newport gilded age mansions tour

Tour the Mansions & Gardens

Visit the Newport Mansions your way. We offer a variety of self-guided audio and guide-led tours.

Self-guided audio tours

Six engaging audio tours bring you unique insights into the lives of the people who lived and worked in the grand mansions of the Gilded Age in Newport.

Family audio tours

Talking houses, ancient superheroes and a 2-foot high ice cream cake! Family Tours at The Breakers and Marble House introduce kids to these Gilded Age mansions from a unique and fun perspective.

Guide-led Tours

Our expert guides lead fascinating specialty tours such as Beneath The Breakers and The Elms Servant Life. Other guided tours available by season at some houses.

Group Tours

Bring your adult or student group to tour the Newport Mansions at a discounted rate.

Exclusive Experiences

The best way to appreciate the splendor of the Newport Mansions is through an exclusive visit. The Preservation Society of Newport County offers a menu of distinctive opportunities to learn from expert interpreters and enjoy rare experiences.

Get the Newport Mansions app

Download our tour app before your visit and bring your earbuds.

Additional Visitor Info

Map & parking info.

Parking is free onsite at all properties except for Hunter House and The Breakers Stable & Carriage House, where street parking is available.

Answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.

Mansions & Gardens

Explore the 11 properties under the stewardship of the Preservation Society and open as historic house museums.

Partners in Preservation

Guide-led Tours

Our expert guides lead fascinating specialty tours such as beneath the breakers and the elms servant life. other guided tours available by season at some houses., beneath the breakers tour, daily 10:30 am.

Explore the underground systems that made this great house a marvel of technology for its time.

Servant Life Tour

Daily starting april 1, 10:30 am and 2:30 pm*.

See and hear how the other half lived. This tour will highlight the stories of some of the men and women who worked to service the social whirl of Newport during the Gilded Age. * May 11-May 31, tour will be offered daily at 10:30 am & 3:30 pm. June 1-Aug. 31, 10:30 am, 2 pm & 3:30 pm. Sept. 1-Oct. 14, 10:30 & 3:30. Oct. 15-Jan. 1, 2025, 10:30 & 2:30.

Get the Newport Mansions app

Download our tour app before your visit and bring your earbuds.

Other tour types

Family audio tours.

Talking houses, ancient superheroes and a 2-foot high ice cream cake! Family Tours at The Breakers and Marble House introduce kids to these Gilded Age mansions from a unique and fun perspective.

Self-guided audio tours

Six engaging audio tours bring you unique insights into the lives of the people who lived and worked in the grand mansions of the Gilded Age in Newport.

Group Tours

Bring your adult or student group to tour the Newport Mansions at a discounted rate.

Additional Visitor Info

Map & parking info.

Parking is free onsite at all properties except for Hunter House and The Breakers Stable & Carriage House, where street parking is available.

Answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.

Mansions & Gardens

Explore the 11 properties under the stewardship of the Preservation Society and open as historic house museums.

Partners in Preservation

Protect Your Trip »

6 top-rated newport mansion tours + tips from a local.

Newport's famed mansions are a must-see in the City by the Sea.

Top-Rated Newport Mansion Tours

Gavin Ashworth | Courtesy of Newport Mansions

Experience peak luxury and elegance at these stunning properties.

More than a century ago, America's wealthiest families commissioned their "summer cottages" to be built in the coastal enclave of Newport, Rhode Island , along the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The era's most renowned architects outdid one another in size and scale as well as opulence and grandeur. Today, Newport is synonymous with its exquisite Gilded Age mansions, and experiencing them in person is an absolute must.

The majority of the Gilded Age mansions in Newport – but not all – are owned and operated by the Preservation Society of Newport County, and many of the most popular are open to the public year-round. Get ready to explore the Bellevue Avenue Historic District as you tour Newport's best mansions.

The Breakers

Courtesy of Andrea McHugh

Price: From $29 for adults; $10 for youths 6 to 12

Standout perk: The Breakers offers an audio Family Tour that engages young visitors with stories about the lives of the children who summered there, the staff who ran the home and interesting things to see in the mansion, such as the playful dolphin sculpture beneath the grand staircase.

Considered the grande dame of all the Newport mansions, The Breakers was no doubt built to impress. The summertime escape of Cornelius Vanderbilt II and his family was designed by the Gilded Age's preeminent architect, Richard Morris Hunt, and boasts a classic Italian palazzo design with panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Visitors can explore the mansion at their own pace via the self-guided audio tour available in nearly a dozen languages on the Newport Mansions free app, which will come in especially handy if you plan to explore more than one mansion. Take some time to explore the beauty of the 13-acre grounds as well, and be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes .

Those with a curiosity of how a mansion of this magnitude worked – after all, The Breakers was considered a modern marvel when completed in 1895 – will enjoy the Beneath The Breakers Tour. This guide-led tour takes you through the boiler room, tunnel and basement. Guests will learn how the home was outfitted with electricity, still considered a novelty during the Gilded Age. This tour requires a separate ticket from The Breakers' audio tour and is best suited for visitors 13 years and older. Advance reservations are recommended.

Local tip: As The Breakers is the most visited mansion in Newport, a good time to visit is either when it opens or toward the end of the day, especially in the busiest summer months. The early evening light can be ideal for photos, but plan accordingly as the house and grounds close one hour after the last tour admission. Before you visit, save time by downloading the free Newport Mansions tour app.

View & Book Tickets: The Breakers | Viator | GetYourGuide

Marble House

Price: From $25 for adults; $10 for youths 6 to 12

Standout perk: While it's hard to rival the splendor of Marble House, the Chinese Tea House on the end of the mansion's lawn parallel to Cliff Walk is an unexpected visual delight. For $35 extra, tour ticket holders to Marble House can enjoy sandwiches and refreshments at the cafe at the Chinese Tea House or make a reservation for brunch and afternoon tea service, offered on weekends May through December. The service is operated by Stoneacre Restaurants, which owns two popular restaurants in downtown Newport.

From the moment visitors walk under the four towering Corinthian columns fronting this mansion, they know they are in for a treat. Like other Newport Mansions audio tours, Marble House has a self-guided tour available via the organization's free app, allowing visitors to peruse the property at their own pace.

Inspired by the Petit Trianon at Versailles , Marble House is an architectural masterpiece. Made from 500,000 cubic square feet of marble, the mansion was a 39th birthday present from businessman and philanthropist William K. Vanderbilt to his wife Alva. He spared no expense for their summer escape. Later in life, Alva Vanderbilt Belmont became a suffragist and hosted events at Marble House in support of women's right to vote. Viewers of the popular HBO series "The Gilded Age" may recognize rooms in the mansion as it was used for filming on location and also inspired sets.

Local tip: Don't miss the ballroom on the first floor – while it's not the largest in Newport, it's widely considered the most ornate, with gilt details from floor to ceiling.

View & Book Tickets: Marble House | Viator | GetYourGuide

Standout perk: While The Elms is spectacular, its formal gardens – 10 acres' worth – are extraordinary, complete with nearly 40 species of trees plus terraces, gazebos, fountains and colorful blooms, depending on the time of year.

Fashioned after an 18th-century French chateau, The Elms is a must-visit mansion, from the sun-soaked conservatory and the drawing room to the handsome library and the breakfast room bearing Chinese-style lacquered wall panels. A self-guided audio tour is available in nearly a dozen languages, but any fan of "Downton Abbey" or those curious about life behind the scenes of Newport's mansions will appreciate the Servant Life Tour at The Elms.

On this newly updated, guide-led tour, visitors start in the basement, where you'll see the operations of the house such as the kitchen and butler's pantry, all the way up to the domestic staff's living quarters on the third floor. Along the way, travelers will learn more about the personal lives of staff, and see rare photographs of servants at work and in their free time. You'll even get to learn about topics like immigration and labor disputes on this tour.

Local tip: The Servant Life Tour is not only fascinating, but you'll get the rare opportunity to go on The Elms' rooftop and be rewarded with an amazing and unexpected view of Newport Harbor.

View & Book Tickets: The Elms | GetYourGuide

Tips on Trips and Expert Picks

Travel tips, vacation ideas and more to make your next vacation stellar.

Rough Point

Price: From $20; free for children 12 and younger

Standout perk: Rough Point sits at the southern end of Bellevue Avenue, so getting here allows you to enjoy views of both private mansions and those open to the public along the way. The mansion's oceanfront perch offers an uninterrupted view of the beautiful Cliff Walk Bridge, a stone arch bridge across the rocky inlet where Doris Duke would swim regularly.

Though a Gilded Age mansion through and through, Rough Point is perhaps best loved not for its grandeur but for its most famous resident: Doris Duke. The late heiress, collector and philanthropist – dubbed the "richest little girl in the world" when she was born – spent considerable time at Rough Point until her death in 1993. A self-guided audio tour leads visitors here through the art-filled home room by room, highlighting eclectic sculpture, family portraits, centuries-old tapestries, renowned furnishings and many pieces Duke collected as an avid world traveler.

While the formal rooms such as the Yellow Room and jaw-dropping Music Room are a sight, the ocean-facing Solarium affords the best views. Whether before or after your tour, visit the house tour on the website for footage of Doris Duke at the home as well as behind-the-scenes videos. Note that Rough Point is typically open seasonally from spring through mid-November.

Local tip: On Rough Point's grounds, you'll find a pair of life-size topiary camels inspired by Doris' pet Bactrian camels, Princess and Baby. Both enjoyed the summer months with the tobacco heiress at Rough Point and have become the unofficial mascots of the mansion. The Newport Restoration Foundation encourages taking a #camelgram photo with the Princess and Baby topiary to share on social media.

View & Book Tickets: Rough Point | GetYourGuide

Dave Hansen | Courtesy of Newport Mansions

Standout perk: Rosecliff's signature feature – despite being home to Newport's largest ballroom, which hosted lavish society events throughout the Gilded Age – is its celebrated heart-shaped grand staircase.

Following a multimillion-dollar renovation, Rosecliff resumed tours in September 2023, much to the delight of Newport's visitors. Architect Stanford White, who was the mastermind behind Newport's historic Casino Theatre and myriad other important buildings, modeled the mansion after the Grand Trianon at Versailles for silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs. Its European influence is felt throughout.

Explore the mansion at your own pace via the self-guided audio tour on the free Newport Mansions app. Don't forget to look up in the ballroom, where the trompe l'oeil ceiling creates an air of whimsy and romance, making it the ideal setting for the filming parts of "The Great Gatsby" with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, as well as the more recent "27 Dresses."

Local tip: Rosecliff hosts many amazing events, including the annual Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival, which features dinners, events and seminars with wines and other libations from around the world.

View & Book Tickets: Rosecliff | Viator

Chateau-sur-Mer

Standout perk: A new audio tour is your guide to this National Historic Landmark, considered Newport's first true mansion. Learn about the lives of the Wetmore family members who lived there for more than a century.

Until the arrival of the Vanderbilt houses in Newport in the 1890s, Chateau-sur-Mer was considered the seaside city's most palatial residence. Today, visitors can explore the home, an Italianate-style villa built for wealthy China trade merchant William Shepard Wetmore, who did quite a bit of entertaining at this summer cottage.

Local tip: While Chateau-sur-Mer is essentially a Victorian Era time capsule, the mansion's grounds are home to amazing tree specimens, shrubs and more, including a striking weeping beech tree. If you explore deeper into the grounds, you'll find a cool circular maze made from mounds of grass; this earthwork by artist Richard Fleischner is known as the "Sod Maze" and makes for a relaxing place to meditate.

View & Book Tickets: Chateau-sur-Mer | GetYourGuide

What to do nearby

In addition to the historic mansions, Newport offers a variety of historic attractions, walking trails and museums. To help you fully explore the area, here are some recommendations for things to see and where to eat.

Things to do:

• Wander along the Cliff Walk
• Visit the International Tennis Hall of Fame
• Explore the historic Fort Adams
• Discover automotive history at Audrain Automobile Museum
• Explore The Sailing Museum
• Visit the Redwood Library and Athenæum
• Discover the oldest synagogue in the U.S.
• Browse the private collection at the Newport Car Museum

Nearby restaurant recommendations: 

• Breakfast: Annie's, Lucy's Cafe & Bakery or Corner Cafe
• Lunch: Cru Cafe, Belle's Café or The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar
• Dinner: White Horse Tavern, Clarke Cooke House or Castle Hill Inn
• Drinks: Midtown Oyster Bar, The Roofdeck at the Vanderbilt or The Lounge at The Chanler

Why Trust U.S. News Travel 

Andrea McHugh is a travel and lifestyle writer based in Newport, Rhode Island, where the famed mansions of the Gilded Age are common sights along her daily run in the City by the Sea. Though she regularly visits the mansions as they play host to local business and social events, such as the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival, Newport Classical Music Festival and Newport Film, she spent a recent "staycation" touring these turn-of-the-century behemoths to write this article.

You might also be interested in:

• The Top Things to Do in Rhode Island
• The Top Things to Do in New Hampshire
• The Top Things to Do in Maine
• The Top Things to Do in Vermont

Tags: Travel , Tours

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Live out your Gilded Age dreams by visiting these Newport mansions

The historic gems are all featured in the HBO show.

HBO's new television series   The Gilded Age   features incredible mansions with ornate interiors and verdant gardens and while the majority of the show takes place in NYC, much of it occurs in Newport, Rhode Island at places you can actually visit today.

The show begins in 1882 with Marian Brook moving from rural Pennsylvania to NYC after the death of her father to live with her old-money aunts, Agnes van Rhijn and Ada Brook. On the way, she makes fast friends with Peggy Scott, a Black writer looking for a fresh start. It quickly becomes apparent that there's a social war going on between one of her aunts and her newly rich neighbors—a ruthless railroad tycoon and his ambitious wife, George and Bertha Russell.

RECOMMENDED: 13 places you can still experience the Gilded Age in NYC

Aside from Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, NYC doesn't actually feature prominently in the show. Many of the outdoor street scenes were filmed on a backlot. In fact, production spent about 30 of about 160 filming days in Rhode Island in 2021, according to a Providence Journal  interview with executive producer David Crockett. 

According to The Preservation Society of  Newport  County , the show was filmed at several of Newport's historic house museums from February to April 2021. Much of the ornate scenery comes from the beautifully preserved interiors and exteriors of The Breakers, Marble House, The Elms, Rosecliff, Chateau-sur-Mer and Hunter House—all of which you can visit today.

Early on in episode one, for example, there's a gorgeous party in Newport hosted by Mrs. Fish at The Ledges mansion and the Russells’ house is made up of several rooms of Newport mansions, including the music room of The Breakers and the kitchens of The Elms.

"We have been excited for a long time to see this first season of The Gilded Age  come to fruition," Preservation Society CEO and Executive Director Trudy Coxe said. "Our houses are like time capsules where Gilded Age architecture and decor can be seen in all their glory, and the Preservation Society is honored that Lord Fellowes recognized the authenticity these settings lend to his stories. The plots may be fictional, but they are based on the historical reality of the Gilded Age. Nowhere is that reality better preserved than here in   Newport."

Below are some of the gorgeous mansions and buildings featured in The Gilded Age that are open to the public:

The Breakers

The Breakers is the grandest of Newport’s summer cottages, according to the preservation society, and it's a symbol of the Vanderbilt family’s social and financial preeminence in turn of the century America. The grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, Cornelius Vanderbilt II, commissioned architect Richard Morris Hunt to design a 70-room Italian Renaissance-style palazzo inspired by the 16th-century palaces of Genoa and Turin. One of his descendants opened The Breakers in 1948 to raise funds for the preservation society and in 1972, the Preservation Society purchased the house from her heirs. Today, the house is designated a National Historic Landmark.

In episode 2 of  The Gilded Age , the billiard room is where George Russell intrigues with City Alderman Patrick Morris over a game and the music room was introduced as the Russells' ballroom.

Marble House

The Marble House was built between 1888 and 1892 for Mr. and Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt as a summer house but it became a "social and architectural landmark that set the pace for Newport's subsequent transformation from a quiet summer colony of wooden houses to the legendary resort of opulent stone palaces," the preservation society says. As the leading hostess in Newport, Alva Vanderbilt envisioned Marble House as her "temple to the arts" in America and cost about $11 million, $7 million of which was spent on marble. Eventually, Alva Vanderbilt had a Chinese Tea House built on the seaside cliffs, where she hosted rallies for women's right to vote. She sold the house to Frederick H. Prince in 1932 and then in 1963, the preservation society acquired the house in 1963. In 2006, Marble House was designated a National Historic Landmark.

In The Gilded Age,  Consuelo Vanderbilt's bedroom at Marble House stands in for George Russell's bedroom.

The Elms  was built for Mr. and Mrs. Edward Julius Berwind of Philadelphia and New York in 1901 and modeled after the mid-18th-century French chateau d'Asnieres outside Paris. Inside, they showcased Renaissance ceramics, 18th-century French and Venetian paintings and Oriental jades, the preservation society says. Its Classical Revival gardens featured bronze sculpture, a park and garden featuring marble pavilions, fountains, a sunken garden and carriage house and garage (these gardens were recently restored). After their descendants died, the house and its contents were sold at public auction in 1961 and in the next year, the preservation society purchased The Elms and opened the house to the public. In 1996, The Elms was designated a National Historic Landmark.

In The Gilded Age , the kitchen was used as the kitchen at the Russells'.

Rosecliff  is one of the more famous mansions in Newport. Commissioned by Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs in 1899 to be modeled after the Grand Trianon, a smaller residence at Versailles, it was completed in 1902 at a reported cost of $2.5 million. Oelrichs hosted many parties here, including a fairy tale dinner and a party featuring famed magician Harry Houdini, according to the preservation society. Her husband, George Bancroft, grew thousands of roses here, which became a famous attraction. Rosecliff is now preserved through the generosity of its last private owners, who gave the house, its furnishings and an endowment to the Preservation Society in 1971. Several films have been shot here, including  The Great Gatsby, True Lies, Amistad and 27 Dresses. Note: It's not currently open to the public but can be reserved for private events.

Chateau-sur-Mer

Like something out of a French fairytale, Chateau-sur-Mer  was the most palatial residence in Newport from its completion in 1852 until the appearance of the Vanderbilt houses in the 1890s, the preservation society says. It hosted the "Fete Champetre," an elaborate country picnic for more than 2,000 guests held in 1857 and the debutante ball for Miss Edith Wetmore in 1889 among other major parties. It was built for William Shepard Wetmore, who died, leaving the home to his children. His son, George Peabody Wetmore had a distinguished political career as Governor of Rhode Island and as a U.S. Senator. He died in 1921 and his wife died in 1927. The house was purchased by the Preservation Society in 1969 and in 2006 it was designated a National Historic Landmark.

In  The Gilded Age,  the home's exterior is used for Caroline Astor’s Beechwood House and its boarding house is used for a scene with Oscar van Rhijn, and another room serves as Agnes van Rhijn’s bedroom, according to parade.com.

Hunter House

Unlike the other mansions, Hunter House was built earlier in the 18th century, between 1748 and 1754 by Jonathon Nichols Jr. After he died, Colonel Joseph Wanton Jr. moved in and enlarged the house with a south wing and a second chimney, transforming the building into a formal Georgian mansion with a large central hall, the preservation society says. During the American Revolution, Wanton, who was a loyalist, fled and his home became the headquarters for the French around 1780. After the war, William Hunter, a U.S. Senator and President Andrew Jackson's charge d'affaires to Brazil, bought the house. Between the mid-1860s and mid-1940s, it was passed through a series of owners. This house was the first to be preserved by the preservation society, which was then just a small group of concerned citizens (in 1945). They restored Hunter House to the era of Colonel Wanton (1757 to 1779).

In  The Gilded Age,  Hunter House is used as the Doylestown, Pennsylvania, office of Brook family lawyer Tom Raikes, according to the Providence Journal.

International Tennis Hall of Fame/Newport Casino

This National Historic Landmark first opened on July 26, 1880 as the Newport Casino and social club for Newport’s turn-of-the-century summer elite. James Gordon Bennett Jr. commissioned McKim, Mead & White to design something that would evoke an English design, according to the International Tennis Hall of Fame's website. The Newport Casino had a block of shops on Bellevue Avenue, a restaurant and gentlemen’s lodging as well as archery, billiards, concerts, dancing, dining, horse shows, lawn bowling, reading, tea parties and performing arts as well as some of its present-day sports—lawn tennis, croquet and court tennis. Tennis became its big claim to fame in 1881 when the first U.S. National Men’s Singles Championship was held here. By 1914, the event had outgrown Newport, leading the USNLTA to relocate the championships to the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills here in Queens. The tournament evolved to become known as the US Open.

You can plan your Gilded Age-themed weekend getaway to Newport by checking out the other incredibly preserved mansions and buildings here .

• Shaye Weaver Editor, Time Out New York

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Hotels with Pools

Hotels on the Water

Unique places to stay, james beard semi finalists, must-try lobster rolls, top spots for vegan food, spring break in newport, all things spring, april must-do's, best of 2024, top spring events, on-going gallery exhibits, guide to parking, first timer's guide, top 12 things to do, blog system page.

During the Gilded Age, America’s wealthiest families flocked to Newport, turning the area into their summertime playground. The popular HBO series, The Gilded Age, has peaked the public’s curiosity about this era of high society.

From the creators of Downton Abbey, The Gilded Age follows the story of “old” and “new money” in New York's and Newport’s high society, set in 1882. This Julian Fellowes masterpiece was filmed at and features many Newport Mansion properties: The Breakers, Marble House, The Breakers, Marble House, The Elms, Rosecliff, Chateau-sur-Mer and Hunter House.

Today, visitors can experience how America's elites, and their staff lived with behind-the-scenes mansion tours, historic lectures, access to the breathtaking grounds and cliffside vantage points, all without those pesky corsets!

Gilded Age Experiences

These upcoming events allow visitors a chance to step back in time and experience the grandeur of the Gilded Age.

The Blue Garden

Gilded age punch bowl, book smart: enjoy the library visited by gilded age greats, inside ''the gilded age'', stay at the hotel viking, picnic at a gilded age mansion, newport jaguar tours, croquet anyone tennis, gilded age boating, walk, talk, and learn.

Nothing says Gilded Age like beautiful, vast, and private gardens.  The Blue Garden is open to the public once a week - every Thursday from June 15 - October 12. The Olmsted Brothers firm originally designed the property in 1908, after many years of neglect it fell into disrepair and was later restored in 2014 to its original glory.

The garden incorporates a palette of blues and purples and has something in bloom each month the garden is open. The Blue Garden is known today as a classic example of American landscape art and a triumph of historic preservation. There are three tours a day, exclusively on Thursdays and costs $20 per person.

More Details

Step into the parlor or the library at the sophisticated Vanderbilt Hotel and order one of The Vanderbilt's specialty cocktails. Choose from a signature punch bowl or a seasonal bubbly large-format aperitif, which pay homage to cocktails from the Gilded Age infused with The Vanderbilt's playful spirit.

Enjoy reading in a library visited by Gilded Age greats.

Literary legends like Edith Wharton, Henry James and poet Julia Ward, who also co-founded the American Woman Suffrage Association, visited the library. Today the library is free to the public and offers lectures, exhibitions, fine arts displays and other educational activities.

ICYMI:  The Redwood Library and Athenaeum celebrated its 275 th  birthday in 2022.

Fans of HBO's "The Gilded Age" will love this guided tour of locations in the Newport Mansions where the show was filmed. 

Interested now? Find an episode deep-dive breakdown here .

Gilded Age Getaway

Escape to the Gilded Age and walk in the steps of the ladies of Bellevue Avenue. This package includes breakfast at One Bellevue, $50 Credit to  Spa Fjör , and Newport Mansion tickets.  

Available at any open property during tour hours.

The Newport Mansions invite their guests to bring a picnic to enjoy on the grounds as part of their Newport Mansions experience. Bring your own picnic basket, cooler, blankets and lawn chairs and choose the perfect spot to savor the million-dollar view! Available to Preservation Society members and Newport Mansions tour ticket holders.

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Picnic at the mansions.

Make your way to the Newport Mansions for to enjoy the coast's perfect weather alongside some of the most stunning architecture and garden scapes in New England.

The HBO® Gilded Age Locations Tour

The secret is out. Set in the 1880s, the HBO® smash hit The Gilded Age® (both season 1 and 2) was filmed largely in Newport. Let Newport Jaguar Tours, with a private guided tour in a classic Jaguar motorcar, show you where key scenes were filmed, including difficult to find series’ locations. With insider knowledge, once you get the lay of our own Hollywood-land, we can even help you with guidance to secure interior locations tours. This is a half or full-day tour, personally designed for you. 

The Scandalous Newport Tour

Get the Gilded Age scoop while being driven around in a Jaguar. Your guide and driver will share some of the more scandalous stories surrounding Newport families during this era. The Newport Jaguar Tours’ fleet of classic British motorcars offers guided, private tours. The local Newport guides have extensive knowledge about the area and era.

Don’t miss a chance to experience a sport most people have only read about or seen on television. Visit The International Tennis Hall of Fame for some friendly competition. Step back in time on the grass grounds where croquet enthusiasts have been playing since the late 19 th century.

A croquet pro will oversee this classic lawn game played on the property’s historic grass courts. Also, take the opportunity to play tennis on three grass courts open to the public.

Earn your sea legs aboard the 1929 classic motor yacht, Elco (Rum Runner II), with Classic Cruises of Newport . Rum Runner II was built in 1929 during the height of Prohibition, for the purpose of smuggling cases of rum and other contraband alcohol along the East Coast. Today, she is fully restored, and offers the luxury of a classic motor yacht and the thrill of a high-speed bandit—with a history all her own.

The Newport Historical Society offers a variety of tours including one about Newport’s Gilded Age summer colony and how the city transformed socially and economically during that period. Learn how Newport supported and encouraged religious freedom. 

Find out about the early history of Newport’s people of color, enslaved and free. You can pack in a lot of history in these tours that range from 60 to 90 minutes. Step outside and learn about Newport’s rich and storied history.

“The Gilded Age” on HBO

From the creators of Downton Abbey, HBO's The Gilded Age  premiered season 1 in January 2022, and follows the story of "old" and "new money" in New York's high society, set in 1882. This Julian Fellowes masterpiece was filmed at and features many Newport Mansion properties;   The Breakers ,  Marble House ,  The Elms ,  Rosecliff ,  Chateau-sur-Mer  and  Hunter House . Stream the first season of The Gilded Age now on HBO Max. Season 2 is currently in post-production and was also partially filmed in Newport—release date to be announced.

Watch The Official Trailer

Explore the newport mansions.

From a 70-room Italian-renaissance style palazzo to the first home run on electricity without a back-up, the  Newport Mansions  are like nothing you’ve ever seen – we promise.

The Breakers

The Breakers is the grandest of Newport's summer "cottages" and a symbol of the Vanderbilt family's social and financial preeminence in turn of the century America.

Today, visitors can experience both mansion and grounds tours, special events, and The Breakers Café, a small cafe at the Welcome Center located on site. 

Welcome to the summer retreat of Philadelphia coal magnate Mr. and Mrs. Edward Julius Berwind who made his fortune in the coal industry.  The Elms , a 48-room mansion on historic Bellevue Avenue, was modeled after the mid-18th-century French chateau d'Asnieres (c.1750) outside Paris. 

The Elms offers both a mansion tour, with access to the grounds, and a servant life tour for visitors. 

Marble House

Marble House  was a social and architectural landmark that set the pace for Newport's subsequent transformation from a quiet summer colony of wooden houses to the legendary resort of opulent stone palaces at the time it was built between 1888 and 1892.

Visitors can experience tours, special events, and afternoon tea in the Chinese Tea House at Marble House.

Commissioned by Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs in 1899, architect Stanford White modeled Rosecliff after the Grand Trianon, the garden retreat of French kings at Versailles. Scenes from several films have been shot on location at Rosecliff, including  The Great Gatsby ,  True Lies,  Amistad  and  27 Dresses. 

Today, visitors can experience tours, special exhibits, private events, and the iconic Newport Flower Show at this wondrous mansion. 

more mansions

Chateau-sur-mer.

Hunter House

Isaac Bell House

Green Animals Topiary Garden

Rough Point

Virtual Mansion Tours

We're grateful the Newport Mansions expanded their exhibits and experiences into the digital space with virtual tours of these following properties.

The Elms Servant Life Tour

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Newport Mansions | Experiencing the Gilded Age

Visiting the lavish Newport Mansions (or “summer cottages”) in Newport, Rhode Island offers an opulent peek into the “Gilded Age” of American history.

By Bethany Bourgault

Jun 10 2022

Front facade of Rosecliff mansion

Newport, Rhode Island. A breathtaking city on the water, a worldwide destination for vacationers, students, athletes, and historians alike. America’s wealthiest residents of the late 19th century reveled in the area’s natural coastal beauty too, and built their summer “cottages” there to escape the hustle and bustle of New York City life. These “cottages” however, are anything but quaint. You may know them better as “the Newport Mansions.” The enormous facades and even more lavish interiors housed a unique and selective class of business moguls and heirs. No expense was spared in their decoration or in the jaw-droppingly decadent parties their residents threw.

As the Gilded Age drew to a close, many fortunes were lost and some mansions faced unclear futures. Some even faced futures as parking lots. However, thanks to the Preservation Society of Newport County, many of Newport’s most fascinating mansions have been preserved, protected, and opened to the public. Guests can mosey around the different rooms, learn about what life was like in that era, and wistfully imagine days gone by.

Mark Twain coined the term “Gilded Age” back in 1873, but he wasn’t praising the glitz and gold trim we think of today. He was instead satirizing the divide between the lavish spending of a few and the harsh, bitter reality of the rest. The Elms , one of Newport’s most popular mansions, offers a Servant’s Life Tour to show guests this less-known side of Newport mansions life. Edward and Herminie (pronounced like “Hermione” from Harry Potter) Berwind went to great lengths to ensure their house appeared to run on magic, and the Servant’s Tour shows guests some of the living quarters, working rooms, rooftop facilities and appliances that helped create the illusion.

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I stuck to the main tour on my Newport Mansions visit, and was certainly not disappointed. The Berwinds’ “magic” summer cottage captures the elegance it was renowned for with its intricate ceiling and wall detailing and vast collection of cultural art. How does one fund such extravagance? Edward Berwind made his money from the coal industry. He founded the Berwind-White Coal Mining Company, which powered, among other things, the New York Central Railroad. Ironically, he ensured that coal wasn’t a fixture in his own home — there is a secret underground tunnel that was used to ferry coal and ash both into and out of the house.

Next I ventured to Rosecliff , a sweeping capital-H-shaped French pavilion designed specifically for entertaining. Tessie Oelrichs, an heiress of the Comstock Lode (the first major discovery of silver in the United States) and her husband Hermann Oelrichs, a steamship/shipping tycoon, commissioned the home to be built in 1902. It changed hands a few times, but was always used for lavish parties. (It still is today. Rosecliff is one of Newport’s most popular venues for weddings and events.)

The famous 80×40-foot ballroom has been featured in The Great Gatsby, 27 Dresses, Amistad , and True Lies . It was the site of one of Gilded-Age Newport’s most famous parties — the “Bal Blanc” in 1904. “Bal Blanc” is French for “White Ball,” and Mrs. Oelrichs certainly made sure that the event lived up to its name. Ladies wore white gowns, hair was powdered to be blonde or white, white lights and flowers decorated every dark surface, and even the ocean was turned white with boat sails. Two white swans floated around a fountain all night long.

Just five minutes down the street at Marble House , Cornelius Vanderbilt’s brother, William, and his wife Alva, built the image of extravagance — complete with 500,000 cubic feet of marble. Glittering stained glass, gold and crystal welcome visitors in the main entrance, just like it would have when hundreds of ladies showed up to the estate for Alva Vanderbilt’s “Votes For Women” parties. That’s not where Marble House’s story starts though — it was first given to Alva by her then-husband William as a gift for her 39th birthday.

Despite such extravagant gifts, Alva’s marriage was not a happy one, and after her three children had grown past their early childhoods, she sought a controversial divorce on the grounds of her husband’s adultery. She then married another wealthy Newport resident and moved into his house down the street. When he died, she moved back into Marble House, which still belonged to her, built a Chinese Tea House in the backyard for entertaining, and began hosting rallies for women’s rights.

One of the lesser-frequented Newport mansions, Kingscote , is not without its grandeur. It’s tucked into a woodsy yard on Bellevue Ave. and can sometimes be hard to see from the street. What awaits the persistent venturer, though, is a gothic style cottage, reminiscent of an enormous storybook setting.

Kingscote was among the earliest Newport mansions. It belonged to a man who made his money off of the southern plantation industry, and was painted in beige mixed with sand for a sandstone-esque look. It was sold after the civil war to the King family, who amassed their wealth in breakthrough medical work and later, the China trade. The Kings commissioned a renovation of the cottage, the additions of several bedrooms, and the famous dining room — with its Tiffany glass bricks and detailing.

Last but certainly not least, is the fan-favorite of the Newport Mansions — the sprawling, 70-room, 13-acre Renaissance-inspired estate of railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt II — The Breakers . Named after the waves that crash onto the rocks below the massive back lawn, The Breakers is commonly regarded as the grandest of all the preserved Newport mansions. Gold and platinum-covered walls, unmatched detailing, and a 2 ½-story Great Hall overlook an uninhibited view of the Atlantic Ocean. Though countless fabulous parties were held there (the Vanderbilts were extremely popular entertainers, whose guests included Theodore Roosevelt), visitors are assured that The Breakers, under the Vanderbilt’s care, was always a family house. Children founded and kept up the tradition of sliding down the grand staircase on serving trays, and a smaller (yet still a whole lot bigger and than any of our old treehouses) play-cottage sits in the yard.

Much of the beauty of The Breakers is in its detailing. Mythological beings glitter almost anywhere the eye can reach, and symbols like dolphins and acorns (the Vanderbilt’s family symbol, standing for strength and longevity) accompany them. A hidden grotto under the grand staircase, and the expert craftsmanship of the artwork demonstrate the Vanderbilt’s flare for European design. Almost all of the gilded mansions model some influence of European design, but The Breakers takes it to a whole new level.

Newport, well before it was discovered by America’s most wealthy in the 1800s, was  a city of a booming, industrial economy. Historians have even speculated that if it had not been for the British occupancy back in 1776, the coastline of Newport might resemble the skyline of Manhattan. Fortunately, though, it has remained skyscraper-free, and the waters, cliffs, and islands remain for our enjoyment today. Gilded-Age residents with their new fortunes capitalized on the  natural beauty of the area, and now the Preservation Society of Newport County is conserving their legacies. I didn’t have the chance to check out the other locations under the society’s care (be sure to allow at least an hour to an hour and a half for each one!) but let me assure you — they are all worth the visit.  Don’t miss the Cliff Walk !

Have you ever visited the Newport Mansions? Do you have a favorite? Let us know!

The Newport Mansions and The Preservation Society of Newport County . 401-847-1000; newportmansions.org

LEARN MORE:

Love Newport? Check out our Insider’s Guide to Newport, RI  for more things to do. Love the Newport mansions? Experience the grandeur of Christmas at the Newport Mansions .

This post was first published in 2015 and has been updated.

Bethany Bourgault

Bethany Bourgault interned with Yankee Magazine and New England.com during the summers of 2015 and 2016. She recently graduated from Syracuse University, majoring in magazine journalism with minors in writing and religion. She loves reading, exploring the outdoors, ballroom dancing, and trying new recipes. Keep up with her adventures at bethanybourgault.com .

15 Mansions in Newport, RI You Have to See to Believe

Newport, Rhode Island was the summer playground of America’s wealthiest during the Gilded Age, and it has plenty of still-standing mansions that live to tell the tale.

The preservation and restoration of the Gilded Age mansions give visitors a glimpse of the opulence, artistry, and complicated culture that went into these time capsules.

If nothing else, the beautiful architecture and cliffside views of the ocean should be enough to inspire you to visit this area.

Today, this article lists down the best Newport mansions to tour, as well as the lesser-known mansions in the area.

History of Newport Rhode Island Mansions

The mansions of Newport, Rhode island are remnants of the fancy Gilded Era. Built between late 19th century and early 20th century, these luxury residents were not even the primary homes of their owners. In fact, the rich of that time built these RI mansions as their “summer cottages.”

When the Gilded Age ended around the 1910s due to the start of the federal income tax, followed by the First World War, parties at the mansions declined.

The Great Depression eventually put a stop to the rich vacationing at their mansions, which in turn resulted in the properties falling to demolition or abandoned completely.

A group of residents founded The Preservation Society of Newport County in hopes of saving the 200-year-old Georgian Colonial home – the Hunter House – located on the harbor waterfront.

In doing so, they were able to save several other mansions at Newport Rhode Island, starting with Marble House, then Chateau-sur-Mer, The Breakers, Kingscote, and Rosecliff. Today, the organization remains steward of 11 historic properties in the area.

Best Preserved Newport, RI Mansions To Tour

The Preservation Society of Newport County is a cultural organization aiming to protect and preserve Newport County’s rich cultural heritage. Here are the Newport Mansions

1. The Breakers

By far the most popular Newport mansion, The Breakers is the Italian Renaissance-style Vanderbilt estate widely acknowledged to be the grandest, most extravagant mansion in Newport and is thus the signature symbol of the Gilded Age.

The mansion features 70 rooms, a 45-foot high Great Hall, gold- and platinum-covered walls, and intricate panels with mythological beings. All these sit on a 13-acre estate overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

It is recommended to visit this mansion first, as this is also the site of the Welcome Center of the Preservation Society, where you can get information about all the other mansions they’re in charge of and make your visit to the Newport mansions easier to plan.

Essential Information

• Address: 44 Ochre Point Avenue, Newport, RI
• Phone : 401-847-1000
• Hours: Vary depending on the season; Check their calendar prior to your visit
• Cost: $29 per head for adults; discounts available for children
• Website: The Breakers

2. Marble House

One of the first stone mansions in the area, Marble House is another extravagant mansion. Alva Vanderbilt, the original owner of the house, is said to have spent $7 million then (equivalent to almost $128 million today) on the marble used to construct it.

With 50 rooms spread over four levels decorated in various styles, as well as a Chinese Tea House that was a later addition, the Marble House is an elegant structure and one of the earliest done in the Beaux-Arts style of architecture.

• Address: 596 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI
• Phone: 401-847-1000
• Cost: $25 per head for adults; discounts available for children
• Website: Marble House

3. The Elms

The Elms mansion was the summer residence of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Julius Berwind. It isn’t as extravagant as the previous two mentioned, but its beautiful architecture modeled after the French chateau d’Asnieres is remarkable and well worth studying and appreciating.

The interior is designed to show off Berwind’s Renaissance ceramics, 18th-century paintings, and jades from Asia.

Fun fact: It is one of the first houses wired for electricity in this area.

Address: 367 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI | 401-847-1000 Hours: Vary depending on the season; Check their calendar prior to your visit Cost: $25 per head for adults; discounts available for children Website: The Elms

4. Rosecliff

Rosecliff was home to Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs of Nevada.

Inspired by Versailles’ Grand Trianon, which was the garden retreat of French kings at Versailles, the architectural style is Baroque and Baroque Revival, producing clean lines and perfect symmetry.

If this house looks familiar, it may be because it has been used as a set location in movies such as The Great Gatsby , Amistad , and True Lies .

• Address: 548 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI
• Website: Rosecliff

5. Chateau-sur-Mer

Considered the first of the great Newport mansions, Chateau-sur-Mer was recognized as the most palatial in Newport from its completion in 1852 until The Breakers and the Marble House were built.

This mansion was built for William Shepard Wetmore in High Victorian architecture and was subsequently remodeled in the Second Empire French style. Unlike many of the other mansions in the area, Chateau-sur-Mer was not built as a summer residence but as a year-round residence.

• Address: 474 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI
• Website: Chateau-sur-Mer

6. Kingscote

Kingscote is one of the earliest mansions designed in the Gothic Revival style of architecture. Originally owned by George Noble Jones, the property was acquired by William Henry King when the Civil War broke out.

The dining room features the earliest known installation of Tiffany glass, which is a type of glass produced between 1878 and 1933 at the Tiffany Studios in New York.

• Address: 253 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI
• Phone:  401-847-1000
• Website: Kingscote

7. Isaac Bell House

The Isaac Bell House, also known as Edna Villa, is acknowledged as the first Shingle-style house in the area and the best example of its kind.

The architects and designers of this house drew inspiration from a mix of international styles, such as Japanese, European, and Old English elements.

• Address: 70 Perry Street
• Website: Isaac Bell House

8. Hunter House

Away from the Bellevue Avenue Historic District, where most of the other mansions are located, the Hunter House is one of the finest examples of Georgian Colonial architecture.

It originally belonged to Jonathon Nichols, Jr., and the subsequent owners of the house added or renovated parts of the house. The most prominent owner of the mansion was William Hunter, a US senator after whom the house is named.

• Address: 54 Washington Street, Newport, RI
• Cost: $18 per head for adults; discounts available for children
• Website: Hunter House

9. Chepstow

Chepstow is an Italianate-style villa that is a prime example of a Victorian summer cottage.

Originally owned by Edmund Schermerhorn, it contained various valuable paintings, including the Morris family’s collections, as well as 19th-century landscape paintings by the Hudson River school of Artists.

• Address: 120 Narragansett Avenue
• Website: Chepstow

10. Green Animals Topiary Garden

Green Animals is the oldest topiary garden in the US, but when Thomas Brayton bought this property in 1872, it consisted of seven acres of land, a white clapboard summer residence, farm outbuildings, a pasture, and a vegetable garden.

The superintendents of the property were responsible for creating the topiaries, sculpting more than 80 pieces in different shapes from yew, California privet, and English boxwood.

Today, Green Animals is a rare example of a self-sufficient estate with a Victorian house, topiaries, vegetable gardens, and orchards.

While not technically in Newport, it’s still considered one of the Newport Mansions.

• Address: 380 Corys Lane, Portsmouth, RI
• Website: Green Animals Topiary Garden

Other Newport Mansions Worth Visiting

As I’ve mentioned, not all of the Gilded Age mansions in Newport are managed by the Preservation Society. Here are other Newport mansions you should consider visiting.

11. Ochre Court

Ochre Point was commissioned by Ogden Goelet in 1892 in a châteauesque architectural style and is second only to The Breakers in size.

Nowadays, it serves as the main administration building for Salve Regina University and is used for occasional social functions.

• Address: 100 Ochre Point Avenue, Newport, RI
• Phone:  401-847-6650
• Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-4pm
• Website: Ochre Court

12. Belcourt of Newport

Oliver Belmont commissioned this mansion in 1891 to have a summer cottage for him as well as his many horses.

With this vision, the architect, Richard Morris Hunt designed the ground floor around an enormous carriage room and stables, with only a single bedroom where Belmont can live with his horses in privacy.

However, when Alva Vanderbilt (yes, the same Alva Vanderbilt who owned the Marble House) moved in with him, she had the ground floor transformed to be more suitable for humans than for horses.

Ownership then changed hands many times before Carolyn Rafaelian bought it in 2012. Currently, Carolyn Rafaelian is in the process of restoring Belcourt to its former glory.

• Address: 657 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI
• Hours: Fri–Sun 11am–2pm
• Cost: $20 per head for adults; discounts available for children ( Book Tickets Here )
• Website: Belcourt of Newport

13. Rough Point Museum

Commissioned by yet another member of the Vanderbilt clan, Rough Point is at the south end of Bellevue Avenue and is built in the style of a stately English manor.

After a few more transfers of ownership, the last owner of the house was Doris Duke before it got turned over to the Newport Restoration Foundation, which Doris Duke herself founded in 1968.

Nowadays, Rough Point looks more or less the same as it looked when Doris Duke lived here. It’s not by accident; the house is carefully maintained to get a lived-in look. The result is that when you tour the house, it feels less like a museum and more like a visit to your distant aunt’s house.

That is, if your distant aunt were a billionaire who owned plenty of expensive art and furnishings, as well as a couple of camels.

• Address: 680 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI
• Phone : 401-847-8344
• Hours: Tue–Fri 10am–4pm; Sat–Sun 10am–5pm
• Cost: $20 per head for adults; discount available for students with ID
• Website: Rough Point Museum

14. Vernon Court

Vernon Court was commissioned by Anna Van Nest Gambrill and was built in 1900 in French classical style, loosely based on the French mansion Château d’Haroué.

At some point, it was considered one of the ten most beautiful mansions in America.

It remained in the Gambrill family until 1956, after which ownership changed hands a number of times.

At present, Vernon Court houses the National Museum of American Illustration (NMAI) and is temporarily closed for renovation.

• Address: 492 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI |
• Phone : 401-851-8949
• Cost: $20 per for adults; discounts available for seniors, children, students with ID, and military
• Website: National Museum of American Illustrators

Unique Newport Rhode Island Mansions Tours

15. the breakers stable & carriage house.

• Address:  53 Coggeshall Ave, Newport, RI 02840
• Cost: $20 per for adults; discounts available for seniors, children, students with ID, and military. Admission is free with any Newport Mansions ticket or Preservation Society membership.

The Breakers Stable & Carriage House was originally built by Cornelius Vanderbilt II with architect Richard Morris Hunt from 1894 to 1895. It is located about 2/3rds of a mile from The Breakers.

When the place was completed in 1895, the stable wasn’t just any humble stable. It had 26 stalls, 2 box stalls, and ample space for about 20 carriages, a five-room apartment for the head coachman, bedrooms for 20 grooms who operate the stables, an office, kitchen, dining room, workroom, office and harness room.

The Breakers Stable & Carriage House is open seasonally.

Newport Mansions Visitor Guidelines and Rules

Note that these rules and general guidelines apply to those mansions maintained by the Preservation Society of Newport County. Other mansions may have their own set of rules that you should still follow so that you and other visitors all have a great time.

• It is recommended to start your mansion tour in The Breakers so you can also visit the Welcome Center to get information about the mansions.
• Exterior photography through handheld cameras for social media and non-commercial purposes is allowed.
• Exterior photography through drones is strictly prohibited.
• Interior photography is allowed only for social media and personal, non-commercial purposes. No selfie sticks, tripods, or flash photography are allowed.
• Allot a minimum of one and a half hours for touring each mansion.
• With very few exceptions, mansions have free parking.
• Kids are welcome, but strollers and carriages are not.
• Mansions normally have a dress code. Shirts (except those that have offensive language printed) and shoes are mandatory.
• No large bags and luggage are allowed.

Newport Mansion Tour Tickets

If you plan to visit the mansions multiple times a year, membership to the Preservation Society is the most expensive option upfront but will work out to be the least expensive per visit as long as you visit frequently.

For one time visits to multiple mansions, various packages are also available for a wide range of mansions, with some packages even including popular activities aside from touring the mansions.

However, membership and packaged tickets will only cover the 10 mansions that the Preservation Society is maintaining.

The simplest, most straightforward way to get tickets is to just get it in the mansion you’re visiting. This is the most convenient and allows for spontaneity.

Tips For First-Timers to Newport, RI

Getting to newport.

If you’re flying into Newport, it’s almost 100% certain that you’ll arrive via the TF Green Airport.

From here, you can rent a car, ride the bus (via RIPTA or Peter Pan Bus Lines), or book an Uber to go to Newport.

Getting Around

Renting a car is by far the easiest and most convenient option for getting around, especially considering most mansions do not allow large bags and luggage inside.

Where To Stay

The magic of Newport is that wherever you decide to stay, you’ll be within walking distance of restaurants, bars, shops, and other attractions.

If you want oceanfront views, Castle Hill Inn & Resort, Club Wyndham Inn on Long Wharf, or The Chanler at Cliff Walk are solid choices.

However, if downtown Newport is more your style, Hotel Viking, Courtyard by Marriott Newport Middletown, or Mill Street Inn are also great places to stay.

What To Wear

Rhode Island weather is notoriously variable. From early June to mid-September, average highs reach above 70°F; mid-September to October is known for its Indian summers, with warm, dry weather during the day and cooler temperatures at night.

November is characterized by rainfall, and December to March sees average highs of around 44°F, with more than 20 inches of snowfall yearly.

It’s wise to dress according to the weather but plan for sudden changes. Layers are encouraged, as well as weatherproof footwear.

Best Time Of Year To Visit

The end of spring (around May) and the start of autumn (around September) are generally considered the best times of the year to visit Newport, weather-wise. Not too hot, not too cold, and a few drops of rain make it the ideal weather for walking around.

What To Eat

Your trip to Newport would be a waste if you don’t at least try some of Newport’s signature dishes and drinks.

Coffee milk has been the official state drink since 1993. Coffee is simmered with pure cane sugar to create a syrup, which is then mixed with ice-cold milk.

Del’s frozen lemonade started out as a mix of snow, lemons, and sugar in the 1840s and is now prepared by machine, producing a frozen product with a texture between a Slurpee and an Italian ice.

As a coastal city, Newport had plenty of ways to prepare various seafood. Clams casino is a dish made of littleneck clams stuffed with bacon, peppers, and breadcrumbs and then broiled.

They also like putting their unique twist on already-known dishes. For instance, johnnycakes are pancakes made of cornmeal, and their version of zeppoles aren’t fried donuts but creampuff-like pastries filled with custard-type cream and topped with more cream and a cherry.

Plan Your Newport Mansion Tour Today!

Exploring Newport mansions gives you a glimpse of how the rich lived in the Gilded Age, which is part of our history.

In fact, it’s one of the stops in a New England road trip itinerary that we’ve previously described.

Don’t forget to check out nearby Rhode Island wineries .

Start organizing and scheduling your trip to Newport today!

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The “Inside ‘The Gilded Age’” Tour Returns To The Newport Mansions

Prepare yourself for Season 2 of HBO’s “The Gilded Age” by experiencing a special guided tour through locations in the Newport Mansions where scenes for the popular historical drama were filmed.

For a limited time, The Preservation Society of Newport County is offering an exclusive “Inside ‘The Gilded Age’” tour, a 3½-hour experience at The Breakers, Marble House, The Elms and Chateau-sur-Mer. The tour is offered once on Fridays starting May 12 and is limited to a maximum of 12 people.

“They add a kind of luster to the program that we would be the poorer without,” said Julian Fellowes, creator of “Downton Abbey” and “The Gilded Age,” when asked about filming scenes at the Newport Mansions. “We very much benefited from that.”

The tour guide will show multiple rooms that appeared in the series and offer insights into the real people who lived in these mansions, some of whom inspired characters in “The Gilded Age.” Visitors also will learn what is involved for the Newport Mansions to host a major television production.

At The Elms, visitors will see the kitchen where the Russells’ household staff works and gossips as well as Gladys Russell’s bedroom. Then it’s on to Marble House to see Mr. Russell’s bedroom; the grand bedroom that was the inspiration for Bertha Russell’s room; and the kitchen in Mrs. Astor’s house through which Bertha made a hasty escape.

During a stop at Chateau-sur-Mer, the exterior of which was used as Mrs. Astor’s Newport cottage, visitors can inspect multiple locations where scenes were filmed, including the distinctive stair hall with its “Tree of Life” mural and the dining room and ballroom where Mrs. Fish’s doll tea party was held. The tour will also show Agnes van Rhijn’s bedroom, Oscar van Rhijn’s bedroom, Mrs. Morris’ bedroom and Mr. Morris’ office.

After a break for lemonade and cookies on the porch at Chateau-sur-Mer, the tour moves on to The Breakers to see the billiard room, where railroad tycoon George Russell plotted his business deals, and the spectacular music room that appeared as the ballroom where Gladys’ debut ball was held in the season finale.

The tour includes transportation to all locations, with pick-up and drop-off at the Gateway Transportation Center, 23 America’s Cup Ave. Participants will also receive a 10 percent discount in the Newport Mansions Stores. Tickets must be purchased in advance; Preservation Society members receive a 20 percent discount on the ticket price. Visit  www.newportmansions.org/ events/inside-the-gilded-age- tour  to learn more.

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HBO’s Gilded Age Newport Mansion Tours

If you are a fan of the TV series ‘The Gilded Age,’ you will love these Newport Mansion tours thanks to their rigorous historical preservation. These mansions also served as a set for several of the TV series episodes.

The Gilded Age, which started in the 1870s and lasted for over 4 decades, was a time of unprecedented development in American history. Increasing industrialization and commerce, along with the absence of income tax, gave birth to titles like Rockefeller, Carnegie, Ford, Morgan, and Vanderbilt. Massive fortunes were amassed and spent on luxurious lifestyles and palace-like mansions.

The epicenter of the Gilded Age spectacle was at the magnificent summer homes of the Newport mansions, where emerging millionaires competed to outshine one another at athletic events, concerts, carriage parades, banquets, balls, and other forms of entertainment. Rosecliff, The Elms, Marble House, and The Breakers were built at the height of the Gilded Age and are examples of homes that show their owners’ fixation with social standing and imitation of European royalty.

These well-known and wealthy families built most of their palace mansions in New York City, particularly on Fifth Avenue, during this economic boom. However, only a small number of homes are still standing, with most of the Newport estates being converted into luxury hotels where you can stay and be transported to the Gilded Era. The hotels offer an opportunity to admire the luxurious interiors, stay cooped up in chic rooms, and enjoy the panoramic view of the city’s famed Cliff Walk.

Following are a few of the Newport mansions still standing for you to spend a few nights in and feel like a part of the Gilded Age cast and crew.

The Cliffside Inn

The Cliffside Inn , the 16-room Victorian house is situated on Seaview Avenue on the city’s prized Cliff Walk with views of Easton Bay. Thomas Swan, the governor of Maryland, built the mansion before moving in. It is referred to as the Swan Villa still by the old households living in the area. Beatrice Turner, who was a well-known painter, later lived in the house until 1948, after which the mansion was transformed into a respected school for boys only, St. George’s School.

Hotel Viking

If there’s a Newport mansion that stands out from the rest, it is Hotel Viking, a brick building in the colonial style known locally as “the people’s hotel.” It was actually constructed as a hotel during the 1920s, not as a private residence. It immediately sold out as soon as the doors opened to out-of-town visitors.

Johnny Cash also stayed in one of the rooms of this extraordinary hotel.

The Chanler

In 1870, at the beginning of the Gilded Age, John Winthrop Chanler, who was a New York congressman, began construction on his now-famous residence on the outskirts of Easton Bay. Three years later, the “cottage,” as he referred to it, was completely finished and served as the ideal getaway for him and Margaret Astor Ward, his wife.

The Chandlers subsequently sold the house, as is customary for the world’s richest people, and it was converted into a historical museum, the summer residence of Bishop Francis Patrick Keough, the Tole Thorpe School for Girls , and even a housing complex for naval personnel.

But the marvel of architecture became a 30-room hotel just after the Second World War.

Hire a Tour Guide For HBO Gilded Age Newport Mansion Tours

Apart from the fascinating and luxurious hotels, the mansions that are still standing include The Marble House, The Beakers Mansion, and the legendary Bellevue Avenue. If you are a history fan, you can book a trolley tour to explore these magnificent mansions, admire the intricate architecture and luxurious interiors, and feel transported to the most splendid economic growth times in America.

With Viking Tours, you can see and experience an amazing era in American history and might even see the sets where our favorite TV series, The Gilded Age, was filmed.

Providing the best in touring and transportation since 1962. Viking Tours of Newport provides trolley tours in and around Newport’s museums, sailing, beaches, shopping, dining and other attractions. Private, wedding and corporate tours also available.

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Visiting Newport’s Gilded Age Mansions

• Post author By Nathalie
• Post date November 13, 2021
• No Comments on Visiting Newport’s Gilded Age Mansions

A while back, when exploring some of our local Miami area mansions such as Vizcaya , the Deering Estate , and the Flagler Museum , a reader suggested we visit the Gilded Age mansions in Newport, Rhode Island. We finally managed to fit in a mini vacation to see these wonderful historic homes.

We decided to fly into Hartford’s BDL airport from which Newport is almost a 2-hour drive. Other options include flying to Boston or Providence, which is the closest. However, we preferred to take a direct flight and the drive turned out to be quite scenic with the fall colors.

Since our flight home was cancelled, we also got to spend an extra day in Hartford which ended up being quite enjoyable. It’s always preferable to make lemonade when dealt a few lemons.

We ended up staying just outside of Newport at a hotel where rates were a bit lower. In retrospect, we should have splurged for one of the hotels in town to enjoy the waterfront area and be closer to the action and restaurants.

That said, parking was plentiful (it was off-season, so this is likely not the case mid-summer) and we managed to find some great spots to enjoy those traditional New England treats like clam chowder, lobster, and fish and chips. Our favorite spots were the Mooring, the Lobster House, and the Black Pearl restaurant.

A great way to start your visit is with the Cliff Walk along the waterfront that gives you a waterside view of the numerous Gilded Age Mansions that dot the ocean front. These enormous estates with their expansive lots of land were still considered cottages for the rich. Most of whom would only come here to vacation 6-8 weeks out of the year.

The Cliff Walk

Spanning about 3.5 miles the Cliff Walk is a great way to get a first glimpse of the mansions. We started at the Forty Steps marker where there is a staircase leading down to the rocky shore. From here you can make the trek in either direction, with most of the mansions being to your right (when facing the ocean).

Parking is available on the street and reasonably priced. You can pay at a machine next to the public toilets or use an app to pay with your smart phone.

Wear good shoes! While much of the path is flat and smooth, some sections cross over boulders, through dark tunnels, and wet gravel. Also, look out for the waves as we got a little spray from the breaking surf hitting the wall. I imagine that on a rough day it could lead to a soaking!

We thought this was a perfect introduction before going to tour the individual mansions.

Visiting the mansions

In the peak season, there are at least 10 Gilded Age mansions that are open for touring. Having come at the end of October, we were really at the end of the season. Additional closures were coming November 1, so we were lucky to see as many as we did. Do check the opening schedules before making plans late in the season.

Of course, if it’s an easy trip to make, some of the mansions strongly suggested a Christmas visit. We saw some of the decorations being put in place and were told they were only starting. (We saw a tree in almost every room at The Elms!).

We enjoyed the leisurely pace of touring 2-3 mansions a day. Most had great audio tours that you could download with an app on your phone. These were all very well done and informative. Most tours lasted about an hour with the larger mansions being slightly longer. Those that want additional information can also find lots of details in the apps using additional and optional features.  There’s even a children’s tour, and we had a ghost tour for Halloween! Just look for the QR code as you walk in. Some mansions also offered free Wi-Fi to speed up your download.

We got to visit five mansions during our extended weekend visit as well as a few additional sites.

Some of the main Gilded Age mansions are owned by the Preservation Society of Newport County and you can get a discounted three-mansion pass. These are by far the best restored properties and if your time is limited, be sure to choose the most famous ones.

The Breakers

The Breakers is by far the biggest and most impressive mansion of the lot. We left this one for last and it did not fail to impress even after having seen all the others.

The Vanderbilt family made their fortune in steamships and railroads during the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century.

Cornelius Vanderbilt II purchased a wooden house called The Breakers in Newport, but it burned down in 1892. This prompted Vanderbilt to commission the construction of a 70-room Renaissance-style Italian villa. The design was inspired by his visits to 16th-century palaces in Genoa and Turin.

Vanderbilt also went out of his way to make the new construction fireproof using brick-and-steel throughout. Even the boiler room was moved to a spot under the lawn instead of being under the house. The kitchen was built in a separate wing.

The mansion was completed in 1895 and Cornelius II and Alice Vanderbilt with their seven children moved in that summer. The Breakers was opened to the public in 1948 to raise funds for the society. In 1972, the Preservation Society of Newport County purchased the house from the Vanderbilt heirs, and it was designated as a National Historic Landmark.

We loved the tour of this Gilded Age mansion and the incredible rooms. Each is so different and beautiful in its own way. You can see that no expense was spared. Gold leaf, platinum, imported leathers and of course beautiful paintings and decor. All done by the best architects, builders, and artisans of the times. Some pieces had to be cut down to size in order to fit into the allotted spaces.

We also loved the grounds, and we were able to walk right out to the edge of the lawn to see the rocky shoreline and the crashing waves.

Marble House

Built between 1888 and 1892 for William K. and Alva Vanderbilt, Marble House was another impressive summer cottage! This social and architectural landmark started a trend from the modest wooden cottages in the neighborhood to the creation of extravagant stone palaces.

Alva Vanderbilt envisioned Marble House as a tribute and temple to the Arts in America inspired by the Petit Trianon near the Versailles Palace in France.  Half a million cubic feet of marble make up what was said to be an $11 million construction at the time. It was a present for his wife’s 39 th birthday!

Marble House is a beautiful mansion inside and out. We loved the audio guide and the information it gave about the house and the Gilded Age lifestyle. Be sure to look up at the splendid frescos on the dining room ceiling as well as the 22-karat gold leaf decor of the Grand Salon.

The Preservation Society of Newport County acquired Marble House in 1963 and in 2006 it was designated a National Historic Landmark.

The Elms was intended as a modest summer residence for Mr. and Mrs. Edward Julius Berwind who made their fortunes from coal. This estate was designed after the mid-18th century French Château d’Asnieres near Paris .

Built in 1901 at a cost of $1.4 million, this grand castle-like mansion is decorated with Renaissance ceramics, 18th century French and Venetian paintings, and Oriental jades.

The gardens on the grounds were designed and constructed between 1907 and 1914 and have many terraces with wonderful bronze and marble sculptures, fountains, a sunken garden, and a carriage house.

The Elms was sold at public auction in 1961 and the Preservation Society of Newport County purchased it in 1962 opening it up to the public. It was soon after designated a National Historic Landmark.

Rough Point

Built between 1887 and 1891 for Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt, Rough Point changed hands a few times before opening as a museum in 2000 as per the wishes of its most famous owner, Doris Duke. Inside there is an exhibit about her life.

Rough Point is a privately funded restoration and tickets are available at the door. There is also an audio guide app which complements your tour with more information. There was even a spooky version for Halloween which highlighted some of the ‘ghostly encounters’ the staff had experienced. These were all recounted in their own voices. Quite interesting!

We just loved the solarium and the outdoor bridge, now part of the Cliff Walk, by the ocean. We were told that the former owner, Doris Duke, would swim from this area into the ocean daily, right into her 70s. She was also a large contributor to the restoration of many of Newport’s historic buildings. The mansion is now owned by the Newport Restoration Foundation.

Belcourt is a private mansion purchased in 2012 by Carolyn Rafaelian, a jewelry entrepreneur. We were told she bought the mansion for 3.5 million but has further invested over $10 million into the restoration efforts which are ongoing.

To visit you must buy a timed ticket and the tour is done with a guide who recounts some of his own experience hosting weddings along with various anecdotes about the ongoing restoration.

Originally build in 1894 for Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont and his prized horses, the property revolves around the stables and the carriage room. The house has a modest bedroom and a single bathroom on the top floor. Like a 40,000 sq. ft one bed, one bath!

The story goes that shortly after marrying the Vanderbilt daughter, Alva (who was freshly divorced), she set out to renovate the place and make it more hospitable to entertaining.

We liked this visit the least in that the property seemed an eclectic mix of modern and historic that just didn’t fit together for us. An old bar with a petroleum pump, chrome chairs and a brass Harley motorcycle with furniture from the 17th century. Hmm. Well, I guess whoever spends $10 million to restore the place can decorate it as they wish! They also did the tour with no masks while the other mansions all had mandatory mask mandates.

Our favorite room was the top floor living area with amazing stained-glass windows and an incredible fireplace. They even had an organ installed up there.

Good to know for visiting the mansions

• The Breakers, The Elms and Marble House open daily at 10 am (last admission at 5 pm). The houses and grounds close at 6 pm. There is a three-property ticket available for $42
• The Elms Servant Life Tour takes place daily at 10:30 am and 3 pm for $15
• Rough Point and other venues had tickets available for $20
• Ample parking was available at all the sites and was free

If you come earlier in the season, be sure to also visit some of the other more famous ones like Rosecliff, Chateau-sur-Mer, Kingscote, Isaac Bell House, Hunter House, and Chepstow.

Further afield

We had some extra time and many of the mansions were closed at the time of our visit in late October. Here are some other attractions that are close by.

Green Animals Topiary Garden

A surprisingly large garden with animal shapes made of various plants. There were also some blooming flowers even late in October.

Kids might like the animal topiaries. Having seen some spectacular examples in Montreal we were not that impressed, but it was a nice way to spend an hour for a change of scenery.

Stroll over to the waterfront for some river views too.

The house itself also has some history but cannot be visited. However, it remains a self-sufficient estate with ornamental topiaries, vegetable gardens, orchards, and flower beds.

Open weekends at 10 am (last admission at 5 pm). Grounds close at 6 pm, however, Green Animals Topiary Garden closes for the season after October 31.

Out by the beautiful harbor, Fort Adams is said to be one of the largest and most impressive fortification. Perhaps from an old military standpoint, but as a tourist attraction we felt it was somewhat neglected.

If you have ample time or just love military history, you may want to come but it would not rank high in our list of must-sees. The best part was to get a great view of Newport Harbor from across the bay.

Newport Harbor Area

Definitely come and stroll the harbor front area for some shopping and great views. There are plenty of excellent seafood restaurants and lots of street parking. The parking app was simple to use and convenient to top up parking when we needed to.

While it was cold in late October, there were still many sailing tours, some on actual America’s Cup sailboats. A harbor tour would surely be a wonderful activity during the warmer months.

We enjoyed our trip to Newport, Rhode Island, and would certainly recommend it. While late October was still good, there would be more venues open during the summer months, and it would probably be a better time to come if you don’t mind crowds.

We would also recommend splurging to stay in town as the picturesque waterfront was nice to walk around and we would have enjoyed it. Maybe even more so on long summer days.

While we managed to do a lot with just 3 days, we had rain and a flight delay giving us a late start. If you want to see more of the mansions you may want to add some extra time. As it was, we did well with our time and enjoyed visiting this lovely New England area.

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By Nathalie

Avid Traveler and Master Scuba Diver Sharing stories, photos and insights about the places I’ve visited. Simply sharing my experience and giving travel tips to help others plan their own dream trip and travel independently.

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Newport Gilded Age Mansions Trolley Tour With Breakers Admission - With Reviews & Ratings

• Newport Tours
• Culture & Theme Based Tours
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Newport Gilded Age Mansions Trolley Tour With Breakers Admission

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Tour Information

Key Details

• Mobile Voucher Accepted
• Hotel pickup Available
• Instant Confirmation
• Lowest Price Guaranteed
• Duration: 3 Hrs
• Language: English
• Departure Time : Please check in 15 minutes prior to tour departure Tour departs within walking distance of the cruise port
• Return Details : DAY OF TRAVEL (For ages 5+ only) IMPORTANT: Tours may be canceled if there are any winter weather events forecast that involve ice or snow, in which full refunds are provided. Travelers who are visit.. read more
• Cancellation Policy : This activity is non-refundable Tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.

For ages 5 & up, this approx 3-hour tour is our Best Of Newport Trolley Tour PLUS a 90-minute tour ticket for admission inside the Vanderbilt Breaker's Mansion. After boarding our luxurious and comfortable trolley at Bus Platform #2 of the Visitor's Center, your driver starts the tour with a brief history of Colonial-era downtown and explains the Gilded Era history and events that occurred over the centuries. Then you will experience breath-taking views of scenic Ocean drive prior to seeing the strip of mansions lining Bellevue Ave. Along the route, movie and TV sets will come to life, such as the Great Gatsby, Amistad, True Lies, and a dozen more. Today's happenings are also thoroughly covered such as the best dining spots, boat tours, and other fun activities. Your tour guide will detail the best way to navigate this bustling city as well as explain the Cliff walk attractions.

Know More about this tour

(For ages 5 & up only). Park at the Newport Transit Center public lot and locate the white trolley at Bus Platform #2 outside. Show your cell phone or printed ticket to driver. The driver will provide your Breaker's Mansion pass if you purchased that option. The trolley tour will enter Fort Adams, a historic 1799 landmark and home of today's annual Newport Jazz Festival and Newport Folk Festival. The fort is also home to President Eisenhower's summer home called the Eisenhower House.The Welcome Center features a snack bar, clean restrooms, and ticket sales counter to take a tour inside of the fort. There are also 2 water taxi stops and free public parking at Fort Adams State Park. The Bennington Overlook section of Fort Adams offers breathtaking sunsets over Narragansett Bay with free parking as well. The trolley tour passes by Brenton Point State Park, former estate of RI's 2nd governor William Brenton (elected 1665). Brenton Point State Park is a free public park offering pristine views of the Atlantic Ocean on 2 sides of the park plus free sunsets over the water 12 months per year. Seasonal restrooms are available in the stone building The trolley tour travels through the Ocean Drive Historic District. Visitors will begin to see Newport's Gilded Age Mansions lining the Atlantic Ocean with breathtaking scenery. Mansions on Ocean Drive include Mavis and Jay Leno's Seafair, and several filming locations of HBO's TV series "The Gilded Age" including Indian Spring Castle, The Ledges and Crossways mansions. Once the trolley tour enters the Newport Cliff Walk area of the Bellevue Ave Historic District, riders will begin to learn about the Gilded Age mansions along the Cliff Walk, which are on the ocean side of the mansions for 3.5 miles between Reject's Beach and Newport Beach.Your guide will explain how to best access the Cliff Walk and areas where parking is free to enjoy the Cliff Walk and the best areas for viewing. The trolley tour stops in front of the 2nd of the 3 Newport Vanderbilt mansions "The Marble House". This small palace built in 1892 was instrumental in the passage of the women's suffrage movement, as Alva Vanderbilt hosted fundraisers in her pagoda (Chinese Tea House on the Cliff Walk) whereby she raised a great deal of money to pass the 19th amendment. Both the Marble House and Chinese Tea House were the Asian wedding set in the Katherine Heigel classic movie "27 Dresses"Free parking for Marble House tour visitors is available across the street at 585 Bellevue Ave. The trolley tour stops in front of the Rosecliff Mansion, a 1902 'summer cottage" of Tessie Fair-Oelrichs. The most famous movie filmed here was The Great Gatsby (Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston).Tours are available at the Rosecliff mansion on a seasonal basis. The trolley tour stops at The Breakers Newport, the 3rd Vanderbilt Mansion in Newport and discharges passengers who purchased this interior tour option.This 1895 'summer cottage' is the largest mansion in the region and is RIs most visited tourist attraction. It sits on the Newport Cliff Walk facing SE towards the Atlantic Ocean. The trolley tour continues along Bellevue Ave and passes by The Elms Newport, a Gilded Age mansion of Edward and Sarah Berwind. The guide explains the 2 tours that are available inside the Elms Mansion. The trolley tour passes by the front door of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the 1881 site of the old Newport Casino (shopping district of the Gilded Age millionaires). The guide explains the free and for-fee tours available inside the ITHOF. The trolley tour continues into Downtown Newport's bustling waterfront district anchored by Bowen's Wharf. The guide explains the shopping, dining, boating excursions, and other waterfront attractions along America's Cup Ave.

• Tour inside the Breakers Mansion and its grounds for an additional 90 minutes
• Our breath-taking, narrated scenic overview trolley tour of Newport
• For ages 5+ only, board our luxurious, comfortable late-model trolley with leather captain's chairs
• See over 150+ points of interest such as Colonial Downtown, Scenic Ocean Drive, and Mansion Row

Additional Info

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

IMPORTANT: Tours may be canceled if there are any winter weather events forecast that involve ice or snow, in which we will provide full refunds. Travelers who are visiting Newport for the sole purpose of taking a trolley tour are encouraged to purchase trip cancelation insurance for their hotels and flights, as the likelihood of tour cancelation is increased during colder weather. Passenger safety is our primary concern.

*MINIMUM AGE TO EXPERIENCE THIS TOUR IS 5 YEARS OLD*

Departure point is the Newport Transportation Center, 23 America's Cup Ave, Newport RI, platform #2

Public parking is available at the Transit Center for a fee.

The duration of this tour is 160-180 minutes depending on traffic conditions

All tours depart promptly at their scheduled times

This enclosed trolley tour operates rain or shine except during and after winter weather events which involve snow or ice

Please do not meet directly at the Breakers mansion. You will visit the attraction during the trolley tour

Youth under 17 must be accompanied by an adult

Our drivers have updated manifests on their devices. Cancelled tickets are not accepted for admission

The trolley is not handicapped accessible.. Driver may assign seating based on customer needs

Management at the Breakers Mansion no longer allows curbside drop off and pickup. All passengers are discharged and picked up in the bus lot at the mansion. Visitors will have a walking requirement about 700 feet from the drop off point to the front door of the mansion.

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Traveler Reviews

Is fun , entertaining and knowledgeable Highly recommend this wonderful experience. God way to spend some of your time in Newport

Excellent tour of Newport along with the amazing mansions. Troy, our tour guide and driver was was informed, fun and easy to listen to.

Touring The Breakers Mansion it was beautiful . Also our tour guide on the Trolley was very informative and kept us in gaged the whole time . I believe his name was Troy.

Fun trip, Troy was our tour guide, and he was full of historical stories and funny ones too. The mansion in the grounds were beautiful, and a lot of information was easily provided to us through the breakers app that we downloaded on our phone.

This tour was great, our driver Troy made it very enjoyable and light hearted. We very much enjoyed this tour and would highly recommend it to everyone visiting Newport.

It was a unique and cool experience. Perfect for a little getaway! Trolly Rob was funny and great as well!

The knowledge the guide had was awesome and very helpful. The Breakers was stepping back in time....loved it.

The driver and narrator was extremely entertaining and bursting with commentary and facts about the famous Newport families, mansions, and social scene.

This was an excellent experience. The guide trolly Bob was so informative and entertaining. Thank you for a great experience Love the Batons

Great tour guide. Great trip very informative and fun. Loved the trolly and the houses. On time and safe driver

Tour the stunning mansions of America's Gilded Age tycoons

Posted: 31 March 2024 | Last updated: 31 March 2024

The opulent estates of the richest Americans

As American industrialism boomed at the close of the 19th century, so dawned the Gilded Age of wealth and opulence for the American elite.

However, even as their fortunes skyrocketed, capitalist tycoons still found themselves barred from many social hubs, which remained exclusive enclaves for the ‘old money’ set. So many of these American millionaires set about buying their way into high society by building their own hallowed halls, flaunting their fortunes through some of the most opulent estates in the Western world.

Click or scroll on to see inside some of these stately haunts...

The "nouveau riche"

However, shaking off the mantle of "nouveau riche" was no easy task for these early industrialists, as their money was considered distasteful for more than the mere recentness of its acquisition.

The purportedly ruthless, exploitative and even corrupt business practices of tycoons such as Cornelius Vanderbilt, J P Morgan, and John D Rockefeller underwent much public scrutiny, aided and abetted by hostile political cartoons which depicted the businessmen as villainous caricatures.  

Who were the robber barons?

The term "robber baron", first coined by The New York Times in an 1859 article to describe Cornelius Vanderbilt, immediately captured the public imagination, conjuring up images of backroom government deals and mammoth financial monopolies.

As the phrase entered into common parlance, Vanderbilt and his financial compatriots began the uphill battle of buying their way back into society’s good books, brick by marble brick.

Let's explore some of the magnificent homes they built…

Cornelius "the Commodore" Vanderbilt

Any exploration of robber baron property must rightly begin with Cornelius “the Commodore” Vanderbilt, the man who started it all. Vanderbilt was an early investor in the railroad industry, and by the 1850s was the wealthiest man in America.

With a leadership position in the inland water trade, enormous shipping holdings and his substantial stake in the rapidly expanding railway system, Vanderbilt amassed a net worth of more than $100 million – roughly $3 billion (£2.4bn) in today’s money – by the time of his death in 1877.

Cornelius II

After Vanderbilt’s death, his vast fortune trickled down his family tree to his children and grandchildren, creating an entire family of millionaires. The lion’s share of the Commodore’s estate was inherited by his eldest son William Henry, who managed to double his $100 million-dollar inheritance through his business pursuits before his own death eight years later.

The majority of his fortune was then divided between his two eldest sons: Cornelius II, pictured here, and William, who would turn it into some truly spectacular homes.

Cornelius Vanderbilt II House: prime location

Cornelius Vanderbilt II, widely acknowledged to be the patriarch's favourite child, set his sights on building the largest and most opulent home in New York City.

From its vantage point on the coveted northwest corner of 5th Avenue and West 57th Street – a location which first required the purchasing and subsequent demolishing of three extant brownstones – the new home was designed to command attention, as well as to “dwarf” the Petit Chateau designed by sister-in-law Alva Vanderbilt, with whom Cornelius’ wife Alice was in steep competition.

Cornelius Vanderbilt II House: Beaux-Arts design

Cornelius hired the celebrated Beaux-Arts architect George B Post to design the townhouse, which was commissioned as a showstopping, chateaux-inspired residence of red brick and limestone.

After the house’s completion in 1883, Cornelius went on to hire the finest artisans money could buy to decorate the interiors. Aware of the family’s precarious social position, Alice even went so far as to commission the creation of a family coat of arms, which was carved in stone above the entryway to the home.

Cornelius Vanderbilt II House: expansion

However, in order to retain their position as the owners of the most imposing residence on 5th Avenue in light of larger robber baron mansions springing up around them, Cornelius and Alice commissioned an expansion of the house from Post and rising architectural star Richard Morris Hunt in the early 1890s.

Cornelius hired extra builders to work day and night to finish the expansion, which was completed in record time by 1893, and cost the modern-day equivalent of $102 million (£81m).

The Breakers: Rhode Island estate

Despite its 130 rooms – including an enormous ballroom and Louis XV and Louis XVI-style salons – Cornelius and Alice were not satisfied with their expanded New York home and decided to chase the city’s elite out to Newport, Rhode Island where they purchased The Breakers for roughly $15 million (£11.9m) in today's money.

Unfortunately for the couple, the Queen Anne-style summer “cottage” burned down in 1892, necessitating a complete rebuild, but creating yet another opportunity for opulent construction.

The Breakers: Renaissance style

Cornelius and Alice rehired Richard Morris Hunt to design the new Breakers, this time reimagined as a five-storey, Renaissance-style Italian palazzo. With no expense spared, the new cottage was finished in 1895 with an estimated final budget of at least $255 million (£203m) in today’s money.

Richly appointed by Jules Allard and Sons and Beaux-Arts architect and interior decorator Ogden Codman Jr, the mansion’s 70 rooms overflowed with premium marble, gilded fixtures and furnishings imported from French chateaux.

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The Breakers: the grandest "cottage" in Newport

The final product was far and away the most opulent of the Newport summer cottages, outshining Alva Vanderbilt’s Marble House and attracting extensive interest from the elite enclave’s other residents.

Just as Alice had hoped when commissioning the home, many of Newport’s finest families accepted her invitations to grand balls and soirées merely to get a peek inside the magnificent house, and to marvel at its marble staircases, platinum leaf walls and enormous crystal chandeliers.

George Washington Vanderbilt II

Not to be outdone by his older brothers, William Henry’s youngest son, George Washington Vanderbilt II, went on to commission the largest and grandest private estate in the US: Biltmore.

Though his own inheritance from William Henry was less substantial than that of his brothers, George still inherited millions after his father’s passing, and in 1889 he hired over 1,000 workers to begin construction on an enormous 178,926-square-foot residence. According to reports , it cost $6 million (£4.8m) to build, which is around $200 million (£158m) in today's money.

Biltmore: colossal residence

George called upon the family-favourite architect William Morris Hunt, to design the colossal residence in the scenic countryside of Asheville, North Carolina, which he planned to name after the Dutch town of De Bilt, where the Vanderbilt family had its roots.

The 250-room mansion was to be modelled after French Chateaux, and would preside over 700 parcels of land totalling 250,000 acres.

Biltmore: failure to impress

After its completion in 1895, George, who was a great art collector, packed the home with furnishings, paintings and antiquities dating as far back as the 15th century.

However, rather than appealing to the upper echelons of society, the home’s grandeur was instead deemed flashy, tacky and tasteless by such social critics as Edith Wharton and Caroline Astor, who believed that the opulent mansion epitomised the classlessness of the "nouveau riche".

Biltmore: dark secrets

Not only did the enormous home fail to impress the societal doyens it was designed to entice, the mansion hid a macabre side as well. After George died in 1914, his wife Edith is supposed to have spent hours in the library every day, speaking to her deceased husband.

The home is also packed with secret doors and passageways, as well as an unexplained space filled with mannequins!

Andrew Carnegie

Originally born in Dunfermline, Scotland in 1835, Andrew Carnegie had risen to fame and fortune in the United States by the turn of the century. Having spearheaded the expansion of the American steel industry, Carnegie accrued a fortune which would have equated to hundreds of billions of dollars in today’s money.

A philanthropist as well as an industrialist, Carnegie gave away nearly 90% of his fortune in the final 18 years of his life to various charities, foundations, and universities, and called upon others to do the same.

Andrew Carnegie Mansion: "humble" home

Carnegie’s real estate holdings mirrored his preachings, and despite his immense wealth, he asked architectural firm Babb, Cook & Willard to design for him the “most modest, plainest and most roomy house in New York.”

The home would be located not on the fashionable stretch of Fifth Avenue, where so many of his peers had built their palaces, but on a 1.3-acre lot about a mile north of the desirable area.

Andrew Carnegie Mansion: grander than planned

The Georgian revival-style home was completed in 1902, and was ultimately a bit grander than Carnegie had specified, with 64 rooms spread across 56,364 square feet.

These rooms were all comfortably appointed in accordance with early 20th-century standards, and featured details including carved wall panels, decorative ceiling mouldings, gilt fixtures and antique furnishings. The home also offered a private garden, the largest in New York, which Carnegie cited as the reason he selected the acreage despite its less-than-fashionable location.

Andrew Carnegie Mansion: modern technology

In addition to its creature comforts, the home also boasted the best in modern technology. It was the first residence in America to be built from a steel frame, and one of the first to feature an Otis lift and central heating.

The manse served as Carnegie’s primary residence until his death in 1919, at which point his wife Louise continued to live there until her own passing in 1946. The house subsequently passed to the Carnegie Foundation, and was ultimately gifted to the Smithsonian in 1972.

Thomas Carnegie

Though the lesser known of the Carnegie brothers, Thomas Carnegie was a steel industrialist in his own right, and the co-founder of the Edgar Thomson Steel Works. In 1881, Thomas purchased land on Cumberland Island in Georgia as a gift for his wife Lucy and their nine children, on which he commissioned the construction of an enormous mansion.

The 59-room Dungeness, as the home would be called, was modelled after the turreted castles of Carnegie's native Scotland.

Dungeness: lavish estate

The spectacular estate included multiple pools, a golf course and 40 auxiliary buildings to house the 200-odd servants required to keep a mansion of that size operational. Between 1881 and 1886, Carnegie continued to buy up land on Cumberland Island to expand the estate, which had yet to be finished to his satisfaction before his sudden death in 1886.

Thomas’ wife Lucy finished the house’s construction herself, and turned Dungeness into the family’s primary home until her own death in 1916.

Dungeness: tragic ending

Lucy’s estate was sufficient to maintain the property until the financial crash of 1929, at which point the Carnegie family was forced to abandon the mansion forever.

Thirty years later, a mysterious fire broke out at Dungeness , destroying the house and the majority of the auxiliary buildings, leaving behind only haunting ruins of what had once been a magnificent European-inspired mansion.

John D Rockefeller

Giving Carnegie a run for his money, so to speak, business magnate John D Rockefeller was also widely considered the wealthiest American of all time. With substantial shares in the Standard Oil Company, which he founded, Rockefeller quickly established a monopoly on the industry, revolutionising the petroleum trade in America.

As the importance of kerosene and gasoline skyrocketed with the spread of electricity and the invention of the automobile, Rockefeller rose to become America’s first billionaire, with a peak net worth of approximately $28 billion (£22bn) in today’s money.

Kykuit: Georgian Revival architecture

In 1893, Rockefeller purchased land in the Pocantico Hills of New York, near to his brother’s estate, and commissioned the construction of a massive mansion which would overlook the Hudson River. Kykuit, as the home came to be known, was originally designed to be a steep-roofed, three-storey structure.

However, the final product was redesigned by celebrated architect William Welles Bosworth to be an imposing six-storey stone Georgian Revival structure, as can be seen here.

Kykuit: finest furnishings

Rockefeller next hired popular interior designer Ogden Codman Jr to decorate the home, sparing no expense on the elegant neo-classical furnishings which were in vogue in the early 20th century.

After six years of construction, the home was finally finished in 1913, and packed to the gills with antique English furniture, Chinese and European fine ceramics and a few Ming Dynasty pieces specially purchased from J P Morgan’s private collection.

Kykuit: the family seat

In addition to the magnificent 40-room mansion, Rockefeller also equipped his estate with a private golf course, expertly manicured gardens and lawns and a coach barn packed with his collection of cars and carriages.

Kykuit went on to serve as the family seat for four generations of Rockefellers, each of whom added to its prestige by continuing to fill it with valuable antiques, artworks and curios from around the world.

Henry Clay Frick

Though perhaps less of a household name than Carnegie or Rockefeller, Henry Clay Frick amassed a fortune equal to any of the robber barons through his work in the coal and steel industries.

Like many of his fellow industrialists,  Frick purchased land  on New York City’s fashionable Fifth Avenue and went on to commission the construction of what was contemporaneously described as the most expensive and most sumptuous house in America. The home and land would equate to around $155 million (£123m) in today’s money, 

Henry Clay Frick House: tasteful style

Frick appointed the firm of Carrère and Hastings to design his three-storey mansion in the popular Beaux-Arts style, specifying that the home should be “in good taste, not ostentatious.”

The result was a simplistic but elegant limestone mansion, large but not lavish in its exterior design. The 61-room house was completed in 1913, at which point Clay, an inveterate art lover, set about stocking its interiors with his impressive collections.

Henry Clay Frick House: unparalleled art collection

These included Renaissance and Rococo furniture, Meissen and Sèvres porcelain, Limoges enamels and, most notably, one of the finest privately held collections of paintings in the world, including works by Holbein, Vermeer, Goya and Fragonard.

Frick even went so far as to commission an entire Rococo-style room in which to display a series of Fragonard panels as they were originally intended to be presented.

Henry Clay Frick House: generous bequest

However, the most impressive rooms in the home were the East and West Galleries, each topped with concave glass ceilings and intricately carved cornices.

Tragically, Frick only lived in the property for five years before his death in 1919. In his will, the industrialist tycoon gifted the home and its entire contents, art collection included, to the American people, along with a $15 million (£12m) endowment to fund the eponymous art museum, which opened in 1935.

Wall Street titan and investing tycoon J P Morgan dominated the corporate world of the Gilded Age. As the driving force behind a wave of industrial consolidation, Morgan was credited with shepherding the American financial world out of the "Panic of 1907", and was hailed for much of his career as the lynchpin of the American economy.

By the time of his death at the age of 75, Morgan had amassed an estimated fortune of $80 million – the equivalent of $2.5 billion (£1.9bn) in today’s money.

Denham Place: country retreat

With a penchant for luxurious living, J P Morgan possessed an expansive property portfolio which spanned both sides of the Atlantic. The American tycoon was a true Anglophile, and the purchase of this Buckinghamshire estate in England enabled him to add his name to an illustrious list of previous owners, including the Bonaparte family and the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, to name but a few.

The magnificent late-17th-century mansion, which is currently on the market for $94 million (£75m) , boasts a magnificent Georgian façade and 43 acres of sprawling parkland designed by renowned 18th-century landscape architect Lancelot "Capability" Brown.

Denham Place: regal interiors

The Grade I-listed manor house comprises a jaw-dropping 28,500 square feet of space, including 12 reception rooms, 12 bedroom suites, 14 bathrooms, family and catering kitchens, a private chapel, two staircases and an elevator.

As Morgan was a renowned art collector, the home is unsurprisingly well stocked with hand-painted ceiling frescos, custom crystal chandeliers, silk wall panels and curtains and even a handwoven carpet inspired by one in Buckingham Palace.

Denham Place: ideal for entertaining

Amply proportioned for hosting, the mansion also boasts a number of special features designed specifically for entertaining, including a theatre and formal dining room with an Italian Calacatta marble fireplace.

Morgan, like many of his Gilded Age peers, was much celebrated for his elaborate parties and events, and a stately home of this size and grandeur would have provided him with an ideal platform on which to stage some truly lavish gatherings.

John Jacob Astor

One of the earliest businessmen to achieve the title of "robber baron", John Jacob Astor was a German-born merchant and real estate mogul whose fortune arose from a combination of his monopoly over the fur trade, his operations smuggling opium into America from China and his early investments in real estate in and around the rapidly developing New York City.

One of the wealthiest people in modern history, Astor left a legacy of riches which would bolster the financial and social careers of several generations to come.

Mrs. Caroline Astor

One of Astor’s most prominent descendants (by marriage) was the Gilded Age society doyenne Caroline Webster Schermerhorn Asto r , leader of New York City society’s infamous "Four Hundred", and matriarch of the male line of American Astors.

The Mrs Astor, as she preferred to be known, married William Backhouse Astor Jr, John Jacob Astor’s grandson, and went on to build a substantial reputation in her own right as a hostess, socialite and self-proclaimed "gatekeeper" to New York City’s high society.

Beechwood: Italianate mansion

In 1881, William Backhouse Astor Jr splashed out $190,000 (£154k) – almost certainly at the behest of his wife – to purchase the Italianate Beechwood mansion in Newport, Rhode Island.

The couple spent a further $2 million (£1.6m) renovating the 39-room home, turning it into a glittering palace suitable for hosting elaborate summer parties for all of Caroline’s high-society friends. An invite to the ocean-front property soon became the most coveted ticket in town.

Beechwood: statement of wealth

With parquet floors, glittering chandeliers and gold moulding inspired by Versailles, the magnificent mansion was as much a statement of wealth and power as any home decorated by the Vanderbilts.

After William Backhouse’s passing, Beechwood was inherited by his son John Jacob Astor IV, who married his wife Madeleine in the ballroom but died in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Madeleine continued to live at Beechwood until her own death in 1940.

Beechwood: theatre company

The mansion then passed through a series of owners until 1981, when it was bought by Paul M Madden, a recent graduate of the National Film and Television School in the United Kingdom.

Madden reinvented the house as a tourist attraction, launching the Beechwood Theatre Company in conjunction with the University of Rhode Island History and Drama Departments, which conducted live theatrical tours hosted by actors portraying members of the Astors’ staff circa the 1890s. In 2010, the mansion was purchased for $10.5 million (£8.5m) by Larry Ellison.

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