Visitor Info
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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.
Explore 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.
Episode Deep Dive
Learn about the people, places and events depicted in Julian Fellowes' popular historical drama series.
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.
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.
View the 2023 Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival Program
Explore the infinite variety of wines and cocktails and satisfy your palate at the annual Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival! The three-day weekend, September 22-24, will include a lavish Vintner’s Dinner, an elegant Sunday Festival Brunch, and a series of more than 20 seminars featuring wines and other libations from around the world.
After each seminar, guests will be invited to spend some time on the grounds of Rosecliff in the VIP Tasting Tent for additional wine and food samples.
Your festival attendance directly supports The Preservation Society of Newport County’s work to showcase the historical and architectural treasures of Newport County and preserve this rich heritage for future generations. We appreciate your support.
The festival also includes a series of wine dinners at participating fine restaurants. Limited numbers of tickets are still available. See more details of this annual Wine & Food Festival Restaurant Program.
Questions? Email events@newportmansions.org
A Chef Collaboration hosted by four-time James Beard Award winner Andrew Zimmern.
Set in the elegance of the Ballroom at Rosecliff and featuring live jazz piano as a relaxing backdrop, the Sunday Festival Brunch will be anything but typical.
Indulge in the luscious native varietals that represent the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Sicily.
Discover unique, handcrafted, small-production wines of diverse varietals from around the world presented by Jonathan Hetz of Quigley Fine Wines.
This seminar will explore the luxurious world of bubbly Champagne and exquisite caviar.
Join us for a fun and spirited blind tasting with Josh Greenstein of IWPA, a fifth-generation wine industry expert.
Take a magical journey through the boutique wines of Spain, Italy and France and taste the contrasting styles and flavors that make them the most sought-after wines on the planet.
This enlightening spirit seminar and cocktail tasting combines Portland, Maine’s Hardshore Distilling Company and Torino, Italy’s 9diDANTE Vermouth, two brands out to change the way folks think about their respective spirits.
Love to host and ready to mix things up? Learn to break out of the same old food and wine pairings and explore the ins and outs of how to pair global cuisines and classic flavors with cocktails for a seamless experience.
In this session, we journey down the West Coast, stopping at all the best sources for this princess of vitis vinifera, Pinot Noir.
Taste and learn about the various expressions of Mount Gay Rum and enjoy a mixed cocktail to round out this fun and inspirational tasting.
Enjoy a mini charcuterie tasting plate and learn step-by-step how you can create a well-balanced and visually appealing charcuterie board.
This tasting and discussion will focus on many of the young winemakers who are re-imagining the region and crafting wines of sophistication and longevity.
Alex Diard from the famed Chateau D'Esclans will lead guests through a tasting of The Pale, the newest rosé from the creator of Whispering Angel.
This tasting is a fun way to learn about how food and wine pair together and provides a framework for creating better pairings.
Experience the unique marriage of flavors offered by Ammunition Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels.
Take a tantalizing trip around the world of beer at this fun and educational seminar. Enjoy a variety of styles paired with savory bites from Boar’s Head, presented by Kris Sjolander of international beer importer United States Beverage.
Surprise your senses with these delightful yet uncommon Sicilian wines presented by Gabrielle Tapia, Certified Specialist of Wine.
Break the boundaries of classic wine pairings during this interactive seminar presented by Coravin and Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits.
This isn't just Chardonnay. Taste your way through different areas in Burgundy.
This tasting will dive into the concept of regenerative organic certification, biodynamics and how climate change is shifting the wine landscape.
Don’t miss Private Chef to the Stars, author of “Beyond My Chef Coat” and Festival Culinary Director Chef Kev Des Chenes demonstrate how to make his Blackberry Jam and Narragansett Creamery Burrata served with wines from South Africa presented by Pascal Schildt, Mosaic Distributing.
Explore the underground systems that made this great house a marvel of technology for its time.
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.
Explore China’s deep influence on Newport from the 18th century through the Gilded Age. This exhibition brings together more than 100 extraordinary objects and illuminates how many different people of Chinese heritage, including artists, merchants, immigrant entrepreneurs and women suffragists, shaped all aspects of life in Newport.
In conjunction with "The Celestial City" exhibition at Rosecliff, our Fall Lecture Series explores different aspects of the Chinese-American experience and the many ways life in Newport and America was influenced and enriched by people of Chinese heritage.
Distinguished speakers Dr. Cathleen D. Cahill and Bayer Lee discuss Chinese and American women’s impact on the US suffrage movement.
Learn insights into the dazzling artworks in the Preservation Society’s groundbreaking new exhibition that reveals Chinese and Chinese-American individuals' contributions to life in Newport.
Witches and vampires, angels and princesses, skeletons and superheroes, get ready! There’s big Halloween fun for the family at Newport’s biggest mansion.
Scholar John Eng-Wong examines the impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and how social practices of the era impacted Chinese families. Tickets/registration available soon.
This outdoor spectacle of holiday lights will dazzle and delight you! The 13-acre historic landscape of The Breakers turns into a magical wonderland of color and light. Open on select evenings through the season. Includes The Breakers interior tour.
A great Newport tradition! See The Breakers, Marble House and The Elms dressed in their festive holiday finery. It’s the most spectacular time of the year at these awe-inspiring Gilded Age mansions.
It is never too early to start planning for your next holiday to remember! Mark your calendar to join us for the annual Holiday Dinner Dance at The Breakers.
Save the dates for the 19th annual festival, featuring the Vintner Dinner, Sunday Brunch and tasty yet educational seminar experiences.
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
