Newport, Rhode Island is a charming town with shopping, beautiful ocean views, and great food. But the real draw to this city is its famous mansions. The Preservation Society of Newport works hard to preserve the mansions of the former wealthy residents of Newport. Owing to its idyllic location on the Atlantic Ocean, many prominent American families, including the Vanderbilts, built their summer cottages here. Although once you visit, you may find yourself wondering how on earth these could be called “cottages”.
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The Mansions
There are several mansions for you to tour. You could try to visit them all, but that will lead to mansion burnout and will require a lot of time. In this post, I’ve outlined the most popular mansions, so you can decide which mansion is best for you to visit.
The Breakers
The grandest mansion in Newport is The Breakers, which was the summer cottage of the Vanderbilt family. The Vanderbilts were one of the wealthiest families in America, so it’s no surprise that their summer “cottage” was so over the top. You may feel like I’m exaggerating the extravagance of this mansion, but I’m not. The entire mansion is more than 100,000 square feet.
As you enter The Breakers and you immediately feel small. The Great Hall is massive and exquisitely decorated. Some may call it gaudy, but it was definitely influenced by the time of its construction. On your visit, you’ll see not only the Great Hall, but the dining room, library, bedrooms, and more. The Breakers has 70 rooms, including 48 bedrooms, and every single room is over-the-top (although some much more than others).
The mansion that we see today is not the first iteration of The Breakers. A fire destroyed the original, much smaller cottage. However, it was rebuilt and in 1895, construction on the new mansion was completed. Unsurprisingly, the new mansion was built with plenty of considerations to prevent another fire. Ownership passed from Cornelius Vanderbilt II (the original owner) through his family members until the Newport Preservation Society purchased the house in 1972. Twenty two years later, in 1994, The Breakers was designated as a National Historic Landmark.
Marble House
While this was also a mansion for the Vanderbilt Family, Marble House is generally not regarded as being as “grand” as The Breakers. That’s not to say that it’s not an outrageous summer cottage (because it is!), but Marble House is smaller. There’s only 50 rooms (compared to The Breakers 72) and it is older than The Breakers.
Now that all said, let’s talk about what’s so special about Marble House. As you may be able to guess from the name, Marble House contains a lot of marble. In fact, over 500,000 cubic feet of marble went into the construction of this mansion. That’s not a typo. 500,000 cubic feet of marble decorate the interior of this house.
When I visited, I noted that I did get that same feeling of “wow” when I walked into Marble House that I did when I walked into The Breakers. That’s not to say it wasn’t impressive. Marble House is impressive. I just found that it took just a little longer for me to find that impressiveness. But when you’re touring a home that’s covered with so much marble, it’s hard not to be wowed eventually.
Along the tour of the main house, one of the other highlights of your visit is to the Chinese Tea House on the property. Most notably, this building was home to women’s suffrage rally’s.
The home was constructed as a 39th birthday present for Alva Vanderbilt in 1892. She divorced William Vanderbilt, three years later in 1895, but retained ownership of Marble House. Despite that, she moved down the street to another mansion (Belcourt) with her new husband. She sold Marble House in 1932, but it wasn’t until 1963 when the Newport Historical Society acquired it. Marble House was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2006.
The Elms
So far I’ve only mentioned mansions that belonged to members of the Vanderbilt family, but they were not the only wealthy family spending their summers in Newport. In 1901, construction on The Elms finished and the Berwind family moved in.
A visit here includes amazing over the top architecture, but you’ll also find an impressive collection of art. There are paintings, tapestries, ceramics, and more that were part of the Berwind family collection. Plus, outside you’ll find a garden with marble pavilions, fountains, and stables.
While you can just tour the mansion, The Elms also offers a Servant Life Tour. This tour tells the story of Ernest Birch (the butler), Grace Rhodes (the cook), and Nellie Lynch Regoli (one of the maids) and takes you behind the scenes of The Elms. This tour costs extra, but it’s a popular tour that shows a different side of life at the Newport Mansions.
In 1962, weeks before its scheduled demolition, the Newport Preservation Society purchased the property. Later in 1996, The Elms received its designation as a National Historic Landmark.
Rosecliff
Featured in the film The Great Gatsby, Rosecliff is an icon of the Gilded Age. Completed in 1902, Rosecliff was modeled after Versailles’ Grand Tianon and built for Theresa Oelrichs. This over-the-top mansion features a heart-shaped grand staircase and the largest ballroom in Newport in 1971.
While Newport Preservation society purchased the other mansions in this list, the last owners of Rosecliff gave the mansion directly to the society.
Chateau-sur-Mer
Before The Breakers and the mansions of the Vanderbilt family, there was Chateau-sur-Mer. For forty years, Chateau-sur-Mer stood on its own. The mansion was built in 1852, but most other families didn’t begin their construction until the 1890s. It was this mansion that helped to usher in the Gilded Age in Newport.
While many of the mansions in Newport are a symbol of the Gilded Age, Chateau-sur-Mer has a Victorian style. Additionally, unlike many of the later mansions, Chateau-sur-Mer was constructed to be a “year round” mansion, where the family lived throughout the year. The other mansions of Newport were summer “cottages”.
In 1962, the Newport Preservation Society purchased the property and in 2006, Chateau-sur-Mer received its status as a National Historic Landmark.
Which Mansions Should You Visit
Obviously the choice is up to you, but I recommend visiting The Breakers and one other mansion. On my visit, I chose The Breakers and Marble House, which was a great combination.
As you’re picking out which mansions you’d like to see, I think it’s important to think about tickets. The more mansions you visit, the cheaper it is per mansion.
Ticket Prices as of 2023
The Breakers only – $28
One Property (excluding The Breakers) – $25
Duo Ticket (any two properties including The Breakers) – $38
Trio Ticket (any three properties including The Breakers) – $46
As you can see, your cost per mansion decreases as you visit more mansions. I visited two mansions, which I feel is the ideal amount for most people. With one day, you can tour two mansions and spend some time in downtown Newport without feeling too rushed.
However, I enjoyed the mansions more than wandering Newport. So, if I were to do it again, I would definitely consider getting the trio ticket, but that does lead to concerns of mansion burnout.
Learn more and purchase tickets at the Newport Mansions website.
Tips for Having the Best Experience
The Newport Preservation Society has put together an app that contains an audio guide for each mansion. I recommend downloading it in advance to use on your tour because it gives you so much context to what you are looking at. Plus, you’ll hear stories about the people that lived there.
Some mansions are busier than others, so plan accordingly. I visited The Breakers right when it opened. There was a line forming outside before it even opened. When I went to Marble House after my tour at The Breakers, there was no line at all. I walked right in and it felt delightfully empty.
How Long Do You Need in Newport, RI
I spent one day in Newport, RI. In the morning, I drove Ocean Drive, visited The Breakers and Marble House, and spent two hours wandering the downtown area. I feel like this was the perfect amount of time. You absolutely could spend more time here, but the longer you spend, the more mansions you’ll likely visit. The more mansions you visit, the more likely it is you’re going to end up with mansion burnout.
Getting Around Newport, RI
A car is the most convenient way to get around. However, if you don’t have a car, you can still rely on Uber or even a public bus to help you move around the city.
Final Thoughts
The entire experience reminded me of touring castles in Europe. And in some ways, when I visited the Loire Valley two years later, I couldn’t help but see certain similarities. Both in Europe and here in Newport, you’ll find mansions and castles that are hard to imagine anyone actually living in. But people did live in the mansions, both in Europe and in Newport, and that is even more shocking to me.
If in you are in the area, it’s well worth stopping by to tour some of these magnificent mansions.
Continue Your Adventure
Itineraries: For the best road trip around New England, check out this 10 day itinerary.
More in New England: In nearby Connecticut, visit some state parks or the historic fishing village of Mystic. In Vermont, visit the charming town of Stowe. Make a quick stop in Albany on your drive. In Maine, check out the Portland Mail Boat Tour and visit Cape Elizabeth.
More Mansions: In Asheville, North Carolina, you’ll find the Biltmore Estate, the largest home in the United States. In Virginia, you can tour a less grand, but more historic mansion at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.
