Visit the Newport Mansions

The Breakers

The grandest of Newport’s mansions, The Breakers showcases the extraordinary wealth and lifestyle of the Vanderbilt family during the Gilded Age.

The Breakers History

Cornelius Vanderbilt II and his wife, Alice, commissioned the building of The Breakers to replace an earlier home that had been destroyed by fire. Built between 1893 and 1895 by architect Richard Morris Hunt, the new estate served as the Vanderbilts’ Newport summer residence.

The Italian Renaissance-inspired mansion was designed to overlook the Atlantic Ocean and was used by the Vanderbilt family for decades before being sold to the Preservation Society in 1972.

What Can Be Viewed Today

• The public tour includes the mansion’s spectacular first-floor rooms, including the Great Hall, Music Room, Dining Room, Morning Room, and Billiard Room.
• Visitors can explore the second-floor family areas and loggia.
• The surrounding gardens and back lawn are open to visitors.
• A special Third Floor Preservation in Progress Tour provides access to former private family spaces that are not part of the regular tour.

Tour Information

• The Breakers is open daily during much of the year; timed admission is required.
• The regular experience is self-guided, with an audio tour available through the Newport Mansions app.
• The mansion is partially accessible, with first-floor wheelchair access and an elevator to the second floor.
• Plan on approximately 1 - 3 hours to tour the mansion, grounds, and store.

Marble House

Marble House combines elaborate architecture with the personal story of Alva Vanderbilt, who used the mansion as both a summer residence and a center of Newport social life.

Marble House History

William K. Vanderbilt (brother of Cornelius Vanderbilt II) built Marble House between 1888 and 1892 with Richard Morris Hunt serving as architect. The estate was a 39th-birthday gift for William’s wife, Alva. Designed in the style of the Petit Trianon at Versailles, the mansion was intended as a luxurious summer home and became an important Newport social landmark.

Alva later lived elsewhere and sold the property in 1932; the Preservation Society acquired it in 1963.

What Can Be Viewed Today

• The public tour explores the mansion’s lavish principal rooms and family spaces.
• The grounds include the Chinese Tea House overlooking the Atlantic.

Tour Information

• Marble House is generally open daily during the main visitor season.
• Self-guided audio and children’s tours are available.
• The mansion is partially accessible, with elevator access to the second floor.
• Allow 1 - 3 hours for the mansion, grounds, and museum store.

Rosecliff

Known for its heart-shaped staircase, enormous ballroom, and ocean views, Rosecliff offers a glimpse into the extravagant parties that defined Newport’s Gilded Age.

Rosecliff History

Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs commissioned Rosecliff in 1899, and architect Stanford White completed the mansion in 1902. Modeled after France’s Grand Trianon, it became the setting for lavish parties. The property was ultimately given to the Preservation Society by its last private owners, J. Edgar and Edith Monroe, in 1971.

What Can Be Viewed Today

• Visitors can tour the grand ballroom, heart-shaped staircase, and principal entertaining rooms.
• The second floor features rotating exhibitions of art, design, and culture.
• The grounds and exterior are also available to visitors.



Tour Information

• Rosecliff is open daily during its primary season, which usually runs from mid-June through early November.
• Self-guided audio tours are available.
• The mansion is partially accessible, with elevator service.
• Plan for approximately 1 - 3 hours to comfortably explore the property.

Chateau-sur-Mer

The "Castle by the Sea" offers a different experience from Newport’s later Gilded Age mansions, showcasing the elaborate High Victorian style that preceded them.

Chateau-sur-Mer History

China-trade merchant William Shepard Wetmore built Chateau-sur-Mer in 1852 as an Italianate-style summer villa. His son, George Peabody Wetmore, later expanded and remodeled the property with architect Richard Morris Hunt, transforming it into one of Newport’s most impressive residences.

Members of the Wetmore family lived at Chateau-sur-Mer for more than a century before the Preservation Society acquired it in 1969.

What Can Be Viewed Today

• Public tours explore the mansion’s richly decorated Victorian interiors.
• Visitors can see period furniture, wallpapers, ceramics, decorative stenciling, and architectural details.
• The landscaped grounds can be explored through a self-guided landscape tour.

Tour Information

• Chateau-sur-Mer is open daily during its primary season of early June through late September.
• The house offers a self-guided audio tour and a GPS-guided landscape tour.
• The mansion is not wheelchair-accessible.
• Allow 1 - 3 hours for a visit.