Annual Appeal 2026

Your support has driven real progress on restoration projects and provided new opportunities for our community to experience the Fort, such as:

This year we completed the structural restoration of the exterior of the Southeast Demibastion, the culmination of over a decade of effort! With this phase of restoration completed we are now able to begin work on the interior, with the goal of opening this space to the public for the first time in over a century.

This is a critical step in helping to understand the condition of the Fort and prioritize projects going forward – highlighting what is essential for safety, stability, and the overall continued access of Fort Adams.

This year we reimagined our guided tour program into two distinct experiences: Storm the Fort, which explores the Fort’s military history and its role in defending Narragansett Bay, and Life at the Fort, which tells the stories of the soldiers and families who lived and worked here.

For our youngest explorers, we launched a new youth scavenger hunt led by the Tunnel Rat, our mascot, newly redesigned by Rogers High School. Kids who complete the hunt earn a Tunnel Rat sticker, and we’ve loved watching families explore every corner of the Fort together!

With your support we were able to offer six FREE events to the public, including the overwhelmingly popular Music at the Fort series and our Tunnels and Terror family-friendly Halloween event. It is so important to us to be able to host these free events so that everyone from our community has the opportunity to experience Fort Adams – and it is all possible due to supporters like you!

As we enter 2027, we are looking forward to a new chapter for Fort Adams. We are beginning several projects that will elevate our visitor experience including:

Rehabilitation of current tour spaces and preparation for new museum and preservation of interior spaces.

Updating and replacing our twenty-year-old interpretive signs for self-guided tours.

Expanding our restoration work into the interior of the Southeast Demibastion and Officer Quarters, moving closer to reopening this space to the public.

This year, we have a rare opportunity and we need your help to seize it. A generous donor has already given $50,000 to Fort Adams Trust and has pledged another $50,000 if we raise $50,000 from our community by December 31, 2026. Reaching that goal would put $150,000 toward these projects, restoring more of the Fort and opening it to the public. Every gift counts toward the goal, and every gift goes directly back into the Fort.

Your support today will help preserve the Fort’s legacy and provide safe public access and use for generations to come. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to support this work. Use the giving options on this page to make a one-time or recurring donation.

Prefer to give by mail? Send your check to Fort Adams Trust, 90 Fort Adams Drive, Newport, RI 02840.

Thank you for believing in the power of preservation and for being part of the Fort Adams story.

With sincere gratitude, Paul Marshall Executive Director

Check out our Membership Program! All members receive unlimited admission to guided and self-guided tours, 20% discounts on Gift Shop merchandise and Specialty Tours, the opportunity to rent Fort Adams property for events, and more. Visit the Support Us page to explore membership options and join today.