Operating Schedule
See which of the mansions are open and when. Search by date or month, or view the full year’s schedule.
Visitor Info
View our FAQs, map & parking, guidelines and more.
Tours, Groups, Exclusive Experiences
Explore our various tour types to find what’s best for you and your group.
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.
With Lark E. Mason Jr., former President of the Appraisers Association of America
After Giambologna, Two Patinated Bronze Allegorical Figures of Astronomy and Architecture
How do treasures make their way from the walls, attics and closets of homes to museums and auction houses? Lark E. Mason Jr. will provide a behind-the-scenes look at how incredible works of art and craftsmanship are rediscovered and authenticated. Drawing on his experience as an appraiser with Sotheby’s, New York and his involvement with PBS’s “Antiques Roadshow,” Mr. Mason will share the stories of discovery that delight and inform us about art, history and the human tendency to collect.
Top image: Chinese-Subject Court Screen, Korean, 18th century (detail)
Lark E. Mason Jr.
Lark E. Mason Jr., President of the Appraiser’s Association of America, 2019-2021, was for nearly 25 years a senior officer, generalist and expert in Chinese works of art with Sotheby’s, New York, and Chairman of Asia Week New York 2016-2017. He is an expert in Chinese art and antiquities, he has appeared on PBS’s "Antiques Roadshow" since its inception in 1996. He is the author of Asian Art, published in 2003, and translator of Wang Shixiang’s Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture. Mason serves as a Trustee of The Preservation Society of Newport County, representing historic Newport’s collections and historic mansions. He is the founder of iGavel Auctions, an online auction platform; Lark Mason Associates, a full-service auction house; and Lark Mason Art Advisory, art advisory and appraisals.
Explore the underground systems that made this great house a marvel of technology for its time.June 1 - September 1, offered at 10 am & 2 pm
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.
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. June 1 - September 1, offered at 10 am, 12 pm & 2 pm
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. Fridays only, May 2 through June 27.
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.
Coinciding with our exhibition “Richard Morris Hunt: In a New Light,” this guide-led tour of Newport's Island Cemetery will focus on the great Gilded Age architect's impact and presence in this historic burying ground.
SOLD OUT
Themed “A Floral Fair,” the 29th annual Show will combine the elegance of a Gilded Age fête with the good cheer of a summer county fair.
The Preservation Society's Summer Lecture Series celebrates "The Great Gatsby," "The Gilded Age," antiques collecting, conservation and research, and the great tradition of coaching. Individual lectures are listed below.
The David B. Ford Family Lecture celebrates the 1974 film adaptation of the classic novel "The Great Gatsby," which was filmed at Rosecliff and Marble House. Award-winning actor Sam Waterston, who co-starred as Nick Carraway, revisits the movie in conversation with NBC journalist Anne Thompson.
Learn about the preservation work and research taking place on The Breakers third floor from Chief Conservator Patricia Miller and Textile Conservator Heather Hodge.Registration available starting June 16.
Two Preservation Society Fellows present results of their research during the past year, including the elaborate interiors designed by Jules Allard in our houses and the life, collection and influence of architect Richard Morris Hunt.
Two Preservation Society Fellows present results of their work during the past year, including the A.H. Davenport furniture on the third floor of The Breakers and extensive research on the Preservation Society’s collections.
Our special guest for the annual John G. Winslow Lecture is acclaimed actress Christine Baranski, who will discuss HBO's "The Gilded Age" in which she co-stars, her connection to the real Gilded Age, as well as highlights from her career and her thoughts on the importance of the arts.
Learn what it takes to bring Newport’s tradition of Coaching Weekend to life and hear from a moderated panel of coaching experts as we kick off A Weekend of Coaching.
Join us for an unforgettable evening of dinner and dancing to celebrate Coaching Weekend in Newport.
Grab your clubs for an unforgettable day on the greens at the Preservation Society’s Annual Golf Outing at Newport National Golf Club in Middletown, R.I., a challenging links-style course with views of the Atlantic Ocean and Sakonnet Passage.
Thank you to all of our sponsors, guests and volunteers for another successful Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival. See you next year for the 20th annual festival, September 19-21, 2025, at Rosecliff. Become a Preservation Society member and receive early access to purchase 2025 tickets before they become available to the general public.
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.
Partners in Preservation
