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
View our FAQs, parking information, 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.
Led by Historic Music of Newport founder Dr. Mark A. Stickney
Historic melodies and lyrics associated with Newport will fill the Rosecliff ballroom. The music will span from the Civil War era through the Gilded Age, with one song’s lyrics even written by a Vanderbilt. Dr. Mark A. Stickney will provide background information on the music. Performers include vocalists Krista Wilhelmsen and Eric Fennell, accompanied by pianist Brian Moll. This will be an unforgettable evening that will bring Newport’s musical past to life.
Krista Wilhelmsen
Krista Wilhelmsen is a sought-after soprano and dedicated teacher who has been praised for her stunning voice and artistry. The Charlotte Observer lauded her “beautiful soprano” that “gave chills” to renowned voice teacher Heidi Grant Murphy. She is recognized for her versatility across opera, musical theatre and concert repertoire. Her operatic roles include Lady Billows (Albert Herring), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Countess (Le Nozze di Figaro), Zweite Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Mimi (La bohème), and Nedda (Pagliacci). Under Carol Vaness, she performed Zemfira in Rachmaninov’s Aleko and the title role in Suor Angelica. Her awards include Metropolitan Opera Competition District Winner, Long Leaf Opera Competition, Heafner-Williams Vocal Competition, Bev-Sellers Women-in-Music Award and an Indiana University Associate Instructorship. Wilhelmsen is Associate Professor of Music and Chair of Performing Arts at the Community College of Rhode Island. She co-founded Coffee Milk Opera, bringing opera to accessible, community-centered venues across Rhode Island.
Eric Fennell
Tenor Eric Fennell is a native of Allentown, Pa., and has been a resident of Berlin, Germany, since 2010. His career highlights include Duca in Rigoletto (Deutsche Oper Berlin), Rodolfo in La bohème (New York City Opera, National Theater Mannheim), Hoffmann in Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Teatro San Carlo di Napoli, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Staatstheater Mainz), Don Jose in Carmen (Opera de Toulon, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Oper am Steinbruch, Arizona Opera), Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly (Austin Lyric Opera, Utah Opera), Mitch in A Streetcar Named Desire (Teatro Colon, Theater Bielefeld), Narraboth in Salome at Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Florence), and title roles in Don Carlos (Lithuanian National Opera), and Werther (Staatstheater Braunschweig and Lyric Opera Ireland). Mr. Fennell holds a B.A. in Music from Gettysburg College and a Masters in Music from Boston University.
Brian Moll
Brian Moll has served as Chair of the Collaborative Piano Department and led both the Piano and Voice Departments at the Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, Mass., for 25 years. He is also an Assistant Professor at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and has been a visiting opera coach and repertoire instructor at the New England Conservatory of Music for six years. As a keyboardist, Moll has worked with Emmanuel Music, Boston Baroque and the Handel & Haydn Chorus and Orchestra. He also served as Assistant Conductor for productions by Boston Lyric Opera, Opera North and Boston Midsummer Opera. A graduate of Hamilton College, he earned further degrees from the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna, Austria, and the University of Michigan School of Music, where he studied with Martin Katz.
Dr. Mark A. Stickney
Dr. Mark A. Stickney is the founder of Historic Music of Newport, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the diverse musical heritage of Newport, Rhode Island. He also serves as the Artistic Director of the Seacoast Wind Ensemble in Kittery, Maine, a position he has held since 2016. In 2023, Dr. Stickney helped found the Gilded Age Orchestra of Newport and is one of the ensemble's principal conductors. Throughout his 20-year college teaching career, he held conducting, brass teaching and music education positions at Plymouth State University, Southern Utah University, Oklahoma Panhandle State University, Salve Regina University and the Community College of Rhode Island. He received his BA in Music and Religion from Gettysburg College, his MA in Tuba Performance from Montclair State University (N.J.), and his DMA in Wind Conducting from Rutgers University (N.J).
Explore the underground systems that made this great house a marvel of technology for its time. Tour times may vary. See the event webpage for details.
For the first time in the 130-year history of The Breakers, the private third-floor family space occupied by generations of Vanderbilts is open for public tours. Tour times may vary. See the event webpage for details.
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. Tour times may vary. See the event webpage for details.
This series of programs, listed below, offers glimpses into the work that happens behind the scenes at the Newport Mansions, including curatorial, conservation, preservation, historical research and interpretation.
“Full Circle” revisits Newport's groundbreaking 1974 outdoor sculpture exhibition "Monumenta" through the work of Richard Fleischner, one of the last living participating artists, and his contemporaries.
Learn about our latest exhibition spotlighting Richard Fleischner’s work with a guided tour led by one of the primary collaborators on the exhibition. Offered on select dates.
SOLD OUT
Stop by Rosecliff and get creative—all ages and ability levels welcome. Learn a little piece of history and try your hand at being creative.
The Preservation Society’s Curatorial Research Fellow from France, Théo Lourenço, guides you through Marble House to examine objects and artwork he has researched as part of the Preservation Society’s ongoing work for a collections catalogue. Program offered January 30 & February 26
Celebrate America 250 with Historic Music of Newport’s Gilded Age Orchestra, presenting a program exploring our country’s musical past.
Join Allison Donoghue, Decorative Arts Research Fellow, to learn how professionals research and analyze decorative arts. Program offered February 27 & March 12
Archival Research Fellow Megan O’Connell provides an inside look at how archival materials breathe life into Kingscote and offer a richer understanding of the lives of its occupants. Program offered March 5 & March 27
Grace Acton, Archival Research Fellow, provides a unique tour of Chepstow through the eyes of an archivist. Program offered March 6 & March 26
Richard Fleischner, Uri Aran, Dr. Catherine Moran and moderator Natalie Bell will explore the enduring legacy of minimalism and monumental sculpture from 1974 to the present showcased in our current exhibition.
This is an exclusive opportunity to tour our off-site Collections Care Facility and meet some of our collections care team, including our new Textile Conservator, Katy O'Donnell.
Join us for a captivating lecture with Geoffrey Kelly, the former FBI agent who investigated the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist, the largest property theft in U.S. history.
Peek behind the curtain of the Preservation Society’s summer 2026 "Revolution Reimagined" exhibition with Curatorial Research Fellow Mya Rose Bailey. Program offered March 20 & April 2
"Pearls of Newport" is the perfect theme for the 30th anniversary Newport Flower Show, celebrating the city's coastal identity and maritime history.
Three days of fun and educational seminars, tastings, dinners and the fan-favorite Sunday Brunch await you at Rosecliff! Tickets available in early July 2026
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 together to network and discuss the future of our 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.
Partners in Preservation
