Issues → July/August 2009 → Interact → 10 Things to Do → All About Lighthouses →
Stay in a Lighthouse
Rose Island Lighthouse
Rhode Island
Roseislandlighthouse.org
Guaranteed water view. In addition to day tourists, Rose Island Lighthouse welcomes overnight visitors and weekly keepers who are willing to do chores. Families with children ages 5 and up are especially welcome, but no pets. Overnighters can stay in the turn-of-the-century museum on the first floor. The second-floor keeper's apartment is available only by the week. Keeper's quarters can sleep a family of six.
How fun is this? Here's an excerpt from the lighthouse keeper's log:
Weather changed significantly by 10 am, although the skies remained clear, the wind picked up to 20-25 mph, so we'll have plenty of electricity. Lots of visitors today -- 28 schoolchildren on a field trip, 2 kayakers who stopped to dry off, and a couple from NYC staying in the museum downstairs. A Navy vessel passed today with the entire crew standing at the railings at parade rest.
CLAMBAKE August 15, 2009
Visit Rose Island for a clambake Aug. 15, 11-3. This is the world's most trashless, bring-your-own-blanket-and-sit-on-the-ground-clambake feast! Island fun for the whole family! Music by Wellstrung. Attendance limited to 150. Reservations required. Rain or shine.
READ MORE:
Dinner in a Lighthouse
All About Lighthouses
Reader Comments
Comment from NANCY TOBIN on August 12, 2009
On June 30th we were overnight visitors in the museum, and really enjoyed our time there. It was like going back in time with the hand water pump for the sink, and conserving water in the unique flush toilet in the house. RELAX in the chairs provided outside, and watch the sailboats go by. The KEEPER and his family were wonderful, and we really enjoyed having great conversations with them.
The only problem with Rose Island are the geese who are located there. With 2 large grassy areas to feed on, they never leave..... and you guessed it, they poop all over the grass. On our walk to the outside toilet we had to walk through all of it, and I mean a lot of it. There was NO stepping around it. The keeper is responsible for raking the poop on the hill the lighthouse is on, but the other area is impossible to keep clean.
There was a hand written note by the waste basket in the kitchen reminding visitors to take there trash back with them, BUT .....FEED the birds your unused BREAD, etc. We were very surprised at this. We did leave a comment in the guest book about the problem suggesting that the grass be removed, and replaced with sand and shells...This would eliminate the geese staying there.
Needless to say, we will not be staying at this lighthouse again unless the problem with the POOP is corrected.
Comment from David McCurdy on September 1, 2009
The Rose Island Lighthouse is a magical destination located just one mile from the City of Newport in the geographical center of Narragansett Bay. We have one night stays available in our museum and weeklong stays available our upstairs apartment. It is by far not your usual night in a hotel. We operate like a bed and breakfast without the breakfast.
The lighthouse is located upon an 18 acre island approximately one mile from the city of Newport RI. Our little nonprofit owns and maintains the majority of the island as a wild life refuge where we have a great variety of birds nest annually. Snowy Egrets, Oyster Catchers, Glossy Ibis, Heron, seagulls and geese nest and raise their young in our refuge. If you come in the spring you will see baby geese and seagulls nesting on our shores. In the later summer months such as in July and August the birds move on to other destinations.
Most lighthouse guests spend the day on the beach or sitting in our Adirondack chairs overlooking Newport harbor and the hundreds of boats sailing out on the bay. Words do not do it justice! One has to experience the lighthouse in person to understand the lighthouse experience. www.roseisland.org
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