Where the Taunton River meets Mount Hope Bay, Swansea is a coastal city on the Massachusetts-Rhode Island border with thriving inland agriculture.
The town’s beach is one of the best in the area, open to the public during the school summer holidays, and slopes gently into Mount Hope Bay so you can walk a few hundred feet offshore at low tide.
Swansea has a sweet tooth and three of his favorite ice cream stands are open in the summer.
Understanding that these are all small businesses, some even operating on farms that have been around for generations, can justify your generosity.
1. Johnson’s Roadside Farm Market
Just off the Rhode Island Line on Market Street, this family-run fresh food stand has been a part of local life for over 40 years.
You can stop by to stock up on fresh seasonal local fruits and vegetables grown on the family-run 50-acre farm. Markets are typically open from Easter to Christmas Eve and are always stocked with fresh, farm-grown, and harvested produce throughout the season.
The list is huge, but in summary, there are a wide variety of tomatoes, lettuce, pumpkins, berries, and numerous pumpkin varieties.
The store also sells local gourmet items such as freshly roasted coffee, fresh pasta, grass-fed beef, ice cream, sodas, seafood, and corn on the cob.
2. Simcock Farm
The third ice cream stand on our list is located on a fourth-generation farm set in a rural landscape of fields, woods, stone walls, whitewashed fences, and traditional string roof farms.
This classic New England landscape welcomes you to Simcock Farm, serving award-winning Gifford ice cream.
A wide variety of hard ice cream flavors are available, including sugar-free scoops, low-fat frozen yogurt, mappies, and s’mores.
This farm, with animals such as goats, miniature horses, miniature cows, donkeys, and sheep, but also a sunflower maze in late summer, is an attraction in itself.
Beginning in late September, Fun on the Farm in the Fall features hay wagon rides, a corn maze, a pumpkin picking experience, and a Spooky Sunday highlight event.
3. Swansea Village Park
If hiking is your thing, Swansea Village will surprise you. Here you’ll find the City Hall and Library complex, a gateway to nearly 200 acres of nature.
Swansea Village Park was purchased by the city in the mid-1980s and has miles of boardwalks that lead into the woods.
These include elevated boardwalks above marshes and some of the giant conglomerates with names like Abrams Rock and Wildcat Rock.
The former is particularly spectacular, rising over 40 feet above the forest and packed with legends dating back to King Philip’s War in the 1670s.
4. Luther Store Museum
This well-preserved store was founded in 1813 and remained in operation until 1903. The building is owned by the Swansea Historical Society and has been a museum since it was taken over in 1952.
At the time of this writing, the Luther Store was temporarily closed to the public as it was undergoing long-term renovations to keep out termites and scarab beetles.
When you step inside the store, you can see that many of the original facilities remain, such as the mahogany counter, owner’s desk, and storage furniture.
5. Almeida’s Vegetable Patch
This family farm is another great spot for fresh, seasonal produce. Its history dates back to 1928. Founder John Almeida Melo Sr. came to the United States in 1915 when he was still 16 years old.
John Almeida Mello This was a dairy farm for many years until his junior in the 1950s when he rented additional acres and began growing vegetables.
The Hofstand was then added in the 1970s and expanded by the 3rd and his 4th. There is an amazing variety of seasonal produce, including the farm’s specialty sweet corn and an abundance of summer fruit. People come here to buy apples, squash, and squash in the fall, and people buy Christmas trees at Christmas time.
6. Wampanoag Golf Course
This public golf course is located far west of Swansea on the low banks of the Palmer River.
The Wampanoag Golf Course dates back to 1926 and is located in the 19th-century shipbuilding district of Burnieville.
The 9-hole course is mostly flat and open-link style with pleasant fairways and small greens.
The last two holes are particularly beautiful as the tees are on the banks of the Palmer River. Memorable holes include his long par-4 4th and his riverside 8th hole dotted with water hazards.
7. Fall River
Swansea is less than 10 minutes from Fall River, Massachusetts’ 10th largest city. Fall River rapidly developed into a textile and iron manufacturing center in the 19th century.
One of the city’s leading businessmen, the Borden family is now famous for Lizzie Borden (1860-1927), who was accused and later acquitted of murdering her father and stepmother in a two-handed axe murder.
The crime scene is now open to tour as a B&B. Fall River is also known for Battleship Her Cove, an amazing collection of ships, mostly from the World War II period, led by the magnificent USS Massachusetts, a South Dakota-class fast battleship launched in 1941.
8. Seekonk Speedway
A short distance from Swansea on State Highway 6 is the racecourse, owned and operated by Venditti since its opening in 1946.
At 72 feet long, it is the widest track in the area. It’s half a sloped, 1/3 mile asphalt oval. The season lasts from May to October.
During this time, NASCAR racing will take place Saturday nights as part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly series featuring Pros, Sport Trucks, Athletes, and the latest models.
An open-wheel race is held on Wednesday, followed by a low-budget race on Friday for riders looking to move up to the big division on Saturday night.
Keep an eye out for regular thrill shows like demolition derbies, one-lap drag races, and the occasional monster truck.
9. Seekonk Grand Prix
Northwest of Swansea is a fun, family-friendly entertainment hub that packs a wide range of attractions into one huge facility.
The main activity here is carts. He has four tracks to choose from for different ages and skill levels, including a slick track where he can test his drifting skills.
There’s also a miniature golf course, bumper cars, bumper cars, an indoor high ropes course, a rock climbing wall, a virtual reality experience, and an arcade with redemption desks.
The Seekonk Grand Prix is surrounded by numerous shopping malls along Route 6, including nearby Five His Guys, Chick-fil-A, and McDonald’s.
10. Touisset Marsh Wildlife Refuge
The 160-acre wetland reserve near the tip of the peninsula in Warren, Rhode Island is managed by the Rhode Island Audubon Society.
Located on the lower Kickemütt River, the Tuise Wetland Wildlife Reserve is popular for its spectacular views of the water and wetlands.
The flat terrain makes it an ideal place for walks with small children, with trails winding past salt marshes, across open fields, and into hardwood forests.
Spotting harbor seals in the water is likely, and other birds commonly seen in the reserve include great egrets, great egrets, ospreys, and eastern thrushes.
11. Swansea Town Beach
Swansea faces south and offers views of Mount Hope Bay for miles. It has a beautiful public beach, open from mid-June through Labor Day.
Swansea Town Beach is manned by lifeguards during this time and is accessible with a day or season pass available to non-residents.
The beach itself has a light sandy curve with a salt marsh behind it. At low tide, you can walk a mile into the bay before the water is waist-deep, but at high tide, the beach tapers to just a few dozen feet.
The shore has a large lawn, toilets, and a playground.
12. Martin House Farm
The National Colonial Women’s Association (NSCDA) manages this historic farm, home to the Martin family for more than two centuries.
This idyllic estate consists of a play-roofed house built around 1728 and his two barns. Set amidst cultivated fields and forests, it features ancient stone walls.
This farm was donated to the Society by the eighth generation of the family in the 1930s. On Sunday afternoons from mid-July to September, you can enter the farmhouse and see the Martin family heirlooms, including a fine collection of antique chairs.
The barn has recently been restored and the old stone barn serves as additional space for exhibitions, workshops, and special events.
13. The Ice Cream Barn
One of Swansea’s premier frozen treat spots, Ice Cream Barn is located on a dairy farm in the beautiful countryside north of the city.
This is a collaboration between two talented young ice cream makers and a dairy farmer whose family has owned the land for six generations.
All the ice creams served at this seasonal stand are made fresh on the spot and feature many locally sourced ingredients, from fruit to honey to maple syrup.
Choose from over 20 of his longtime favorites, including Apple Crisp, Kalua Brownie, and regionally-appropriate Cranberry Jubilee. Don’t forget to try our freshly baked waffle cones every day.
14. Continent Bakery
This local favorite bakery has been a Swansea staple for almost 70 years. Continent Bakery uses traditional ingredients, no preservatives, and keeps it simple.
In addition to delicious sweet treats such as donuts, cakes, muffins, cakes, cannoli, and cookies, the bakery also offers freshly baked bread and savory options such as meat pies, spinach buns, and sandwiches.
Swansea, like its neighboring communities in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, has significant Portuguese traditions reflected in menus such as biscoitos, Pataniscas, chorizo rolls, and pan casero.
Continent his bakery has seasonal openings, with summer vacation extended through October.
15. Eskimo King Ice Cream Shop
Open from 1 April to Columbus Day, this ice cream parlor has been the center of Swansea’s summer since 1957.
Don’t miss the giant billboard on Market Street or Manny his Flavors, the mascot who has been holding cones out of the parking lot as traffic passes by for over 60 years.
Eskimo King specializes in soft-serve ice cream, offering a dizzying menu of over 350 flavors. Among them, chocolate and vanilla are the most popular.
We also have hard ice cream flavors, specialty sundaes, ice cream cakes and tarts. What’s special about this stand is the spacious lawn area in the back area with a children’s playground and several picnic tables and umbrellas.