Sometimes the architecture can be a star of an attraction.
Such is the case, at least for some, of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. It's not quite up there as a must-see for tourists with the mansions of the town, but it's worth a visit.
The facility is located on a busy Newport street, but the entrance takes up a small part of the block. You can see it here below and to the left of the clock. Shops are located along the way. But visitors walk inside, and they see an area that's been hosting tennis matches since 1880. In fact, the first U.S. national championship was played here from 1881 to 1914, before it moved to New York. You might have heard of the U.S. Open.
The building that holds the Hall of Fame surrounds three sides of the tennis court pictured. There's an entrance to the left, and after paying visitors go up some expensive-looking stairs into the Hall itself. Visitors then work their way around the connected building. As you'd expect, there are trophies - lots and lots of trophies, old and new. The same could be said about racquets. A relatively small room is dedicated to those who have been inducted over the years - more than 250 of them. The list includes players, coaches and contributors. There is a good collection of videos available.
After touring the Hall, visitors are free to walk around the grounds. A men's tournament is still staged there every summer, although the best players usually don't take part. But the facility is open to the public, so anyone can bring a racquet and play on the beautiful grass - just like people did in 1880. A restaurant is also on the grounds; it's on the right of the photograph.
Newport may not be the ideal place to host the Hall of Fame in terms of economic impact. A big facility at Flushing Meadow in New York might have more of an impact. But you can't measure charm and tradition in dollars, and clearly Newport has that here.
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