Leisure Activities
Our area provides many opportunities for recreation, entertainment, and life-long learning. A few of them are listed here. For even more ideas, visit the South County Tourism Council's website at http://www.southcountyri.com/.
Indoors
Theatre By The Sea 364 Cards Pond Road, Matunuck 782-3800 http://www.theatrebythesea.biz/ Summer theater.
Old Mountain Lanes Camden’s 756 Kingstown Road, Wakefield 783-5511 www.oldmountainlanesri.com Bowling and dining.
The Contemporary Theater Company 327 Main Street, Wakefield 228-5175 www.thecontemporarytheater.com . Southern Rhode Island’s premier theater company. Performances year-round.
Museum of Primitive Art & Culture 1058 Kingstown Road, Peace Dale 783-5711 www.primitiveartmuseum.org The oldest museum in the state, it houses more than 15,000 archaeological and ethnological objects from around the world.
Pettaquamscutt Historical Society Historic Kingston Jail 2636 Kingstown Road, Kingston 783-1328 www.washingtoncountyhistory.org
Outdoors
Yawgoo Valley Ski Area & Water Park 160 Yawgoo Valley Road, Exeter 294-3802 www.yawgoo.com
Adventureland 112 Point Judith Road, Narragansett 269-1653 www.adventurelandri.com . Fun for kids and adults.
Queens River Kayaks 21 Glen Rock Road, West Kingston 284-3945 www.queensriverkayaks.com
Narrow River Kayaks 95 Middlebridge Road, Narragansett www.narrowriverkayaks.com
Frosty Drew Nature Center & Observatory, Charlestown http://frostydrew.org/
Frances Fleet, Inc. http://www.francesfleet.com/ 783-4988 The Frances Fleet operates four boats out of the Port of Galilee for deep sea fishing and whale watching.
History
South County Museum Strathmore Street, Narragansett 401-783-5400 www.southcountymuseum.org . Established in 1933 to inspire a better understanding of rural and agricultural village life in coastal Rhode Island. Six exhibit buildings highlight blacksmith, carpentry, printing and textile trades. Open May through September.
Point Judith Lighthouse 1470 Ocean Road, Narragansett There has been a lighthouse on this site since 1810. The present building was built in 1857 and restored in 2000. The grounds are open during the day, but the lighthouse is not open to the public.
Hale House 2625A Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry Highway, South Kingstown 783-1328 Summer home of author and minister Edward Everett Hale (1862-1909) and his extended family of artists and authors from 1873 to 1910. Period rooms, gallery space, and cultural programs from June to October. Owned by the Pettaquamscutt Historical Society
Casey Farm 2325 Boston Neck Road, North Kingstown 295-1030 This mid-eighteenth century homestead overlooking Narragansett Bay is an example of one of the original plantation farms of the colonial era that produced food for local and foreign markets. The farmhouse, (circa 1750), surrounded by fields, barns, high stone walls and a family cemetery, was a site of revolutionary activity. Today, farm managers raise organically grown vegetables, herb, and flowers for subscribing households in a Community Supported Agriculture program. The property is owned by the non-profit Historic New England.
Gilbert Stuart Birthplace Museum 815 Gilbert Stuart Road, North Kingstown 294-3001 Birthplace of colonial-era portrait painter Gilbert Stuart. Authentically restored and furnished 18th century working man’s home and site of the first snuff mill in America.
What’s for dinner?
South Kingstown and Narragansett abound with outstanding restaurants where you can sample everything from fried oysters to lasagna to pad thai. People drive from all over Rhode Island to dine here, but if you live in The Village, they’re only minutes away. This is just a sample:
The Mews Tavern, 456 Main Street, Wakefield Crazy Burger, 144 Boon Street, Narragansett Meldgie's Rivers Edge Café, 406B Main Street, Wakefield Shogun Steak and Seafood House, 59 South County Commons Way, H-2, South Kingstown Luk Thai Cuisine, 249 Main Street, Wakefield Matunuck Oyster Bar, 629 Succotash Road, East Matunuck El Fuego Mexican Grill, 344 Main Street, Wakefield Arturo Joe’s, Mariner Square, 140 Point Judith Road, Narragansett Aunt Carrie's Restaurant, 1240 Ocean Road, Narragansett Phil’s Main Street Grille, 323 Main Street, Wakefield Spain of Narragansett, 1144 Ocean Road, Narragansett Trattoria Romana South, 71 South County Commons Way, South Kingstown Trio Restaurant, 15 Kingstown Road, Narragansett Mariner Grille, Mariner Square, 140 Point Judith Road, Narragansett Cap’n Jack’s Restaurant, 706 Succotash Road, East Matunuck George’s of Galilee, 250 Sand Hill Cove Road, Narragansett Kabuki Japanese Restaurant, 91 Old Tower Hill Road, Wakefield Charlie O’s, 2 Sand Hill Cove Road, Narragansett Chen’s Restaurant, 60 Old Tower Hill Road, Wakefield Coast Guard House, 40 Ocean Road, Narragansett
Like to get fresh? Rhode Island has more than four dozen seasonal farmers’ markets, and several of them are only minutes away from The Village:
South Kingstown
South Kingstown Farmers’ Market May through October Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to noon at URI’s East Farm on Kingstown Road (Rt. 108) Tuesdays from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Marina Park in Wakefield, just off Route 1.
South Kingstown Indoor Wintertime Market November until May Peace Dale Mill Complex, 1425 Kingstown Road (Rt. 108), Peace Dale Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Charlestown
Charlestown Farmers Market June through September Cross Mills Public Library, 4417 Old Post Road Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to noon
Cross Mills Farmers’ Market May through October 4219 Old Post Road Fridays from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Exeter
Exeter Farmers Market Exeter Library, 773 Ten Rod Road July through October Wednesdays from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
North Kingstown
Wintertime Coastal Growers Market Lafayette Mill , 640 Ten Rod Road November through May Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Coastal Growers Farmers’ Market Casey Farm, 2325 Boston Neck Road, Saunderstown May through October Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon
Narragansett
Fishermen’s Memorial Park Farmers’ Market Fishermen’s Memorial State Park, Point Judith Road May through October Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Richmond
Richmond Farmers’ Market Richmond Town Hall, 5 Richmond Townhouse Road, Wyoming May through October Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to noon
State Beaches
East Beach, Charlestown 322-0450 With three miles of pristine beach shoreline, East Beach is one of the least developed of the Rhode Island state beaches. There is limited parking and a half dozen changing rooms.
East Matunuck State Beach, South Kingstown 789-8585 Noted for its strong surf, this beach sports a futuristic pavilion and a huge parking lot. Boats entering and leaving the Point Judith Harbor of Refuge are clearly visible. Carry in, carry out policy.
Roger Wheeler State Beach, Narragansett 789-3563 This beach, named for the creator of the Rhode Island state life-saving system, features a pavilion, coin-operated hot showers, a playground, concession building, a life-guard tower, and an environmental educational area.
Salty Brine State Beach, Narragansett 789-1044 Also known as Galilee Beach. This tiny beach, barely 100 yards long, is good for children.
Scarborough State Beach, Narragansett 789-2324
Town Beaches
Charlestown Town Beach Fine sand and modest surf. Adjacent to Charlestown Breachway.
Blue Shutters Town Beach, Charlestown 364-1206 Very popular family-oriented town beach. It’s a pretty spot with spectacular views of Block Island Sound. Lifeguards, outdoor showers, restrooms, changing rooms, concession stand and picnic tables for residents and visitors. Beach-accessible wheelchairs are available at no charge.
South Kingstown Town Beach, Matunuck 789-9070
Narragansett Town Beach, Narragansett Pier 783-6430 This mile-long beach is said to have the best surfing in New England due to its smoothly curling waves.
Private Beaches Open to the Public
Carpenter's Beach Meadow, Matunuck 783-4412
Roy Carpenter's Beach, Matunuck 789-7878
Campgrounds
Ningret Conservation Area, Charlestown 322-0450
Charlestown Breachway, Charlestown Beach Road Located on the east side of the Breachway is a camping area for self contained RVs, a state beach, some of the best salt water fishing in South County and a panoramic view of Block Island Sound.
Burlingame State Park, Charlestown The campground is 3,100 acres of rocky woodland that surrounds Watchaug Pond, with 50 fireplaces, toilets, drinking water, a swimming beach and a nearby boat launch for boating and fishing.
Mind and Body
All That Matters Yoga & Holistic Health Center 315 Main Street, Wakefield 782-2126 http://allthatmatters.com/ Yoga, workshops, health and wellness services.
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Rhode Island 210 Flagg Road, Room 212 Kingston http://www.uri.edu/olli/ A membership organization for all Rhode Islanders age 50 and older who want to participate in a community of fellow learners. There are no exams, no grades, and no requirements for an academic degree. In fact, no previous experience or degree is necessary, just a desire to learn for the joy of it! Here are the topics of some recent courses:
Mud and water: a glimpse at a New England salt marsh Hemingway’s short stories The Titanic tragedy: who was the villain? The Holocaust The Arab-Israeli conflict A brief consideration of twentieth-century music Applied physics for daily living American film icons – directors Conversational Italian Money and March madness Introduction to independent self-publishing The treasure fleets of the Great Ming: the voyages of Zheng He Archaeology: the cultural landscape of Rhode Island\ The joy of opera: viva Verdi Homer’s Iliad Leonardo Da Vinci: the Daedalian myth maker Railroads of Rhode Island Elements of fiction writing How America mobilized for World War II