Operating Schedule
See which of the mansions are open and when. Search by date or month, or view the full year’s schedule.
Guest Information
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Tours, Groups, Exclusive Experiences
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Accessibility
See specific information about access at each house and property.
History of Newport and the Mansions
Founded in 1639, Newport was an important port city, a center of the slave trade, a fashionable resort and the summer home of the Gilded Age rich.
What was the Gilded Age?
The Gilded Age was a period of unprecedented change in America. Fortunes were spent on luxuries such as the lavish "summer cottages" of Newport.
Deep Dive into the Show
Learn about the people, places and events depicted in Julian Fellowes' popular historical drama series.
“Inside the Newport Mansions” Gilded Age Conversations
Noted historians and authors share their insights into all aspects of Gilded Age America in this monthly series of interviews with the Preservation Society.
Become a Member
We invite you to become a member of the Preservation Society today.
Premium Memberships
We invite you to join these exclusive levels of membership for patrons interested in enhanced access and benefits at the Preservation Society.
Current Members
As a member, you can enjoy unlimited general admission to our properties and do not need tickets. Simply bring your membership card for admission.
Membership FAQs
Membership gives you free, unlimited access to regular guided and audio tours at all Newport Mansions properties.
About Us
Our mission is to protect, preserve, and present the best of Newport County's architectural heritage. Learn more about us and our work.
Wind Farm Federal Appeal: FAQs
The Preservation Society of Newport County is appealing federal agency approval of two massive wind farms off the Rhode Island coast.
Personal Photography on the Grounds
Rent our museums for commercial photography & videography, TV production, and wedding photography.
Commercial Filming or Photography
Museum Rentals & Weddings
Host your wedding, rehearsal dinner, corporate event, or other celebration at our historic museums.
IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE IS SOLD OUT; REGISTRATION FOR ZOOM ATTENDANCE CLOSES AT 4 PM TODAY
This program includes selections from the opening season of the Metropolitan Opera in 1883, featured in Season 2 of HBO’s “The Gilded Age.” Music of European composers, as well as elite Black composers like Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Ulysses J. Alsdorf, will be featured in the first half. The second half will center on musical life in Newport with pieces performed at Chateau-sur-Mer in 1857, Newport’s Naval Academy Ball of 1865, the Casino and more. The music of composer Imre Széchényi (1825-1898), relative by marriage to Countess Gladys Széchényi, formerly Vanderbilt, will also be explored. Drs. Mark Stickney and Christopher Brellochs will provide the historical background.
For more information, email programrsvp@newportmansions.org.
Dr. Mark A. Stickney was appointed the Artistic Director of the Seacoast Wind Ensemble in 2016. Throughout his 20-year college teaching career, he held conducting, brass teaching and music education positions at the Community College of Rhode Island, Oklahoma Panhandle State University, Plymouth State University, Salve Regina University and Southern Utah University. An active clinic and guest conductor, Dr. Stickney has traveled throughout the country working with bands and orchestras of all levels. Dr. Stickney is the founder of Historic Music of Newport, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the rich musical heritage of the city (www.historicmusicofnewport.org). He also works part-time for The Preservation Society of Newport County and serves on the board of Newport Live. He received his BA in Music and Religion from Gettysburg College, his MA in Tuba Performance from Montclair State University and his DMA in Wind Conducting from Rutgers University.
Dr. Christopher Brellochs is an internationally recognized conductor, lecturer, saxophonist, music historian and educator. A preeminent scholar on music of the Gilded Age, he portrayed composer/conductor John Knowles Paine in Julian Fellowes’ HBO series "The Gilded Age" (Season 1, Episode 4) and assisted the production team with the historical accuracy of the scene. Brellochs has created a documentary series featuring music in historic mansions (www.youtube.com/cbrellochs), wrote a blog series about the music in "The Gilded Age" series and maintains “Music of the Gilded Age” Facebook and Instagram pages to share his research. His world premiere recording of Aaron Copland’s complete incidental music to "Quiet City" received radio play on National Public Radio: Weekend Edition and Performance Today. Brellochs is Dean of the School of Music at SUNY Schenectady and an Adjunct Artist in Music at Vassar College. He holds degrees in music from Rutgers University (DMA), New York University (MA), and Ithaca College (BM).
Explore the underground systems that made this great house a marvel of technology for its time.
For the first time in the 129-year history of The Breakers, the private third-floor family space occupied by generations of Vanderbilts is open for public tours.Starting November 3, offered at 12 pm only.
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.
This exhibition examines the mind, ambition and legacy of America’s Dean of Architecture, who shaped Gilded Age America not only through the buildings he created – including The Breakers and Marble House – but also through his ideas.
New dates added, Oct. 14 & 17! Fans of HBO’s "The Gilded Age" will love this guide-led tour of locations in four of the Newport Mansions where Julian Fellowes' historical drama series was filmed. Tuesdays and Fridays, August 15, 19, 22, 26 & 29; September 2, 5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26 & 30; and October 7, 10, 14 & 17.
Chief Curator Leslie Jones will discuss the Preservation Society’s newest exhibition, focusing on the great architect's life, travels and interests.
In an exclusive for our members, Director of Museum Affairs & Chief Curator Leslie Jones and Chief Conservator Patty Miller will give a wide-ranging update on the state of the Preservation Society collections.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a 3,000-year-old tradition from China that celebrates togetherness. We invite you to a family program celebrating this festival on the grounds of Marble House and in the Chinese Tea House.
David Baron, award-winning journalist, broadcaster and author, discusses the Gilded Age's fascination with Mars – a phenomenon that endures today.
Calling all intermediate or above watercolor painters! Join Bill Lane, award-winning local watercolor artist, for an intermediate level day-long workshop on plein air painting at The Elms.
Witches and vampires, angels and princesses, skeletons and superheroes, get ready! There’s big Halloween fun for the family at Newport’s biggest mansion. Tickets available to members October 1 & general public October 2.
Founded in 1993, the Newport Symposium has been an annual convening of fine and decorative arts experts and enthusiasts from across the country and the world. Attendees listen to stimulating lectures, experience behind-the-scenes study opportunities and gather to network and discuss the future of our history.
This outdoor spectacle of holiday lights will dazzle and delight you! The 13-acre landscape of The Breakers turns into a wonderland of color and light. Includes tour of the lavishly decorated rooms inside the house. Open on select evenings through the season. Includes access to The Breakers interior during the same visit.
A great Newport tradition! See the magnificent mansions of the Gilded Age dressed in their festive holiday finery. It’s the most spectacular time of the year at these awe-inspiring historic houses.
"Pearls of Newport" is the perfect theme for the 30th anniversary Newport Flower Show, celebrating the city's coastal identity and maritime history.
Download our tour app before your visit and bring your earbuds.
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.
Explore the 11 properties under the stewardship of the Preservation Society and open as historic house museums.
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