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 has appealed 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 Dr. Nicole Williams, Curator of Collections, The Preservation Society of Newport County
During the exciting and tumultuous period between the Civil War and World War I, animals played an increasingly central role in Newporters’ social lives, scientific research and political activism. Dr. Williams charts how their attitudes toward animals transformed through a broad range of artworks, photographs, fashion and other objects drawn from the Preservation Society’s landmark properties. These artifacts reveal how the Gilded Age set the groundwork for our modern relationship with pampered pets, wondrous sea creatures and more. They also help us rethink animals as agents of history with stories and experiences all their own.
Nicole Williams
Dr. Nicole Williams is Curator of Collections at The Preservation Society of Newport County. She earned her PhD from Yale University in the History of Art with a specialization in American art. Dr. Williams has taught American art history at Yale University and Washington University in St. Louis. Her work as a scholar and curator focuses on the global contexts for 19th-century American art, women’s histories, and practices and theories of craft in the age of industry. Her research has been published in museum catalogues and scholarly journals including Woman’s Art Journal, The Journal of Modern Craft, Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide, Photography and Culture, and Panorama: Journal of the Association of Historians of American Art. Dr. Williams recently curated the exhibitions Global Vistas: American Art and Internationalism in the Gilded Age (2020) at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum and The Celestial City: Newport and China (2023-2024) at the Preservation Society of Newport County, winner of the 2024 Award of Excellence from the American Association for State and Local History.
Charles Kendrick, The Spiders and the Flies in Chic (January 25, 1881). Boston Public Library.
Sarah J. Eddy, Alexander Asking for ‘More,’ c. 1899. Published in Alexander and Some Other Cats. Boston: Marshall Jones Company, 1929. The Preservation Society of Newport County.
Giovanni Boldini, Portrait of Elizabeth Drexel Lehr, 1905. Bequest of Mrs. Eva Drexel Dahlgren. PSNC.2500.
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.
“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.
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. Offered on select dates; see event webpage for details.
Learn tips and tricks from the Preservation Society's Director of Gardens & Landscapes to help you prepare your garden beds for a successful growing season.
Learn how conservation brings history into sharper focus, and discover how our conservation team brings the stories of these remarkable objects to life and ensures they are shared with new generations.
Join us for special silhouette portrait sessions, honoring a traditional art form that flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries — at the very moment the United States was taking shape.
Enjoy an evening of fanciful fun inspired by Alva Vanderbilt’s 1883 costume ball!
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. Offered Tuesdays and Fridays only.
For those who prefer a guided tour over an audio tour, learn the history behind The Elms gardens and grounds with Jim Donahue, Curator of Historic Landscapes.
SOLD OUT
Join Jeffrey Curtis, the Preservation Society's Director of Gardens & Landscapes, to learn about the many species of trees on the grounds of Chepstow.
"Pearls of Newport" is the perfect theme for the 30th anniversary Newport Flower Show, celebrating the city's coastal identity and maritime history. Tickets now on sale.
Join us for an unforgettable evening of dinner and dancing to celebrate Summer 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. Tickets to go on sale May 6, 2026
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
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