Wakefield (Rhode Island)

Wakefield is a village of the town of South Kingstown in the state of Rhode Island. Settlers came to Wakefield early in the 18th century due to its proximity to the Saugatucket River. In the middle of the 19th century, Kenyon’s Department Store was founded, and Wakefield soon became the business center of South Kingstown. As time progressed, the mills throughout the village became bigger and allowed for population growth. By 1895, there were 1,543 people living in the village. The first hospital was created in 1919 inside a house, and by 1925, the South County Hospital building was erected. It is still in the same location today. The village of Wakefield is rich in history, and its proximity to beaches and other attractions bring in thousands of tourists each summer.

By plane

 * T.F. Green Airport, 2000 Post Rd, Warwick, +1 888-268-7222, . Parking as low as $11 a day or $56 a week (Lot E). T.F. Green Airport is easy to get to off RI Interstate 95 North and South at Exit 13. It is also accessible via Rt.295, connecting to 95.

By car

 * From Boston or all points north: I-95 S to Exit 9 in RI. Stay left to take RI-4 S (Exit 9) toward North Kingstown. Merge onto Tower Hill Road/Rt. 1 by taking a slight right. After 7 miles, take the Wakefield ramp off the right.
 * From New York or Connecticut: I-95 N to Exit 92. Take a right onto Liberty St/Rt. 2. Merge onto CT-78 E toward Westerly. After 5 miles, take a left at the light to go onto Rt. 1 N. Take the Wakefield exit off the right.

Get around
Because Wakefield is small, you can get anywhere by talking a walk through town. If you have a car, it only takes 5 minutes to get from one side to the other. There are buses that run from Wakefield to other locations all over the state.
 * RIPTA (Rhode Island Public Transit Authority), +1 401 781-9400, . The RIPTA has many pick-up and drop-off locations scattered throughout Wakefield, and the busses travel all over the state. The 66 bus, which is the one that serves Wakefield, runs from 6AM to 10:05PM on weekdays, and until 10:25PM on weekends. It starts at Kennedy Plaza in Providence and ends at the Block Island Ferry (Galilee). $1.50 per ride, $5 for a day pass.

See
Wakefield is close to all of Rhode Island's beaches, ranging from Misquamicut beach on the western edge of the state to Second Beach in Newport. South Kingstown, the township of which Wakefield is a village, is home to three of the most beautiful beaches in the state, East Matunuck state beach, South Kingstown town beach in Matunuck, and the Moonstone Beach National Wildlife Refuge, the longest stretch of undeveloped beach in the state. There are numerous tourist destinations within an hour's drive, including the mansions of Newport, Rhode Island's Renaissance city Providence, the aquarium and seaport at Mystic, the world's largest casino Ledyard, and the ferry connecting to the breathtaking beauty of Block Island.

Buy
Main Street has a variety of shops of all kinds including jewelry, shoes and clothes. There are also a number of antique shops.



Cope

 * Bi-Design Hair Salon, 382 Woodruff Ave, +1 401 783-8292. A salon that accommodates men and women for their hair-styling needs. A bit pricey, but a great value for the money.

Go next
Most of the people that come to Wakefield end up vacationing on one of the many beaches close to the town. If that doesn't appeal to you, here are a couple of things that you might want to do.


 * Mystic, Connecticut, a 45-minute drive from Wakefield offers great shops and restaurants by the water. Mystic Aquarium is on 55 Coogan Blvd, and is ideal for families with children who want to get away and enjoy a stroll or the shows that are available. Mystic is a great place to get ice cream or a drink and sit by the water and watch the boats and relax.
 * Newport: Newport is one of the most beautiful places in Rhode Island. There are many fine restaurants and bars that are in walking distance of each other. If that doesn’t sound like something you’d like to do, take a ride down Bellevue Ave. to see all of the historic mansions. First beach is also right next to the mansions if you want to catch some rays.