Things to Do in Misquamicut, RI
Misquamicut is a census-designated place and fire district within the Town of Westerly, Rhode Island, sitting on a roughly 1.25-square-mile barrier beach between Winnapaug Pond and the Atlantic — it has never been an incorporated municipality of its own. What it does have, in genuinely dense supply for such a small footprint, is a livelier, more traditional beach-strip identity than Westerly's other well-known village, Watch Hill: a state-run beach that draws visitors from across the region, a century-old family amusement park, a business association that runs a real summer-long events calendar, and a saltwater pond behind the dunes that offers a quieter, calmer alternative to the ocean itself. This page covers Misquamicut's own sights worth naming individually — Misquamicut State Beach, Atlantic Beach Park, the Misquamicut Business Association's recurring programming, and Winnapaug Pond and its country club — rather than repeating Watch Hill's carousel-and-lighthouse story, which belongs to this site's Westerly market instead.
Misquamicut State Beach: Rhode Island's Largest State-Run Beach
Misquamicut State Beach covers 51 acres, spanning about 2 miles along the roughly 3-mile barrier sandbar that separates Winnapaug Pond from the Atlantic, and it is managed by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management's Division of Parks and Recreation. Per DEM's own language, it is the state's largest and most popular beach — a genuinely bigger, busier operation than any single stretch of sand at Watch Hill, and one that draws a noticeably regional crowd: DEM has put the share of visitors coming from out of state at roughly 88 percent.
The beach's modern facilities date to a late-1990s overhaul. The James J. Federico, Jr. Pavilion, named for a state senator, opened in 1999 at a cost of about $1.5 million, replacing 1950s-era infrastructure that had aged to the point of nearly forcing a closure in 1992 over a failing septic system — the pavilion's bathhouse now runs on composting, waterless toilets instead. Around the same period, the beach gained a roughly 2,700-space parking area, still among the largest of any Rhode Island state beach. Parking fees change from year to year, so confirm current daily rates directly with RI State Parks before planning a visit rather than relying on an older published figure.
Atlantic Beach Park: A Family-Run Amusement Park Since 1921
At 321 Atlantic Avenue sits Atlantic Beach Park, a 12-acre amusement park and entertainment complex that has operated continuously since 1921 — originally as the "Atlantic Beach Casino" — and remains owned and run by the Trefes family today, a genuine century-plus stretch of the same family's ownership. It is deliberately small-scale rather than a sprawling theme park: a carousel built around an antique band organ, kiddie rides, bumper cars, a game room and arcade, mini-golf, water slides, and an ice cream stand make up the core of the property.
The park is also home to two entertainment venues that extend its identity well past the rides themselves. The Windjammer Surf Bar is an oceanfront patio bar with live music through the season, and the Mariner Room is an indoor event space used for weddings and private functions. Both, like most of Atlantic Beach Park's attractions, run on a seasonal calendar rather than year-round — roughly April through October for the Windjammer, with the rides and arcade concentrated in peak summer — so confirm current hours directly with the park before a visit outside of July or August.
The Misquamicut Business Association's Summer Calendar
Beyond individual businesses, Misquamicut has a genuine recurring events calendar organized by the Misquamicut Business Association (MBA), a nonprofit founded in 2000 that represents roughly 45 beach businesses. Its best-known program is a seasonal drive-in movie screen set up on the beach — one of only two drive-in venues in all of Rhode Island, per the MBA's own description — screening classic films such as Jaws, Footloose, and The Sandlot as a recurring summer draw rather than a one-off event.
The MBA also runs a weekly classic-car cruise night through the season, along with two anchor festivals that bookend the core summer stretch: Springfest and Fallfest. A Guy Fawkes Bonfire Night rounds out the calendar later in the year. None of this programming is run by a town government — Misquamicut has no town council of its own — but the MBA has become the de facto organizer of communal Misquamicut life, and its calendar is worth checking directly before a visit, since specific dates and film lineups change from season to season.
Winnapaug Pond and Winnapaug Country Club: Beyond the Beach
Behind the barrier sandbar that carries Misquamicut State Beach and Atlantic Beach Park sits Winnapaug Pond, a roughly 2.5-mile saltwater lagoon connected to Block Island Sound via the Weekapaug Breachway. It is relatively small and shallow, which makes it well suited to kayaking and other calm-water paddling — a genuinely different, quieter experience than the open ocean just a few hundred yards away — and it supports recreational and commercial harvesting of quahogs and bay scallops. A 2010 water-quality assessment rated the pond's overall condition good.
The pond also lends its name to Winnapaug Country Club, a golf course sitting along its shore, giving Misquamicut a recreational option beyond the beach and boardwalk for visitors who want a round of golf without leaving the immediate area. Between the state beach, Atlantic Beach Park, the MBA's events calendar, and Winnapaug Pond's paddling and golf, Misquamicut's version of "things to do" runs noticeably livelier and more varied than a single stretch of quiet sand.
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Get a Free Agent Referral →Independent research. No ads. No sponsored listings. Misquamicut State Beach's 51-acre size, its status as Rhode Island's largest and most popular state beach, its roughly 88 percent out-of-state visitor share, and the James J. Federico, Jr. Pavilion's 1999 opening are per Wikipedia's Misquamicut State Beach entry and Rhode Island DEM's own press materials and official beach page; current parking fees change year to year and should be confirmed directly with RI State Parks. Atlantic Beach Park's 1921 founding, its 12-acre size, its ownership by the Trefes family, and the Windjammer Surf Bar and Mariner Room venues are per the park's own official site. The Misquamicut Business Association's 2000 founding, nonprofit status, and event programming — the seasonal beach drive-in movie screen, weekly classic-car cruise night, Springfest, Fallfest, and Guy Fawkes Bonfire Night — are per the Association's own official site, misquamicut.org. Winnapaug Pond's length, its connection to Block Island Sound via the Weekapaug Breachway, its suitability for kayaking, and its 2010 water-quality rating are per Wikipedia's Winnapaug Pond entry and the Salt Ponds Coalition's own page on the pond. Nothing on this page is a substitute for confirming current hours, ticket prices, or event dates directly with Misquamicut State Beach, Atlantic Beach Park, or the Misquamicut Business Association before planning a visit.