Visiting the Newport Mansions

Have you thought about visiting the Newport Mansions lately?  Newport has been a town of luxury for hundreds of years, since the colonial era. The only bigger sign of luxury than the yacht race is the many, many mansions on the island. Although some of these mansions are still active residences, many are open for public tours.

The most famous of the Newport mansions, arguably, is the Breakers, the 19^th century, seventy room summer home. The Breakers was built in the 1890s for one of the scions of the wealthy railroad family, the Vanderbilts. The Breakers is a beautiful, five floor mansion overlooking the ocean. Whether you’re facing the mansion or facing the sea, you cannot beat the view.

Visiting the Newport Mansions

Another Vanderbilt mansion on the island is the Marble House. The outside of the Marble House is made—as one would expect—of half a million cubic feet sculpted, carved marble. Inside, the Marble House is lavishly-decorated. While you’re there, you should definitely stop by the Chinese Tea House, build in 1914.

While the Vanderbilt summer homes often grab much of the attention, they are far from the end of the Newport mansions. Built by coal magnates in 1898, The Elms is a fantastic example of 19^th century architecture. Marble pillars, carved jade, and the restored gardens all lend to the beauty of this estate.

Visiting the Newport Mansions

Another gilded age mansion, just down the street from the Breakers, is Rosecliff. Even if you’ve never visited Rosecliff, you may have seen it in a number of feature films. Modeled on one of the palaces of Versailles, Rosecliff is famed for its massive ballroom

A smaller—yet still massive—mansion is the Chateau-sur-Mer, built in 1852 by merchant William Shepard Wetmore. The Chateau-sur-Mer is built and decorated in the style of a French Villa. The Chateau-sur-Mer is easily spotted from the street by its circular Monkee’s Seat Gate.  Make sure visiting the Newport Mansions is on your “to-do” list this year!

 

visiting the Newport mansions website: newportmansions.org.