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)!

21st September 2026 The Breakers estate of Cornelius…read moreVanderbilt Newport, RI Sunny 68 °F We had the best time here buying tickets from the two ladies at the front entry ticket desks. I was afraid we would run into the rude stuffy lady of the day before. Glad there was no sight of her. Long story... As to the mansion and its history, there's not much I can add here that hasn't been said before. So, I will give descriptions of each magnificent room on the main floor of the house meant to impress visitors which it did quite successfully. The rooms are all based on the elaborate Italian Renaissance palazzo style, designed by famous architect, Richard Morris Hunt in 1893. 1st - The Dining Room which is considered the most lavish room in the mansion, is dominated by 12 massive, rose-colored solid alabaster Corinthian columns. The room is bathed in a golden glow from two monumental Baccarat crystal chandeliers. Overhead, a dramatic ceiling mural depicts the Roman goddess Aurora bringing in the dawn on a four-horse chariot. 2nd - Entering the jaw dropping Great Hall with its 50-foot-high ceiling, which features walls constructed of carved limestone imported from Caen, France. The magnificent grand staircase and sweeping arcades are directly inspired by the Great Opera House in Paris, accented by four enormous bronze chandeliers. 3rd- The Morning Room, designed by the famous French firm Allard & Sons, faces East welcoming the early morning sun with glistening wall panels made of solid platinum leaf! The panels are delicately etched with motifs of muses from Greek mythology, surrounded by Renaissance-style scrolls and filigree. 4th - The Music Room of rich woodwork, furnishings, and gilt-gold coffered ceiling of the completely constructed by craftsmen in France, it was disassembled, shipped across the Atlantic, and reassembled inside the mansion like a giant puzzle. The room features amazing floor-to-ceiling mirrors designed to bounce light from its dozens of crystal fixtures. The Breakers is quite an impressive house to behold. Enjoy!

If you're in Newport, this is worth seeing at least once. I had a lot of fun walking through the…read moremansion and reading about the history of the Vanderbilt family and the property. The mansion itself is beautiful. The artwork is stunning, the interior is incredibly well preserved, and the ocean views are amazing. But still, my walk in closet and bathroom is bigger than their bathroom/closets, so take that, Vanderbilts! The admission price was very high. And really, don't these guys have have enough money already? And after all that, but I was a little disappointed that visitors are only allowed on the first two floors and the basement. It would've been nice to see the upper levels as well. Thankfully parking is free but the lot is relatively small considering how many people visit. Overall, I'm glad I visited. The history, architecture, artwork, and views made it a worthwhile experience and I'd recommend it to anyone visiting Newport.

I have been trying to get here for 14 years and I finally made it. Every other time I've been in…read moreNewport, it has always been closed. You walk in and my jaw dropped looking at the paintings on the stairs. Like they painted everything. Each room is more and more magnificent and I would argue I find this more breathtaking than the Elms. It's the details in the rooms for me, not the size of it. I didn't go on a guided tour but at some point would love to see more of the rooms, there were a certain number available to us yesterday. I think this actually just became my favorite to visit, honestly. I know a lot of people make comments about how dark it is, buuuut have you heard of how you need that for preservation purposes? I also have an eye condition so for me, it was actually welcome to walk through and not feel like I'm being blinded. The soft lighting I found to be wonderful, personally.

I hate to say it, but after you've seen so many of these, they all blur together. I will say, I…read moreLOVED how dark this one was. So moody and so bold. It is an interesting one and I enjoyed the woodwork. Walnut and oak. Such beautiful molding. There was a Turkish room that stands out in my mind. Turkish from that era basically referred to anything middle eastern, Eastern European, or even Asian I think. I wish I remembered more about the family that lived here. I'll have to look and get back to you.

First time in my life I'm not having any doctors because of United healthcare don't want to pay the…read moredoctors so the booklet they someone told me said everything in the air is false so there's somebody over at the hospital and East main road and Middletown Rhode Island that is helping me by far as the doctors no and that I had doctors in the past that always help me but this is something I got to get used to not the Japanese doctors helping me

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.

Very old church and it's very nice inside you can have parties and weddings in there it's a church…read moretoo

Excellent crew accommodations paired with this awesome cold brew and breakfast sandwich I just got…read morefrom Empire Tea and Coffee, located inside Seamen's Institute!! Well priced and yummy. Portuguese English Muffin?!?! Thanks SCI!

21st September 2026 Bellevue…read moreNewport RI Cloudy 65°F Marble House was gifted to Alva Vanderbilt by her husband, William on her 39th birthday. Tremendous amount of imported marble, gold, carved mahogany wood paneled fixtures, walls. The construction took a few years. The HBO series GILDED AGE was filmed here, and if not, some of the mansion features were of influence. Definitely worth a tour of the cottages in Newport.

It is an amazing house that's part of the Vanderbilt legacy…read more We got discount tickets for two houses to visit. Amazing history and definitely visit at least one of the houses is you are in the area

We stopped by to see the mill in Touro Park though finding a nearby parking spot is hit or miss…read morethough worth the effort.

The Old Stone Mill (also known as the Newport Tower, Round Tower, Touro Tower and Viking Tower) is…read morethe centerpiece of Touro Park. It's nearly circular at 22 - 23 feet in diameter and it is 28 feet high. The tower is supported by eight cylindrical columns that form the stone arches. The tower dates back to at least 1741 and there remains debate that it could even be a church build between the 11th and 14th centuries or maybe even was built by Chinese who discovered America in 1421. My favorite is the theory that it was built by medieval Scottish templars a hundred years before Columbus. But all of those stories have been debunked by carbon dating and other methods. Still, fun to imagine. The tower is surrounded by a fence so you can't actually touch it or go inside one of the oldest structures in the town. [Review 18649 overall - 69 in Rhode Island - 2171 of 2022.]

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.

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.