Who wants to climb to Newport’s highest point?
On Sundays throughout the month of September, Miantonomi Tower in Miantonomi Park will be open from 10am to 1 pm allowing visitors to climb to the highest point on Aquidneck Island. Beyond enjoying the spectacular view from the tower, visitors will get a chance to explore the trails, wildlife and historic sites in Newport’s largest park as part of Minatonomi Exploration Days.
“Miantonomi Exploration Days will be a great way for people to discover the park in a new light while getting a chance to see unparalleled views of the City,” said Scott Wheeler, Buildings and Grounds Supervisor/Tree Warden.
To learn more about the Miantonomi Exploration Days and other programs associated with the Buildings & Grounds Division of the Public Services Department, go to: http://engagenewport.com/openspace
About:
Miantonomi Memorial Park is a public park between Hillside Avenue and Girard Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island.
The Narragansett Indians used the area around the park for hundreds of years and the park (and the hill it is on) is named after Sachem, or Chief, Miantonomi. This hill was Miantonomi’s seat of power until it was purchased by English colonists in 1637. The settlers used the hill as a lookout and in 1667 built a beacon on the hill. During the American Revolutionary War fortifications were built on the hill, fragments of which still survive. In 1921 the City of Newport received the property from the local Stokes family. The Park Commission built a stone tower in 1929 as a World War I memorial. Miantonomi Memorial Park’s 30 acres became part of the Aquidneck Land Trust through an easement in 2005
