Newport Fairy Doors

A little gnome in a pointed, canary yellow cap stands by a tiny door in the waterfront town of Newport, Kentucky. He’s part of dozens of enchanting, ankle-high fairy doors that stir up awe and wonder for visitors and residents alike among the colorful homes of the Mansion Hill neighborhood in the East Row Historic District.

The Newport Fairy Doors are nestled mostly at the base of staircases, against road curbs, and along the bases of trees throughout the district. Some doors take the names of local businesses, like Newberry Bros. Coffee on Washington Avenue. Even a popular pub in the area, Jerry’s Jug House, has a fairy door, decorated with a tiny stein fit for Tinkerbell.

Just who’s behind these diminutive doors remains a mystery. Known only as “Fan Newport,” the founder of the whimsical project has a Facebook page, where community members request doors.

Try your hand at knocking on the doors to see if anyone answers, but rumor has it, the fairies only come out at night.