I made a trip to visit Newport, Rhode Island earlier this summer. I visited a few of the Newport Mansions many years ago, but only recently discovered that there is an International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum there. Being a fan of the sport, I wanted to visit.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum is located directly across from a shopping plaza. The signage to the International is pretty small, in my view. Unless you’re visiting the museum specifically, it’s quite an easy miss.
Tip on parking: If you’re going to be exploring the are and choosing to park at the shopping plaza, make sure to shop and get discounted parking validation.
The Visit (In Pictures)
There is a little gift shop to the left of the building. When you walk in, you see the tennis grounds and there is another entrance to the museum.
This is a view of one of the tennis courts on the grounds from the museum. The courts are actively used. At the time of my visit, there was a tennis clinic in session. I don’t know if there are any dress codes in place (aside from tennis attire), but all the players were wearing tennis whites. I bet it would be fun to play on grass courts, but the membership cost is steep.
The museum used to be a social club, and they have the history, along with memorabilia from tennis players.
A Roger Federer Experience (hologram experience), where Roger Federer talks about the 10 reasons he loves the sport.
All in all, I’d say the museum is much smaller than I expected, being that it’s an international hall of fame museum. Newport RI is also somewhat known for it haunted past and ghost tours. I didn’t know that coming into the visit, though I will say that I had an experience that led me to think that museum may be haunted. Maybe I will write about for a Halloween post.
I don’t think I would specifically visit Newport just for the museum. If you’re in the area, it’s definitely worth checking out the tennis grounds. The grounds are beautifully maintained.
Newport’s Cliff Walk
Not too far from the museum is the Newport Cliff Walk. If you’re looking for a little hike, it’s such a nice refreshing walk overlooking the water.
It wasn’t the case for me due to detours, but most people start at the Easton’s Beach which has access to the beginning of the Cliff Walk. The Cliff Walk is a short hike and it’s a nice, peaceful, scenic walk. I definitely recommend the Cliff Walk if you are in the area. Wear comfortable shoes.
You can easily make a day trip in Newport with plenty to do between the museum, the mansions, and the Cliff Walk.
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