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.
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.
On this page
Each year, we welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors to experience our historic houses, landscapes, and educational programs. Your support through membership or charitable giving helps the Preservation Society continue this work and further our mission.
Your gift is vital to sustaining our mission and will have an immediate impact. Preserving the structures and artifacts of Newport’s colorful past is a difficult, meticulous, and expensive undertaking. The Preservation Society of Newport County is a non-profit organization, and relies on generous donations from the general public to help fund its operations.
The Preservation Society manages many capital endeavors on an ongoing basis. We honor our duty to care for each of our historic properties and we are grateful for the generous support from individuals, foundations and corporations that enables us to break ground on these projects.
Priorities in Progress Rosecliff Roof and Balustrade The Breakers Landscape Revival The Breakers Terrace
Your gift to the Annual Fund provides essential funding to protect, preserve and present our 11 historic properties and landscapes, offer innovative educational programs and host unforgettable special events. We could not fulfill our mission to share the story of America’s vibrant architectural and cultural heritage efficiently and effectively without the generous support from our friends, like you.
Your gift to the Annual Fund supports building, landscape and collection projects that you can witness or experience first-hand such as:
Every gift matters and no gift is too small to make a difference!
Checks can be mailed to :
The Preservation Society of Newport County 424 Bellevue Avenue Newport, RI 02840.
If your gift includes a specific designation, please include a letter or note on the memo line of the check.
We accept all major credit cards and can process gifts over the phone (401-847-1000 ext 176), via the website, or in person at The Breakers Welcome Center.
Gifts of appreciated securities (stocks, bonds, or mutual funds held for more than one year) are an excellent way to support the Preservation Society of Newport County.
Multiply the impact of your support for the Preservation Society by matching your contribution. Please check with your employer’s Human Resources department for further details.
A gift to the endowment will ensure that the Preservation Society has a steady source of income, even in the face of budgetary challenges, and can pursue first-rate educational and scholarly activities well into the future. Your contribution to the endowment is a self-renewing gift in that the Society’s current spending policy of five percent per year allows the principal to grow while generating a reliable income stream in perpetuity.
The Preservation Society acknowledges donors who have documented their intent to give via bequests, wills, charitable trusts, and life insurance as members of the Conservator’s Circle (additional information below).
For more information on how to make a stock gift please contact Director of Institutional Advancement Sarah Iwanski at siwanski@newportmansions.org or 401-847-1000 ext. 167.
A Conservator is one who provides resources by which preservation is achieved. When a donor thoughtfully provides for The Preservation Society of Newport County in an estate plan, they act as a Conservator of the Society, ensuring that future generations are able to achieve the Society’s mission with certainty. The Conservators Circle was established to recognize and thank those members and friends who have provided for the Society in their estate plans.
As supporters of the arts and historic preservation, we are all well aware of the significant cost of showing and maintaining the outstanding historic properties owned by the Preservation Society. Through planned gifts, especially with highly appreciated assets, donors are able to provide substantial support while continuing to care for their own life needs. The benefits of planned gifts, by their nature, continue well beyond a donor’s lifetime.
In the case of The Preservation Society of Newport County it will assure that important historic properties will be maintained for the use, study and enjoyment of future generations, and that a unique chapter of the social and economic history of our country will be preserved.
We cordially invite you to become a member of The Conservators Circle. A growing number of generous members and friends are helping us prepare for the future by arranging for a planned gift to the Society. You are eligible to join The Conservators Circle if you have arranged for one or more of the following planned gifts: bequests and wills, charitable trusts, or life insurance.
Please consider supporting the Preservation Society’s future through a provision in your estate plans. If you have already done so, kindly let us know so that we may enroll you in The Conservator’s Circle.
One of the most popular and easiest planned gifts is the bequest. Many donors choose to make their ultimate gift through their will. If you already have a will, it is not necessary to rewrite your entire will to make a bequest to the Preservation Society. You can simply instruct your attorney to prepare a codicil – an amendment – to your current will. A bequest can specify how the gift is to be used, such as for general purposes, for the collections, for the gardens, or for a specific property.
A Charitable Remainder Trust is a gift plan that provides a life income to the donor or other beneficiary. Under this arrangement, a donor irrevocably transfers assets to a trust for a designated period of time, during which payments are made to the donor or to a designated beneficiary. At the end of the trust period, the remaining assets are transferred to the Preservation Society to be used for whatever purposes the donor determined. Tax advantages to the donor are substantial, including the avoidance of any capital gains tax in the appreciated property and the generation of a substantial charitable deduction. Donors may choose to have either a fixed payment (Charity Annuity Trust) or a percentage of the trust assets, re-valued annually (Charitable Unitrust).
The Charitable Lead Trust is often used by the family that wishes to pass family assets, such as a business or real property, intact to the next generation at substantially reduced estate taxes. Often described as being the opposite of a charitable remainder trust, a lead trust provides the Preservation Society with income for a stated period of time, after which the assets are distributed to family members as stated in the trust agreement.
A gift of a whole life insurance policy may be made by naming the Preservation Society as irrevocable owner and beneficiary of a new or existing policy.
The Preservation Society of Newport County is proud to have Bartlett Tree Experts and BankNewport as Partners in Preservation, with a major financial commitment to preserving the historic integrity of Newport.
Partners in Preservation provide significant unrestricted gifts in support of the Society’s work in preservation and public academic programs. With the help of these corporate partners, the Preservation Society is working to ensure that these great American buildings can continue to be enjoyed by many generations of visitors to come.
We invite you to consider a philanthropic gift to the Preservation Society from your business or corporation. Gifts to our organization care for our historic properties and enhance our entire operation here in Newport. We are happy to discuss ways that membership or access to our properties can benefit your business or employees.
The Newport Mansions hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year coming from all 50 states and more than a hundred countries around the world. Because of this visibility, the Newport Mansions present a valuable sponsorship opportunity for discriminating companies.
The Preservation Society of Newport County offers a wide range of exciting sponsorship opportunities for local, national and international corporations. Corporate sponsorship opportunities range from $10,000 – $350,000 and include a variety of attractive benefits. To discuss corporate philanthropy or sponsorship opportunities at the Preservation Society of Newport County, please contact director of Institutional Advancement Sarah Iwanski.
If you have a general questions about membership, the best way to reach us is via email at members@newportmansions.org. During business hours, this email is continuously monitored. Please feel free to call us at 401-847-1000 ext 111 or others listed below.
Jamie Asciolla Sr. Membership & Advancement Services Associate Ext. 176 jasciolla@newportmansions.org
Laura de Ramel Advancement Officer Ext. 175 lderamel@newportmansions.org
Katarina Diepholz Advancement Communications Associate Ext. 177 kdiepholz@newportmansions.org
Tara Flynn Senior Advancement Officer Ext. 191 tflynn@newportmansions.org
Sarah Iwanski Director of Institutional Advancement Ext. 167 siwanski@newportmansions.org
Emily Parrow Sr. Advancement Administrator Ext. 173 eparrow@newportmansions.org
Samantha Talbot Membership Coordinator Ext. 111 stalbot@newportmansions.org
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
