16 Best Sights in South County, Rhode Island

Vigorous waves, white sands, and views of Block Island on crystal-clear days account for the popularity of this 144-acre beach. Crabs, mussels, and starfish populate the rock reef that extends to the right of the strand, inspiring visitors to channel their inner marine biologist. A wind turbine provides power for the Daniel L. O'Brien Pavilion, named for a police officer killed in the line of duty while rescuing people stranded in this area during Hurricane Carol in 1954. Currents can be strong, so keep an eye on kids Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

In Ninigret Park but independently operated by a nonprofit, the observatory offers the state's best views of the night sky. Frosty Drew opens every Friday around sunset for stargazing and stays open until 10 pm or later if the skies are clear and visitors keep coming. It's also open on nights when meteor showers and other astronomical events are forecast. On cloudy nights, astronomers give presentations and offer tours. The place isn't heated, so dress for the season.

Kids love the two kinds of bumper boats, nautical-theme miniature golf course, batting cages, carousel, go-kart track, and other carnival-like attractions, which all add up to great fun.

The largest and busiest of the kid-oriented amusements along Misquamicut Beach, this century-old facility offers nostalgic fun for the entire family, including an antique (1915) carousel, bumper cars, a dragon roller coaster, ice-cream parlor, and a large arcade with games that spout tickets you can redeem for prizes. The Windjammer Surf Bar has live music in the summer and an oceanfront deck for drinks and snacks; unlike the amusement park, the bar is open year-round.

At the beach end of Bay Street twirls one of the oldest carousels in America, built by the Charles W. F. Dare Company of New York City and part of a traveling carnival that came to Watch Hill before 1883. The carved wooden horses with real horsehair manes and leather saddles are suspended from chains attached to the ceiling, creating the impression the horses are flying. Riders must be under 13. Grab the brass ring from one of the outside horses to win a free ride.

Built in 1750, the authentically restored childhood home of one of America's foremost portrait artists—his image of George Washington graces the $1 bill—is set on 23 woodsy acres in Saunderstown containing a scenic millpond and stream, Colonial herb gardens, nature trails, and a fish ladder. The fully restored gristmill here has the original granite millstones used to grind local whitecap flint corn into cornmeal. Inside the Stuart home is a snuff mill, used to grind tobacco and still turned by water power. Stuart painted more than 1,000 portraits, including those of the first six U.S. presidents. The Welcome Center and Bell Art Gallery exhibits the works of Stuart and his daughter, also a painter, along with works by local and other artists. Guided tours take place at 11 am and 1 pm; self-guided tours are also available.

Part of the several-mile-long stretch of sandy beach that makes up Misquamicut, this ½-mile state-run portion is exceedingly popular. Expect the 2,100-space parking lot to fill up on sunny summer weekends. Bring your own chairs or blankets. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards (seasonal); parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming; family fun.

This beloved and lively beach is perfect for surfing, sunbathing, people-watching, sandcastle making, crab hunting, and strolling its half-mile length; it also has seven ADA surf chairs, offered on a first-come, first-served basis. A sea wall (with free on-street parking) stretches along Ocean Road and attracts an eclectic crowd, including guitarists and motorcyclists. Covering approximately 19 acres, Narragansett Town Beach has a beautiful sandy beachfront, but it is the only beach in the state that you can't walk onto for free: the town charges (rather hefty) fees for admission (ages 12 and up) and parking. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming; nostalgic views.

Spring brings opportunities to view the male American woodcock's mating ritual at this 858-acre refuge, but bird-watchers flock here year-round to commune with nature among 4 miles of hiking trails and diverse upland and wetland habitats, including grasslands, shrublands, wooded swamps, and freshwater ponds. There's an abandoned naval air station on Ninigret Pond, the state's largest coastal salt pond, and a fine place to watch the sunset. Wear blaze orange while hiking between November and January, when permitted hunters are allowed to cull white-tailed deer. Explore an impressive collection of wildlife and natural history displays at the Kettle Pond Visitor Center on the southbound side of U.S. 1 at 50 Bend Road.

This 227-acre park off Old Post Road, formerly a World War II–era naval air training base, now features picnic grounds, ball fields, a playground, a bike path, tennis and basketball courts, a criterium bicycle course, nature trails, a disc-golf course, and a 3-acre spring-fed swimming pond (with lifeguards on duty in the summer). The Charlestown Seafood Festival is held here in August, and the excellent Rhythm & Roots concert festival rolls into the park every Labor Day weekend.

This little corner of Narragansett is a working fishing village, where you can eat lobster on a deck overlooking the wharf, go for a swim at one of two state beaches, or watch fishermen unload their catch and sometimes even buy from them right on the docks. This is also the location of the mainland terminal for the ferry service to Block Island.

This breakwater-sheltered beach—which some locals still call Sand Hill Cove, even though the name changed decades ago—has calm, warm water and fine white sand that slopes gently into the water. It's a perennial favorite for parents with young children, thanks in part to the playground situated right in the sand. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; playground; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: classic vibe; family time; swimming; walking.

With generally moderate surf, this 42-acre beach has stunning views of where the Narragansett Bay empties into the ocean—although the scent of the neighboring wastewater treatment plant can mar the experience. There's a concrete boardwalk with gazebos and an observation tower. A grassy section on the southern end of the beach is good for kite flying and picnicking, and a trail connects it to Black Point, a scenic fishing and hiking area along the rocky coastline. RIPTA buses service the beach, making it the easiest to access by transit. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

On part of Rhode Island's Civil War-era governor William Sprague's 19th-century estate, now a town park, this museum founded in 1933 holds 25,000 artifacts dating from pre-European settlement to the mid-20th century. Six exhibit buildings include a print shop, a blacksmith forge, a carpentry shop, and a carriage barn. A living-history farm has Romney sheep, Nubian goats, and a heritage flock of Rhode Island Red chickens, the state bird. Attending the annual chick-hatching is an Independence Day tradition for local families.

The ⅓-mile-long town beach—with a playground, a boardwalk, a volleyball court, and picnic tables—cannot be seen from the road and doesn't fill as quickly as the nearby state beaches. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

The library, in the heart of downtown Westerly, also serves neighboring Pawcatuck, Connecticut. The library's Hoxie Gallery holds art exhibitions. Adjacent to the library, Wilcox Park, a 14½-acre Victorian strolling park designed in 1898 by Warren Manning—an associate of Frederick Law Olmsted, co-creator of New York's Central Park—has a pond, a meadow, an arboretum, a perennials garden, sculptures, fountains, and monuments. The Runaway Bunny, a sculpture inspired by the children's book of the same name, is popular with the little ones. A garden market, arts festivals, concerts, and Shakespeare-in-the-park productions are held periodically.