10 Holiday Magical Places
Rated by 21 members
#7 of 10: Newport, Rhode Island
Visitors flock to Newport from December 1st to December 31st when there are Christmasy events daily and multiple events on the weekend. Winter is a great, affordable time to visit the island -- the weather is more temperate than Boston and New York, and there are package deals available for families. The winter holiday season in Newport is like Christmas with the Whos in Whoville --it's less commercial and more of an educational experience full of history and Colonial culture. Many events are free to the public.
Make your first stop for Christmas at The Newport Rhode Island Marriott, which builds a giant gingerbread house with 450 pounds of gingerbread and a 16-foot working lighthouse. The roof alone is made from over 4,000 cookies and giant lollipops! Admission is free but you can share the holiday spirit by bringing a nonperishable food item to be donated to charity.
Don't miss:
- Victorian Christmas Tours: Astors' Beechwood Mansion
www.astorsbeechwood.com/christmastour.shtml
Newport's mansions all get decked out in holiday splendor and the Astors' Beechwood is the most fun for families. Guides, dressed in 19th century period costumes, enthrall children and adults alike with a Victorian Christmas of carols, period slang, waltzing, and parlor games.
- Sovereign Bank Family Skating Center
401-846-3018
www.skatenewport.com
The whole family will enjoy this affordable open-air skating rink located right in downtown Newport next to the Newport Yachting Center, where you slip along with a view of the harbor and the boats. Bundle up for several hours of icy fun! Skating begins December 8, 2009
Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 5-9:30 p.m.
Friday: 3-6 p.m., 6:30-9:30 p.m.; adult skate 9:30-11 p.m.
Saturday - Sunday: 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., 3-6 p.m., 6:30-9:30 p.m., adult skate 9:30-11 p.m. (Saturday only)
- Touro Synagogue
72 Touro Street
Newport, RI 02840
Tours daily Monday - Friday at 1 p.m.
Open Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. or by appointment. 401-847-4794 (ext. 23)
www.tourosynagogue.org
The winter holidays are a great time to visit the oldest standing synagogue in America, which opened its doors for worship in 1763 and is a masterpiece of Colonial architecture. You can take a tour of the white and green perfectly restored interior where you'll see a Torah that is 500 years old. Guides ranging in age from 19-79 tell your family about the national significance of the synagogue and the fascinating history of Jews in Rhode Island. Tours last about half an hour and are recommended for children ages 6 and up.
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