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.
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.
Current Members
Current members can see a full list of benefits and any information regarding Members Events.
Become a Member
We invite you to become a member of the Preservation Society today. In addition to joining an active community of preservation supporters and advocates, members are offered unlimited access to all open houses.
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.
Join us for an exclusive, members-only day trip to visit Hartford, Connecticut, an unexpected place for remarkable art museums and historic houses. Working with our friends at the Mark Twain House, the Wadsworth Atheneum and the Austin House, we will view some of the hidden treasures this city has to offer.
Hartford Treasures Tour Itinerary
For more information or to register, email members@newportmansions.org or call (401) 847-1000, ext. 167
8:30 am – Depart Newport
We will meet in the parking lot at Kingscote and board a small coach for the trip to Hartford.
10:30 am – 12:00 pm Mark Twain House with Executive Director Pieter Roos
Designed by New York architect Edward Tuckerman Potter, this was the home of Samuel and Olivia Clemens from 1874 to 1891, where they enjoyed what the author would later call the happiest and most productive years of his life. The interior was decorated by Louis C. Tiffany & Co., Associated Artists, who were members of the Aesthetic movement, well known for their exotic interiors. We will enjoy a guided tour from Mark Twain House Museum Executive Director Pieter Roos, along with a visit to the adjacent museum to view a special exhibit focused on Gilded Age leisure and travel.
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Lunch at Wadsworth Atheneum
Lunch onsite at the Wadsworth Atheneum Café catered by Berkins on Main; select from pre-order menu options.
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Wadsworth Atheneum
After lunch we will enjoy a docent-led tour of the highlights of the outstanding Wadsworth Atheneum, the country’s oldest continuously operating public art museum. Founded in 1842, the Wadsworth presents engaging and groundbreaking exhibitions that explore every era of art history and is consistently at the forefront of collecting works by iconic artists.
3:00 – 4:00 pm Austin House
Austin House is a National Historic Landmark and the former West End home of the legendary and innovative A. Everett “Chick” Austin Jr., the Atheneum’s director from 1927 to 1944. Although this house appears as stately as any home in the neighborhood, its front is made of painted pine board, earning it the nickname “Façade House.” To add to the quirkiness, the building is nearly 90 feet long and only one room deep! This unusual home, with styles that range from 18th century Rococo to modern Bauhaus, was the setting for many lively gatherings with leaders of the international art world.
4:15 pm Return to Newport
The Mark Twain House, designed by New York architect Edward Tuckerman Potter, was the home of Samuel and Olivia Clemens from 1874 to 1891.
Austin House is a National Historic Landmark.
The Wadsworth Atheneum is the country’s oldest continuously operating public art museum and the largest museum in Connecticut.
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.
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.
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.
WinterFest is a weeklong celebration of the season, where families can gather to listen to a winter-themed story and create a take-home craft.
SOLD OUT
Learn how several of the historic Newport Mansions embrace modern technology with the use of geothermal climate-control systems, an environmentally sustainable solution.
This illuminating tour examines select artworks of the ‘idealized’ portrayal and real-life expectations of Gilded Age women throughout The Elms.
Follow the history and conservation research on the Ladies Reception Room at The Breakers, a highly significant but often overlooked space.SOLD OUT for March 6. This program will also be offered on April 9.
Join Historic Music of Newport's Gilded Age Orchestra as we celebrate the diverse musical history of Newport and the Gilded Age.
Learn about the preservation work and research taking place on The Breakers third floor from Chief Conservator Patricia Miller and Textile Conservator Heather Hodge.
Get an exclusive close-up look at two of the costumes worn in the 1974 film adaptation of "The Great Gatsby," guided by our textile conservator and one of our research fellows. SOLD OUT for March 13. This program will also be offered on April 10.
Learn about the ongoing research into and conservation of the furniture on the third floor of The Breakers, which opened to the public for the first time last year. SOLD OUT for March 20. This program will also be offered on April 18.
The guided tour of Marble House will illuminate the French influences that architect Richard Morris Hunt incorporated throughout the mansion.
Enjoy a rare behind-the-scenes look at our conservation studio and the important work that happens there.
Curator of Collections Dr. Nicole Williams will offer a close look at rarely seen treasures of Gilded Age photography from the Preservation Society’s archives. Live at Rosecliff and via Zoom.
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.
Follow the history and conservation research on the Ladies Reception Room at The Breakers, a highly significant but often overlooked space. This program will be offered on March 6 (sold out) & April 9.
Get an exclusive close-up look at two of the costumes worn in the 1974 film adaptation of "The Great Gatsby," guided by our textile conservator and one of our research fellows. This program will be offered on February 6 (sold out), March 13 (sold out) & April 10.
Learn about the ongoing research into and conservation of the furniture on the third floor of The Breakers, which opened to the public for the first time last year. This program will be offered on March 20 (sold out) & April 18.
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.
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
