by architect H. H. Richardson, Castle Hill Light still flashes every six seconds to guide shipping between Jamestown and Aquidneck Islands. In 2021, the Castle Hill Inn signed a five-year agreement with the Coast Guard and spent about $17 000 to power-wash and repaint the tower so it would look sharp for the summer wedding rush. The light itself is off-limits, but the rocky perch around it is open daily; bring shoes with grip if you want that classic sunset photo.
How to see it:
Driving to it is the best option. There is a small grass area that’s used for the lighthouse parking along Ocean Ave, just prior to reaching Castle Hill Inn. Across the street, you’ll see a small dirt pathway leading to the lighthouse.
Click here to check for availability to stay at Castle Hill Inn and be just a walk away from the above view!
2. Goat Island Light (Newport Harbor Light)
- Location: Goat Island
- Originally established: 1823 (current structure built in 1864)
The move from the original 1820s wooden tower to the sturdier 1842 stone tower improved the beacon’s line-of-sight over the harbor’s reef line. Landfill work in the 1960s joined the light to the island, so today you can stroll out along the hotel’s seawall for close-up views and nighttime “fixed-green” signal watching. Friends of Newport Harbor Light lease the structure from the Coast Guard and run occasional open-house days; check their social channels for dates.
How to see it:
Drive onto Goat Island and park at the Newport Harbor Island Resort or look for free, public parking elsewhere on the island.
Want to learn more about staying on Goat Island? Click here!
3. Rose Island Lighthouse
- Location: Rose Island
- Built: 1870
- Overnight option: Guest-keeper rooms, keeper’s apartment and foghorn cottage (two-night minimum in season)
Ringed by Fort Hamilton’s earthen walls, Rose Island Light once warned steamers threading between Newport and Jamestown. After the Pell Bridge lights made the beacon redundant in 1971, volunteers formed the Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation (1984) and spent nearly a decade restoring the building before relighting it. Today you can ride the Jamestown–Newport ferry or join a Save The Bay Ultimate Lighthouse Tour for a shore visit that often includes climbing the tower. For something different, book an overnight stay. Duties include raising the flag and logging the weather, but you’ll wake up to a 270-degree Bay panorama.
How to see it:
Unlike the first two, driving here is not an option. The easiest way is to take the Jamestown-Newport Ferry, which provides service to Rose Island during the summer months, typically mid-May to mid-October. The ferry also makes stops at Fort Adams, Ann St. Pier, and Perrotti Park in Newport. Click here to see their current schedule.
For one of the most unique experiences in all of New England, check out staying over in the Rose Island Lighthouse here!
4. Lime Rock Lighthouse (Ida Lewis Lighthouse)
- Location: Lime Rock, 200 yards off Wellington Avenue
- Built: 1854
Lime Rock Light—officially renamed Ida Lewis Lighthouse in 1924—stands on a low limestone outcrop about 200 yards off Wellington Avenue, guarding the south approach to Newport Harbor. The white keeper’s house with its square tower went up in 1854; when its lamp was moved to an adjacent steel skeleton in 1927, the dwelling became the Ida Lewis Yacht Club, whose members still maintain the historic station. From King Park you’ll see the present fixed-green signal lining up with Goat Island Light for a safe inner-harbor range.
Ida Lewis arrived in 1857 after her father, Hosea, took the keeper’s job. He soon had to relinquish it after he suffered a debilitating stroke that left him unable to tend the light. Ida stepped up and took over the responsibilities and over the next 54 years she rescued at least 18 people (some accounts say 23–35), earning her national fame. The New York Tribune called her “The Bravest Woman in America” and this fame attracted dozens and dozens of visitors a day. Her father once tallied 9,000 visitors in a single summer, with rowboats clogging the cove. Among them was President Ulysses S. Grant, who made a special call in 1869 after her icy-water rescue of two Fort Adams soldiers; two years later she received the Gold Lifesaving Medal, the first woman so honored. Ida logged her last save at age 63, died at the lighthouse in 1911, and today lends her name not only to the rock and yacht club but also to the Newport-based Coast Guard buoy tender USCGC Ida Lewis (WLM-551), keeping mariners safe from Long Island Sound to Cape Cod.
How to see it:
It’s not open to the public, so the best way to see it is from a boat tour around Newport Harbor or from a pier on Wellington Avenue.
