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.
“Inside the Newport Mansions” Gilded Age Conversations
Noted historians and authors share their insights into all aspects of Gilded Age America in this monthly series of interviews with the Preservation Society.
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.
This award-winning and record-breaking exhibition uses beautiful works of art made from simple toys to explore animal endangerment, the balance of ecosystems, and mankind’s relationship with nature.
Just as LEGO® pieces interconnect, everything in nature is also connected in a delicate balance. This artful exhibition illustrates that balance in the beautiful, inspirational setting of Green Animals Topiary Garden.
Using the beloved toy bricks as a medium, the larger-than-life creations in Nature Connects present a playful spin on traditional sculptural art, making it accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds.
Marvel at artist Sean Kenney’s gravity-defying and astoundingly precise structures and become inspired to explore their world in new ways. From the proud majesty of an antlered buck to the ponderous mass of a Galapagos tortoise; from the delicate suspension of a hummingbird on the edge of a flower to the spectacular feather display of a peacock, Sean’s art sparks a joyful sense of wonder at the natural world.
In addition to the 14 sculptures exhibited at Green Animals, Sean Kenney’s Bonsai Tree is displayed inside the Welcome Center at The Breakers.
At times whimsical, gripping and awe-inspiring, this exhibition will inspire budding artists, ecologists and builders to dream big!
David & Carol Bazarsky
Edwin S. Webster Foundation
The Thomas A. Rodgers, Jr. Family Foundation
Lisa & Paul Perrault
T.J. Brown Landscape Contractors
Dr. Brian Melzian
Shamrock Electric
Charter Books
Sean Kenney is a renowned, award-winning artist who has been creating art wth LEGO bricks for over 15 years.
His multiple-award-winning traveling exhibitions have been touring globally since 2012, he has authored 9 acclaimed children’s books, and guest-judged the hit TV show LEGO MASTERS.
Explore the underground systems that made this great house a marvel of technology for its time.
For the first time in the 129-year history of The Breakers, the private third-floor family space occupied by generations of Vanderbilts is open for public tours.
Wild Imagination will explore the changing place of animals in the Gilded Age, a period that transformed how we view and treat the animal world, through more than 100 animal-themed artworks in a range of media. Closed Nov. 22-Dec. 8
A great Newport tradition! See the great mansions of the Gilded Age dressed in their festive holiday finery. It’s the most spectacular time of the year at these awe-inspiring historic houses.
This outdoor spectacle of holiday lights will dazzle and delight you! The 13-acre landscape of The Breakers turns into a wonderland of color and light. Includes tour of the lavishly decorated rooms inside the house. Open on select evenings through the season. Includes access to The Breakers interior during the same visit.
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.
Founded in 1993, the Newport Symposium has been an annual convening of fine and decorative arts experts and enthusiasts from across the country and the world. Attendees listen to stimulating lectures, experience behind-the-scenes study opportunities and gather to network and discuss the future of our history.
Thank you to all of our sponsors, guests and volunteers for another successful Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival. See you next year for the 20th annual festival, September 19-21, 2025, at Rosecliff. Become a Preservation Society member and receive early access to purchase 2025 tickets before they become available to the general public.
Partners in Preservation
