Coventry is the largest town in Kent County and the state of Rhode Island, with a population of approximately 34,660 as of 2007 and a total area of 62.3 sq mi. Coventry is bordered by Sterling, Connecticut to the west, West Warwick to the east, East and West Greenwich to the south, and Foster, Scituate and Cranston to the north. It was founded in 1741 after the population of settlers was significant enough to separate from Warwick and form a new town. Much of Coventry is of historical note as home to many villages and homesteads from the 1700s, including those of Nathaniel Greene and Thomas Paine. Some of the villages include Greene, Washington, Anthony, and Hopkins Hollow. There are two main commercial areas in Coventry. The first is Route 3, which is also known as Tiogue Avenue or Nooseneck Hill Road. Most of the stores and restaurants can be found on this main road. The second large commercial area is called the Centre of New England, which has many stores, restaurants, and hotels.
Get in
By plane
T.F. Green Airport is roughly a 20-minute drive to Coventry. Follow I-95 South and take exit 7.
By bus
- RIPTA (Rhode Island Public Transit Authority). Bus transportation from anywhere in Rhode Island. Visit the RIPTA website to see rates and bus schedules.
By car
If you are traveling from the northern part of Rhode Island or from Boston, take I-95 South toward Providence and take Exit 6 to enter the Coventry/West Greenwich area (Route 3), exit 6a to enter onto Hopkins Hill Road in Coventry, and exit 7 to enter the Coventry/West Warwick area (New London Turnpike). If you are traveling from the south take I-95 North from any of these exits.
Get around
There are five major roads in Coventry: Route 3 (Nooseneck Hill Road), Route 102 (Victory Highway), Interstate 95, Route 116 (Knotty Oak Road), and Route 117 (Flat River Road). I-95 skirts the edge of downtown and has exits to most prominent areas in town. Route 3 runs through downtown Coventry and sees considerable traffic, but is still the easiest and quickest way through downtown. Route 102 runs through the Western end of town, from West Greenwich to Foster/Scituate, and intersects both I-95 and Route 3 near West Greenwich. Route 116 runs through the northern end of town, from Coventry to Cumberland. Route 117, one of the state of Rhode Island’s original highways, runs from Coventry to West Warwick, Warwick, and Cranston.
See
- Paine House, 7 Station Street, 41.691389°, -71.565°, +1 401 826-0021. Saturdays May-Sep. Paine house is a historic house museum that has been furnished to reflect the Colonial era. The Paine House was once a Colonial house and inn and has been restored by the Coventry Historical society in the period-style.
- Nathanael Greene Homestead Museum, 20 Taft Street, 41.693889°, -71.544127°, +1 401 821-8630. Known as Spell Hall, it was the home of Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene from 1770 to 1776. Tours run from April 1st - October 31st.
- Read School House, 1670 Flat River Road, 41.705556°, -71.597222°, +1 401 821-0546. Built in 1831 and used until 1951, Read School House is a one room school that is still furnished with desks and chairs. The Coventry Historical Society encourages groups to visit by appointment by calling the number above.
Do
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George B. Parker Woodland, 1670 Maple Valley Road. Part of the Rhode Island Audubon Society, this park offers free admission to 860 acres of hiking trails and nature scenery. The caretaker's house was built in the 1700s and is noted on the National Register of Historic Places. There is also a converted nature center. The trails are located at the western side of the town where restaurants and stores are quite sparse, so make sure to bring your own food and drinks. Cell phone service is also questionable depending on your service provider.
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Herbert F. Paine Memorial Park, 1277 Main Street. Lighted softball and baseball parks. Lighted basketball courts and four tennis courts. There is also a street hockey court and a playground. Seasonal concession stands run by the parents of the children registered in any of the leagues. Restrooms available. Plenty of parking all over the park.This park also incorporates a skatepark open to the public. The Skatepark boasts a halfpipe, two rails, and several other ramps. It is open from dawn to dusk, and rules and regualtions can be found at the town of Coventry website. The park is accessible by the Coventry Greenway.
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Foster Memorial Park, 1/4 mile north on Station Street from intersection of Main Street in Washington village. There are four baseball/softball fields, three soccer fields, a hiking trail, and a volleyball court. Seasonal food concession and restrooms available. It is also accessible through the Alan Shawn Feinstein Middle School of Coventry.
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Rice Field, 7 Knotty Oak Road, (Rte. 116). Offers a lighted football field, baseball/softball field, tennis court and playground. Seasonal food concession and portable restrooms available. Proposed Restrooms, Pavilion, Basketball court and Gazebo.
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Briar Point Beach and Picnic Area, on Lake Tiogue, the end of Briar Point Avenue off Arnold Road. Offers swimming and picnic facilities with lifeguards on duty from June 19th thru Labor Day. Playground facility and seasonal portable restrooms.
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Carbuncle Pond, Route 14 near Connecticut border. A popular fishing spot located close to the Connecticut border, great for sport and stocked with several species of fish. Consult local guides and resources for guidelines. There are also small trails around the lake and shoreline for lounging.
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Johnson's Pond Flat River Road. Johnson's Pond is a great spot for fishing and watersports. Wakeboarding Magazine rated Johnson's Pond as the best spot for wakeboarding in Rhode Island.
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Coventry Greenway, Station Street. Coventry Greenway is a 5-mile trail that is generally flat. Only 3.5 miles of the path are paved, but the path can be used for either walking or biking. This path is under construction which will allow users to travel the full length on paved pathway. The Coventry Greenway allows easy accessibility to several places within Coventry. It provides access to Herbert F. Paine Memorial Park, the Coventry Library, Deciantis Ice Cream, and the Alan Shawn Feinstein Middle School of Coventry.
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The Greene Public Library, 179 Hopkins Hollow Road, Greene, RI 02827, +1 401 397-3873. The Greene Public Library is a very small public library in Greene, Rhode Island. Greene is a smaller, very rural, section within the town of Coventry. The library also hosts many classes and events for local groups and citizens. The Greene Public Library is open every day, except Sunday and Monday.
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Alpacas of Harkney Hill, 1394 Harkney Hill Road, Coventry, RI 02816, +1 401 397-4761. A small, rural, bed and breakfast founded by Gloria Petroski. The farm raises friendly Alpacas and has 18 of them on site. They also offer “pick-you-own” blueberries. It is a great family getaway, or a quaint place for your next party.
Buy
- Walmart Supercenter, 650 Centre of New England Blvd, +1 401 823-7780. Provides basic necessities. Open 24 hours
- Ocean State Job Lot, 1173 Tiogue Avenue, +1 401 826-0151. M-Sa 8AM-9PM, Su 9AM-8PM. Provides your basic necessities at affordable prices.
- Super Stop & Shop, 900 Tiogue Avenue, +1 401 823-1515. M-Sa 6AM-midnight, Su 7AM-9PM. Stop & Shop provides groceries and other necessities at reasonable prices.
- Dave's Marketplace, 23 Coventry Shopper's Park, +1 401 615-9975. M-Sa 7AM to 9PM, Su 7AM to 8PM. A chain of locally owned markets. Although it is smaller, it has everything one would need. Besides ingredients, they also have freshly prepared food, such as soup, sauce, prepared chicken, sushi, etc. There is a place to eat inside the market.
- Gendron's Jewelers, 3 Coventry Shopper's Park, +1 401 826-4487. A small, locally owned Jewelry shop that carries gold and diamond jewelry, as well as charm beads that are compatible with some of the popular kinds of charm bracelets. The owner is extremely friendly and helpful, if he does not have it he can usually order it for you.
- Summit General Store, 25 Old Summit Road, +1 401 397-3366. M-Sa 7:30AM-8PM, Su 8AM-6PM. The only general store in Rhode Island. Summit sells farm supplies, basic groceries, feed, and also has a deli
Eat
Chain restaurants are well represented including Applebee's, Burger King, Cracker Barrel, Denny's, Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's and Subway.
- Depetrillos Pizza and Bakery, 797 Tiogue Avenue, +1 401 828-4300. Casual, homey pizza joint which attracts customers from all over New England. Pizza comes as the cold white and red single pizza strips and in party trays (full, $14.99 or half, $8.50). They also sell hot pizza, calzone rolls, over ten kinds of small calzones, and even homemade biscuits and cookies. Just about everything is under $20.00.
- Michael's Gelina's Ice Cream, 975 Tiogue Avenue, +1 401 826-7374. This is the best service and ice cream in the state. Soft serve or hard, slushies, sundaes, ice cream cookies, yogurt, cabinets and milk shakes in over 50 flavors. $3-5 for a cone of ice cream. Some outdoor seating, but they are on a main road. Plenty of parking.
- Newport Creamery, 781 Tiogue Avenue, +1 401 821-2265. Stop in for some ice cream, or stay a while and have a fresh cooked meal in the family-friendly atmosphere.
- Flare, 577 Tiogue Avenue, +1 401 615-8577. Tu-Sa 4PM-, Su noon-8PM. A casual yet sophisticated dining experience. Modern decor with exposed rock walls, and a two-sided fireplace that warms the dining room and lounge. Full bar.
- Nino’s on Lake Tiogue, 446 Tiogue Avenue, +1 401 821-3000. Su noon-6PM, Sa 8AM-4PM. Nino’s has two banquet halls that overlook Lake Tiogue
- The Olde Theater Diner, 33 Sandy Bottom Road, +1 401 828-1810. Su-Sa 5AM-1AM. Owned by the same owners as the Middle of Nowhere Diner in Exeter, The Olde Theater Diner offers great food and drinks at reasonable prices, with pool and arcade games. Thursday nights are open mic nights, where people can sign up to play music, recite poetry, or perform comedy. The diner was once an actual movie theater in Coventry. Inside, customers will be treated to a movie theater decor.
- Deciantis Ice Cream, 1373 Main Street, +1 401 823-9160. Deciantis Ice Cream is a small Ice Cream shop popular to locals. It is in close proximity to the Herbert F. Paine Memorial Park. It is easily accessible by Main street or via the Coventry Greenway.
- Borelli’s Pastry Shop, 765 Tiogue Ave, +1 401 821-0130. Borelli’s is a local bakery which offers several items such as pizza, calzones, pastries, and breads.
- The Cozy Grill, 473 Tiogue Ave, +1 401 821-3440. W-M 7AM-10PM. The Cozy Grill is a clean restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Papa Gino's, 1080 Tiogue Ave, +1 401 320-1155. Good pizza, subs, and pasta. Also delivers. It is never really busy, which makes it a nice atmosphere.
- Pete's Pizza Plus, 21 Hillfarm Road, +1 401 397-3323. Family-owned restaurant that serves pizza, pasta, spinach pies, french fries, and more. Can eat in, but is most popular for take out. Also one of the few restaurants in Western Coventry.
- Venus Pizza, Tiogue Ave, +1 401 397-4558. M-Sa 11AM-11PM, Sunday noon-10:30PM. Pizza, grinders, wraps, and salads. Can eat in or take out.
- Silverlake Pizza, 1146 Main Street, +1 401 828-7810. Pizza restaurant that is also the place to go in Coventry for N.Y. System style "hot weenies". Eat in or take out.
- Santoro's Pizza, 687 Tiogue Ave, +1 401 821-6342.
- The Gentleman Farmer, 2405 Nooseneck Hill Rd, +1 401 392-0130. The Gentleman Farmer serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. The waitstaff are extremely friendly. It is most known for its good breakfast items.
Drink
- Del's Lemonade, 465 Tiogue Avenue, +1 401 822-0344. The local instance of the popular Rhode Island chain.
- Scott’s Crowebar and Tavern, 1152 Main Street, +1 401 615-7766. M-Th 4PM-1AM, F-Su noon-1AM. One of the oldest buildings in Coventry, Scott's Crowebar and Tavern offers a traditional wrap around bar setting with live entertainment every weekend.
- The Rock House, 731 Centre of New England Blvd. Coventry, RI 02816, +1 401 385-3036. The Rock House hosts national and local music acts. They also serve pub-style dinners and boast the best drinks in the state. The Rock House is off of the highway, at exit 7.
Sleep
- Hampton Inn, 850 Centre of New England Blvd. (Exit 7 off Interstate 95), +1 401 823-4041.
- Residence Inn, 750 Centre of New England Blvd., +1 401 828-1170. Offers spacious rooms with free Wi-Fi.
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- Camp Westwood, 2093 Harkney Hill Rd (Take Exit 6 off Route 95 and travel North on Route 3. Proceed one mile to stop light at the intersection with Harkney Hill Road. Take a left onto Harkney Hill Road and travel 4.25 miles. Westwood is on the left.), +1 401 397-7779. Check-in: 3-6PM, check-out: 11AM. A rural campground and YMCA facility for family recreation; cabins and lodges can be rented and RVs are welcome. There is a playground, athletic fields and courts, hiking trails, and a lake for swimming, boating, and fishing. Recreation for all ages. The campground is open from late Spring to early Autumn.
- Colwells Campground, 119 Peckham Lane (From Exit 7 off I-95: Head southwest on New London Turnpike toward Tiffany Road, then take the 2nd right onto Arnold Road. Continue onto RI-33. Turn left at Main St/RI-117 W. Continue to follow RI-117 W 3.9 mile, then take a slight right at Peckham Lane.), +1 401 397-4614. Located in Western Coventry on RI's largest pond; Johnson's Pond. This campground offers 69 campsites from May to September. Amenities include: boating, fishing, water skiing, swimming, rest rooms, hot showers, dumping station, electric hookups. Hiking trail and golfing nearby and pets are allowed.
- Hickory Ridge Family Campground, 585 Victory Highway, +1 401 397-7474. This rural, family-oriented campground offers 200 campsites, a pool and pond, running water, activities, and a playground.
Go next
- Providence, a half-hour away, is the regional transit hub for trips further away, such as Boston, Massachusetts. Boston is a drive away on I-95 North, or take the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) for $7.75 one way or Amtrak from the Providence Station, at 100 Gaspee Street, Providence..