See and hear more of these fascinating women by visiting The Breakers, Marble House and Rosecliff, site of the Becoming Vanderbilt exhibition. The self-guided audio tours will immerse you in a unique experience that lets you hear the actual voices of family members, former servants and their children, who tell fascinating stories about what life was like.
Celebrating the Vanderbilt Women Package $25 per adult, $6.50 per student: K-Undergraduate
Includes admission to The Breakers, Marble House & Rosecliff – Becoming Vanderbilt Exhibition. Offered exclusively to Group Visitors only. Based on a minimum of 20 persons with advanced reservations.
- Suggest 90 minutes to tour each property.
- Free motorcoach parking available at all three properties.
- Driver & Escort complimentary.
- For students groups, one chaperone is free and required for every 10 students.
- In between touring, enjoy a beverage or snack at the Garden Café at The Breakers or the Chinese Tea House at Marble House.
To schedule your group please complete our Group Visit Request Form. Questions? Call us at (401) 847-2251, or email Groups@NewportMansions.org
Becoming Vanderbilt
In a year celebrating women, Becoming Vanderbilt will shine a bright light on four of our own: Alice Vanderbilt, her daughter Gertrude Vanderbilt, and Alva Vanderbilt and her daughter Consuelo Vanderbilt.
“Becoming” has often been used to describe a woman’s appearance. However, as a process, it also describes each of the women’s evolution as a person. Throughout the exhibit, groups can see how the roles of women in society shifted between two Vanderbilt generations, with each woman having the same resources but utilizing them in differing ways to shape the world around them. The Vanderbilt name allowed them a platform for their voices and positions, making them the “influencers” of their time.
This exhibition is included in your admission to Rosecliff, any admission on a multi-house ticket, or membership. Becoming Vanderbilt March 28 – November 1, 2020.
The Breakers
The grandest of Newport's summer "cottages" and a symbol of the Vanderbilt family's social and financial preeminence in turn of the century America, The Breakers was designed by Richard Morris Hunt. The Italian-Renaissance-style palazzo was built for Cornelius Vanderbilt II and his wife Alice, who was the keeper of the family legacy. Their daughter Gertrude married Henry Payne Whitney in the Music Room and became a sculptor and founder of the Whitney Museum of Art in New York City.
Marble House
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Also designed by Richard Morris Hunt , Marble House was built at a cost of $11 million, upon completion. William K. Vanderbilt (brother of Cornelius who built The Breakers) gave Marble House to his wife Alva as a 39th birthday present. Alva was insistent that her daughter Consuelo marry the 9th Duke of Marlborough, despite Consuelo reluctance. Alva divorced William and after the death of her second husband, Oliver H.P. Belmont, returned to Marble House to host rallies for women’s rights.
Celebrating its 75th anniversary, The Preservation Society of Newport County is a non-profit organization whose mission is to protect, preserve, and present an exceptional collection of house museums and landscapes in one of the most historically intact cities in America.