Newport mansions -- the Elms, Rosecliff, Marble House -- welcome you

The Newport mansions -- originally called "cottages" -- were built as summer homes in the 1850s to 1900 by wealthy tycoons of New York and Philadelphia. Now, these massive houses, including the spectacular Rosecliff, Marble House, the Breakers, the Elms, Belcourt Castle, and more, are open to the public, offering fascinating and informative tours. For instance, the Rosecliff tour incorporates first-person stories from family members of Rosecliff's last private owners. The Breakers has a new, fanciful tour designed for children. Special events, parties, balls, and performances, are presented during Halloween and the Christmas season. The magnificent Newport Flower Show takes place yearly at Roseclilff.

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Rough Point

680 Bellevue Avenue Newport, RI 02840 Phone: 401-847-8344

Experience the Life of 20th Century Heiress

Rough Point was the Newport home of Doris Duke – heiress, art collector, and Newport preservationist. Originally built by the Vanderbilt family in 1887 it later became one of Doris Duke’s homes. Still decorated as it was during her lifetime, the mansion is home to a remarkable collection of French furniture, European art, Chinese porcelains, and Turkish carpets; all collected during her world travels. The mansion features ocean views and landscaping design by Fredrick Law Olmsted, creator of New York’s Central Park. Rough Point opens of the season April 12, 2012. Tours last one hour and are led by knowledgeable guides.
Informational Listings Courtesy of VisitNewEngland.com
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Belcourt Castle

Bellevue Avenue Newport, RI Phone: 401-846-0669

Belcourt is a French-style castle, built in Louis XIII style. It was constructed for Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont and finished in 1894. On display are a collection of art treasures and antiques from all over the world.

Note: The Preservation Society of Newport maintains and operates many of the mansions listed below. Multi-mansion and group tickets from the Society are available at a reduced rate.

Chateau-Sur-Mer

Bellevue Avenue Newport, RI Phone: 401-847-1000

Hours: April 5 – November 14, 2008, open daily at 10 a.m.; last tour admission at 5 p.m.; house closes at 6 p.m. Schedule is subject to change; call 401-847-1000.

This 1852 stone mansion is a classic example of High Victorian architecture and furnishings, including wallpaper, ceramics and stenciling, constructed for China Trade merchant William Wetmore. His son, George Peabody Wetmore, became Governor of Rhode Island and U.S. Senator. The house is noted for its original Victorian park, with century-old weeping and copper beech trees, a Chinese moongate, and Colonial Revival garden pavilion.

Chepstow

Narragansett Avenue Newport, RI Phone: 401-847-1000, ext. 165

Hours: June 21 – September 1, 2008, Chepstow tours offered at 10 and 11 a.m., noon, 1:30, 2:30, 4 and 5 p.m. Schedule is subject to change; call 401-847-1000 for more information.

This Italianate-style villa was designed by architect George Champlin Mason in 1860 and is a classic example of a Victorian summer cottage. It was the summer residence of the prominent Morris family from New York, which included a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The house contains the Morris family's collections, including 19th century landscape paintings by the Hudson River school of artists.

Hunter House

54 Washington Street Newport, RI 02840 Phone: 401-847-1000

A decadent Mansion in historic Newport

Hunter House is one of the finest examples of Georgian Colonial architecture from Newport's "golden age" in the mid-18th century. The French admiral Charles Louis d’Arsac de Ternay used this 1748 home as his Revolutionary War headquarters. The carved pineapple over the doorway was a symbol of welcome throughout Colonial America. The elliptical arch in the central hall is a typical Newport detail. Call 401-847-1000 information and tour schedule.

Isaac Bell House

Bellevue Avenue Newport, RI Phone: 401-847-1000

Presented as a restoration work in progress, this National Historic Landmark is regarded as an innovative compendium of the design influences that characterize the American architectural period known as the "shingle-style." Built in 1883 by the famed architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White, the house combines Old English and European architecture with colonial American and exotic details, such as a Japanese-inspired open floor plan and bamboo-style porch columns. Consult mansion website for public hours, which may change seasonally.

Kingscote

Bellevue Avenue Newport, RI Phone: 401-847-1000

Hours: May – October, open at 10 a.m.; last tour admission at 5 p.m.; close at 6 p.m. Kingscote tours offered every half hour. Schedule is subject to change; call 401-847-1000 for more information.

This was one of the early summer houses designed in the Gothic Revival style, in 1839, for Georgia planter George Noble Jones. The family's connection to Newport was severed by the Civil War, and the house was acquired by China Trade merchant William Henry King, a prominent Newporter. Five generations of King family collections are on display. Kingscote's dining room, added in 1881, includes the earliest known installation of Tiffany glass. The house is a National Historic Landmark.

Marble House

Bellevue Avenue Newport, RI Phone: 401-847-1000

In 1888, William K. Vanderbilt asked architect Richard Morris Hunt to design for him, "the very best living accommodations that money could buy." The result was Marble House, completed in 1892 at a cost of $11 million, and containing 500,000 cubic feet of American, Italian and African marbles. Vanderbilt presented the deed to the house to his wife Alva as a 39th birthday present. The grounds include a colorful Chinese teahouse overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Consult mansion website for public hours, which may change seasonally.

Ochre Court

Cliff Walk Newport, RI Phone: 401-847-6650

This palatial former summer home was built in 1892, and is now the main administration building for Salve Regina University. The main floor is open to guests Monday - Friday, 9 am - 4 pm. During the summer, guided tours are available.

Rosecliff

Bellevue Avenue Newport, RI 02840 Phone: 401-847-1000

This house was completed in 1902 and modeled after the Grand Trianon at Versailles. Rosecliff was the setting for many spectacular Newport parties and the setting for several Hollywood movies, including “The Great Gatsby,” “True Lies,” and “Amistad.” Consult mansion website for public hours, which may change seasonally.

The Breakers

Ochre Point Avenue Newport, RI Phone: 401-847-1000

The grandest of the Newport summer cottages and a National Historic landmark, Cornelius Vanderbilt II, President and Chairman of the New York Central Railroad, commissioned architect Richard Morris Hunt to design a summer retreat for his large family. This 70-room Italian Renaissance-style house, completed in 1895, includes a 45-foot high central Great Hall. It sits on a 13-acre estate overlooking a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean, where the waves crashing on the rocks below gave the house its name. Consult mansion website for public hours, which may change seasonally.

The Breakers Stable and Carriage House

Bateman and Coggeshall Avenue Newport, RI Phone: 401-847-1000

The stable includes a private collection of Vanderbilt family memorabilia, including several road coaches.

The Elms

Bellevue Avenue Newport, RI Phone: 401-847-1000

A National Historic Landmark, The Elms is a French-style chateau built in 1901 by architect Horace Trumbauer as a summer house for millionaire entrepreneur Edward Julius Berwind. It contains every technological marvel of its time, and was one of the first Newport houses to be fully electrified. The estate includes a 10-acrre park and elaborate sunken garden. Consult mansion website for public hours, which may change seasonally.