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.
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.
Built 1901National Historic Landmark
The Elms was modeled after an 18th-century French chateau but featured the latest technology of the Gilded Age. It houses an outstanding collection of paintings, statuary and tapestries, and its landscape features formal gardens, terraces, pavilions and fountains.
Hear fascinating first-person accounts of life in a house modeled after an 18th-century chateau, built for entertaining and as a showcase for art, but with every modern convenience available at the turn of the 20th century. The Elms tour also provides new information about recent restoration projects in the house and about servant life.
Visit The Elms from the comfort of your own home
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.
Special rates available for groups of 20 or more adults and 10 or more students.
Visitors must bring their own smart device with earbuds/headsets and download the free Newport Mansions tour app before your visit. Printed scripts are available at most mansions and staff appreciate your questions.
Download the App
The Elms combines the elegance of French style with the grandeur of the Gilded Age. Its landscape and art collections are among the finest in Newport.
Original Builder
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Julius Berwind
Architect
Horace Trumbauer
Construction Dates
1898-1901
Ownership transferred to the Preservation Society
1962
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.
Partners in Preservation
