See and hear how the other half lived as you take the new Servant Life Tour at The Elms.
This newly-updated 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. You'll hear the stories of the butler, Ernest Birch; his wife, cook Grace Rhodes; and one of the maids, Nellie Lynch Regoli. Recent research has revealed new details about life behind-the-scenes in the great houses of Newport. Included in the tour is new information about immigration, employment and labor disputes in the early 20th century.
You'll climb the 82 stairs of the back staircase from the basement servant entrance up to the third floor staff quarters, where you'll see exhibits and photographs about the individual men and women who lived and worked here. Weather permitting your tour will take you out onto the roof, for a spectacular view of the ten-acre estate and Newport Harbor beyond. Then, head back down the stairs to the basement kitchens, coal cellar, boiler room and laundry rooms.
Please note, this is a true upstairs/downstairs tour. You will climb several flights of stairs.
ADVANCE RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED Space on each tour is limited, and some tour times do sell out.
Click here to purchase tickets and make reservations now and print them at home. You will be asked to choose the date and time that you would like to take the tour from the calendar, and your ticket will be date and time specific.
Servant Life Tour Schedule:
October 9, 2012 to January 1, 2013, tour offered daily, on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
January 2, 2013 to February 14, 2013, tour offered weekends & holidays on the hour from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
From February 15 to March 15, tour will be offered daily, on the hour from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
March 16 to May 10, 2013, tour offered daily, on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
May 11 to September 2, 2013, tour offered daily, every half hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
September 3 to November 11, 2013, tour offered daily, on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.