Norman Bird Sanctuary

Norman Bird Sanctuary in Middletown, Rhode Island, is a 325-acre preserve that joins wildlife habitat, environmental education, and historic farmland above the Atlantic Ocean. Established in 1949 through the bequest of Mabel Norman Cerio, it preserves Newport County’s largest expanse of open space and reflects a much older agricultural past, from early 18th-century ownership by Isaac Smith to later ownership by Benjamin Gardiner and George Norman. Its trails cross hay fields, woods, and ridges with ocean views, including Hanging Rock. The property also includes a Colonial-era farmhouse dating to about 1755, part of the historic core listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

Middletown, Rhode Island · United States