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    Marble House

    4.5 (129 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Marble House Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Marble House

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    Paola C.

    Beautiful house with the tour being a two for one experience. friendly staff You can either use the guided app or guide pack when you first walk in, that is also offered in MANY languages, to provide you with the history, background and facts of each room If you're a fan of the Gilded Age on HBO- make this stop on your list. They have a gift shop included at the end and don't forget to make your way to the backyard to see the ocean views and visit the Tea House!!!

    Vivian A.

    Visited the Marble House in Newport and wow absolutely stunning! My friend and I went in the morning, which was perfect. We found parking easily and beat the crowds, so we got to take our time and really take in all the beautiful details. This is a self guided tour, You can choose between an audio tour or you review the pamphlet for a more interactive experience that walks you through the history. Highly recommend if you're into architecture, history, or just want a peaceful, scenic experience!

    Vote for women
    Tiffany H.

    We went in October after the tourist two season. But still it was packed. I cannot imagine how busy it is doing this summer. This mansion is also built by the Vanderbilt. For Alba Vanderbilt. I was very touched to find out the Al was a founder of the women's movement. You must tour the Chinese teahouse outside after. I'm grateful that I'm able to vote because of her work. The mansion is beautiful and impeccably designed , a great glimpse of how the rich lived in the summer and this summer cottage. You can download the app and to a self guided tour. There's also written guide that you could read through while you walk.

    Dana J.

    Absolutely stunning house that's worth a visit while in Newport. I went around Christmas and none of the houses were crowded but in the summer there's typically a wait. *Free parking *The Chinese Tea House sometimes has afternoon tea but check the schedule.

    Maria M.

    So fun to visit during the Christmas holiday season. They had ornately decorated trees in most of the rooms, including the bedrooms! Provides an interesting peak into the opulent living quarters of the wealthy during the "Gilded Age". Our friends had a yearly membership that allowed us to get into all the mansions free. We weren't able to get tea in the tea house because it was booked in advance. So you definitely need reservations for tea!

    Gabriela G.

    Breathtaking experience... every Newports mansion is absolutely magnificent and worth to experience Speechless

    Staircase
    Matthew E.

    This was a great time with my girlfriend. We were able to learn about the history of Newport, enjoy intricate architecture and look out at the beautiful waterfront views

    Deirdre C.

    This was the first "house" we were able to visit. It was incredible! Every single detail was amazing, from the door handles and hinges to the fabric covered walls and window treatments. I loved all of it! I love interior design and architecture so this was a dream to get to see up close!

    Brittany K.

    If you have time to tour multiple mansions while visiting Newport, be sure to include Marble House on your itinerary. While not quite as grand as The Breakers, Marble House definitely displays opulence and is quite impressive. We enjoyed it just as much as Breakers. After spending about an hour walking throughout the inside rooms, we headed over to the Tea House for some treats! Not only does the Tea House serve yummy treats, but it's situated directly on the water so you can enjoy the lovely view while you indulge. Note that you can buy tickets for the mansions online in advance of arrival. I recommend this as you can walk right inside and skip the line if you already have tickets.

    Tree in the foyer
    Carrie V.

    Absolutely gorgeous Gilded Age mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. We visited the weekend before Christmas and while this was built originally as a summer cottage, the house's halls were decked out for the holidays. A gorgeous way to explore the history of the late 19th century, especially if you're a fan of the show The Gilded Age. The group sizes were smaller than when we were at The Breakers in October and it's nice to have the option to have a self-guided tour (which you can access through the Newport Mansions app, or they have printed copies if the transcript at the entrance). The tour is not handicapped accessible in many places, with lots of stairs to the kitchen at the end. The final stop is the gift shop, which is laid out in a way that makes it easier to walk through than most. Outside, the grounds were beautiful, despite it being December. It was a frigid day, so we didn't linger long. The Chinese tea house is on the far side of the property overlooking the ocean. It's worth a quick walk to see it, even if you don't dine there. Overall, I loved it and would enjoy returning to see it in another season.

    The Library
    Helene S.

    The Gilded Age. A Birthday Present. A Scandalous Divorce. Suffragette. The Marble House was the first over the top summer cottage built for the Vanderbilts during Gilded Age in Newport. The Beaux Arts mansion was designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt and gifted to Mrs. Alva Vanderbilt by her husband, William Vanderbilt, for her 39th birthday in 1892. The Marble House cost $11,000,000 to build from 1888 to 1892. Over 7 million was spent on 500,00 cubic feet of marble in the fifty-room mansion. The year after completion, William's older brother, Cornelius Vanderbilt II, started construction on largest of the Newport cottages, The Breakers. Three years later in 1895, Alva divorced her husband (which was uncommon at the time) due to his presumed affairs. She kept the house as it was a gift that she received during their marriage. The mansion is truly stunning. It looks a bit like the White House or the Trianon Palace at Versailles at the entry. The monogrammed doors to enter weigh a ton and a half. Both are embellished by the monogram "WV" set into an oval medallion. This opens to a two-story Stair Hall that features walls and a grand staircase made of yellow Siena marble, with a wrought iron and gilt bronze staircase railing based on models at Versailles. The 18th-century Venetian ceiling painting features mythical gods and goddesses. Walking through the mansion, you can imagine that you are at a French chateau. This is because many of the rooms are designed in the Louis XIV style. Several of the interior's marble friezes and statuary are reproductions inspired by the Palace of Versailles. In one golden room, the walls have gold gilt panels with scenes from classical mythology inspired by the Galerie d'Apollon at the Louvre. I loved the Gothic Revival-style room which was built to showcase Alva's Medieval and Renaissance collection. From bookcases to fireplace to the intricate patterns on the ceiling, there are so many interesting details. It was also unbelievable to see how many variations of marble were used in the home. Alva remarried (a friend of her ex-husband) and moved out of the home to another large summer cottage with her new husband. After his death, she moved back to the Marble House and added the Chinese Tea House along the seaside cliff walk. As an early suffragette, she hosted rallies to support women's right to vote. Parking was a challenge. The Marble House closed earlier than some of the other Newport Mansions during our visit. Check the hours. Nice to able to enter for free using our NARM reciprocity passes. Otherwise, admission is $29 or $46 for three houses.

    Glenn G.

    The Breakers and Marble House are really beautiful; they're simply a pleasure to behold.  Looking at them, it's not a lot of effort to let your imagination roam back to the turn of the 20th century and envision the totally different kinds of people who lived here. My problem with this place is how expensive it is just to stop by and take a look.  Of the two, the Marble House is the most unique, so (unfortunately) is by far the most reasonably priced. Tip: For my money, spending close to forty bucks a person is too high a price just for taking a look.

    Nehal A.

    After breakers, this is the most luxurious one IMO. Highly recommended for Newport visitors. Whole mansion is made out of marbles, marbles everywhere!!!! Has lots of historical references, and plenty of memorabilia of the Vanderbilts. There's a Chinese tea house outside the mansion facing the ocean. They serve snacks and drinks there.

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    This house is one of my favorites of the Newport Mansions. I love all the marble.. I highly recommend visiting.

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    Ask the Community - Marble House

    Review Highlights - Marble House

    After his death, she moved back to the Marble House and added the Chinese Tea House along the seaside cliff walk.

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    Newport Mansions - Sparkling Lights at The Breakers

    Newport Mansions

    4.6(99 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    Stunning & majestic grandeur at 360 degrees for these historic mansions. Amazed and grateful that…read morethese have been restored for us to view this piece of lavish history. We joined the Historic society for the well worth is discount and toured 3 homes in a day, which is just the right amount. A must in the self guided audio tour via the mansions phone app. It really adds to the history of the mansion and gives great insight to the families and their world. Please explore these fabulous gems when in the area. Can't wait to see the rest!

    Visited the Newport Mansions for the first time during the holidays to see all the beautiful lights…read moreand decorations!!! I visited The Breakers and The Marble House (third mansion is The Elms). Each house was lit up with Christmas lights, as well as a Christmas tree in each room. Also bought tickets to see "The Sparkling Lights" outside on the lawn. The mansions are absolutely grand, elegant, and filled with history!! They all cost money to enter, but there is a free audio tour for each one (bring a headset). I loved learning about each one! Short and sweet summaries of each room as you walk through the houses, with the option to listen to extended versions (for you history lovers). Each mansion has parking close-by (although the website claims you can easily walk from one mansion to the next, they are quite far, especially in the winter). I stopped in for a simple day trip, but lots to see and eat in Newport if you have more time! Another tip would be if you're there to see the Sparkling Lights, earliest admission is 4:30 pm, make sure you're in line by 4:15 pm (it gets long FAST)!

    Photos
    Newport Mansions - Marble house

    Marble house

    Newport Mansions - Sparkling Lights at The Breakers

    Sparkling Lights at The Breakers

    Newport Mansions

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    Newport City Hall

    Newport City Hall

    3.3(4 reviews)
    2.1 mi

    Ahh, the City by the Sea…read more Did you know that Newport now contains among the highest number of surviving colonial buildings of any city in the United States? Me either but it's true. Did you know that Newport is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War College, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, and a major United States Navy training center? Now you do. Did you know the Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport? How about that the Newport Country Club hosted the first US Open and the first US Amateur? Or that Newport is known as the sailing capitol of the United States? Or that John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier were married in St. Mary's Church in Newport? Or that the movie "The Great Gatsby" (1974 edition) was filmed in Newport? Or that on Bellevue Avenue is home to some of the most opulent, amazing mansions in the world? Or that The Whitehorse Tavern, the oldest pub in continuous service in the United States, can be found here? All of this and I have not even begun to mention the beaches, the great restaurants, the Newport Jazz Festival, the fun - and there is a lot of fun to be had in Newport. A great place to visit if you get a chance.

    Everyone that I have encountered at this City Hall has been decent. While they aren't personable or…read morefriendly, they do complete their job in a timely manner. My major gripe with this city hall is that they have a misleading sign that points to a a wheelchair accessible entrance under the grand staircase outside. The lift you are lead to is the oldest, scariest, and SMALLEST elevator I have ever seen. There is absolutely 100% no way a wheelchair could fit inside it. Truly despicable! Government buildings need to be accessible to all individuals.

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    Newport City Hall
    Newport City Hall
    Newport City Hall

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    The Preservation Society of Newport County - outside lights at The Breakers

    The Preservation Society of Newport County

    4.6(369 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    The Preservation Society of Newport County is a non-profit organization based in Newport, Rhode…read moreIsland and its top priority is the preservation and conservation of its historic houses and their collections. This work includes restoration of roofs and windows, conservation of fragile textiles, cleaning and restoration of valuable paintings and much more. At any given time, dozens of projects are underway. A visit to the Newport Mansions is a donation to The Preservation Society of Newport County. During the holiday season, The Breakers, Marble House, and The Elms welcome visitors with spectacular holiday displays so it was a great opportunity to visit. In addition to the house holiday display, there is an outdoor holiday display called Sparkling Lights at The Breakers from November 22 to December 29, 2024 on select evenings. Admission is only at 4 pm, 4:30 pm, 5 pm, 5:30 pm and 6 pm. Gates close at 6:30 pm and the house and grounds close at 8 pm. Timed admissions tickets can be purchased online at https://www.newportmansions.org/. Tickets include access to the lavishly decorated rooms inside the house during the same visit. About a week prior, I bought 2 tickets for December 20, 2024 at 6:00PM ($40.00 each) and I was really looking forward to it. However, there was a winter advisory and it was snowing on the day of. Driving conditions were unsafe. I was worried I was going to lose my money since the website indicated tickets may not be resold, non-transferrable, non-refundable, and cannot be used for a different date. I tried calling the Preservation Society of Newport County, but there were just prompts and I couldn't talk to a live person. I sent a direct message to @newport.mansions through Instagram and they responded promptly that I could receive a refund by emailing info@newportmansions.org. Gary Ruff, Associate Communications Manager, responded and instructed me with what information he needed to provide the refund. I was so appreciative. Thankfully, the snow cleared and temperature warmed up a bit so I bought 2 tickets for December 29, 2024 at 4:00PM ($40.00 each). All the decorated Christmas trees, the 15-foot-tall poinsettia tree, poinsettias, garlands, wreaths and fresh floral in the interior of The Breakers were beautiful and then walking through the lights and illuminated displays of the outdoor 13-acre landscape was just a cherry on the top. The Preservation Society of Newport County also partnered with Stoneacre Brasserie to offer holiday treats and adult beverages. Thank you to The Preservation Society of Newport County for everything you are doing to protect, preserve, and present an exceptional collection of house museums and landscapes.

    The family (wife, 10 y/o son, 2 y/o daughter) were visiting Newport and looking fo some activities…read moreto do. I noticed that the Newport mansions were on every to-do list, with the Breakers being the top choice of many. I looked at their website as well as other reviews and saw that this may not be the best place for younger ones. I saw that no strollers were allowed and I didn't think a tour of an old mansion is something my 10 y/o would be interested in. So I decided to take a solo trip on a nice Friday morning while the rest of the family slept in late at the hotel. The Breakers opens at 10 AM. The visitors parking lot is on the corner of Ochre Point Avenue and Victoria Avenue. There are other lots nearby but read the signs as they are for other buildings...The parking lot had adequate space when I arrived at 10:15 or so, but by the time I was leaving at about 11:45 is was pretty packed with visitors having to park in the rear overflow lot. Once you reach the front gate of the Breakers mansion, there are COVID restriction and general rule signs. As you proceed you can go to the left to buy tickets, use the bathroom or enter their cafe. Tickets are about $26 for adults and $8 for children 6-17 years old. The cafe has a bunch of premade food items, drinks, snacks, premade sandwiches... and few seats with tables. There are some more seats and table just outside of the cafe. Before you enter the mansion, there are signs showing you how to use their self tour audio app. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND DOING THIS...AND BRING HEADPHONES. You download the Newport Mansions app from the App Store onto your Apple or Google device, select the mansion you are visiting and begin the tour. The audio tour was excellent and follows you through the tour route of the mansion. I enjoyed listening to all the interesting facts about each room via bluetooth earbuds while my hands were free to take photos with my camera. You only thing you will need to do is to advance (click the play button) the tour to the next room before entering. There are some interesting facts about the mansion as a whole and each individual room. You can also stay around longer in each area for additional facts, essentially lengthening the tour. Without the audio tour, you will have to fread the printed information sheet. You go through the main floor, upper floor and back down into the service area where the kitchen is. You then exit through the gift shop. The gift shop has lots of interesting items, which includes typical magnets, mugs and prints, but they also have some luxury items like platters and wine stoppers as well as a small jewelry section. You finally exit out onto the side of the mansion and are able to walk back around outside to the front where you entered. Before sure to walk through the opened gate to the right of the mansion which takes you through a small garden to the back. Here you can see the Cliff Walk path and the ocean. Overall, I had a great time...It was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. The entire tour took just over an hour without listening to the extra information about each room. (During the tour, there are a few instances where you have to ascend/descend steps - I did NOT see any elevators - so you may want to call ahead to check if you cannot climb steps) Again, I highly recommend downloading the app and listening to the audio tour via headphones. It allows your eyes to focus on the beauty of the mansion instead of reading. Lastly, the mansion is right off of the Cliff Walk path...so be sure to make the short ride (or walk) north to Narragansett Avenue and visit the Forty Steps.

    Photos
    The Preservation Society of Newport County - 15-foot-tall poinsettia tree

    15-foot-tall poinsettia tree

    The Preservation Society of Newport County - Sparkling Lights at The Breakers

    Sparkling Lights at The Breakers

    The Preservation Society of Newport County - Menu of holiday treats and adult beverages

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    Menu of holiday treats and adult beverages

    Isaac Bell House

    Isaac Bell House

    4.1(7 reviews)
    1.2 mi

    Beautiful example of Shingle Style architecture. Built in 1881-1883 by the firm of McKim, Mead &…read moreWhite, it was the summer residence for Isaac Bell, Jr. Bell's brother-in-law was James Gordon Bennett, Jr., the publisher of the New York Herald. The house is a blend of English Queen Anne, New England colonial and Oriental design. The name Shingle Style is due to the white cedar shingles that cover the exterior. The firm McKim, Mead and White influenced the work of Fran Lloyd Wright. The open floor plan is perfect for the current use to display art exhibits. This current exhibition, Pictus Porrectus, shows contemporary art based on classic paintings. Parking is available on site. No furniture is displayed in this historic Newport Mansion. A very unique property, but not as elaborate as the other Gilded Newport Mansions.

    This was one of the smaller homes of the "Newport Mansions" in Rhode Island, but is one not to be…read moremissed. It was an architectural tour and it didn't contain most of the furnishings as most of them were sold off years ago. They chose not to buy period pieces though instead focused on many of the interesting features. For one, the outside roof is covered in wood shingles in all types of interesting designs which is why the style of the house is classified as shingle style architecture and is one of the few in the country. Because the owners traveled quite extensively, they incorporated many design details from France, Japan and China mostly, but also from other areas of the world. One that that surprised me is that the main floor has a fairly open floor plan with wasn't standard for that time period. This concept was borrowed from Japan. I had also not seen pocket windows before - they disappear into the walls completely to bring in lots of fresh air! Much of the wallpaper was custom designed for them. The designer also was very creative. He framed bed warmers and used them as a feature in the dining room. I now realize that if all the period pieces were in the house, it would almost overshadow all the design features of the house itself.

    Photos
    Isaac Bell House
    Isaac Bell House
    Isaac Bell House

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    Marble House - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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