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.
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.
Preservation Society Fellow Astrid Tvetenstrand
In support of a reinterpretation plan for Newport’s landmark Gothic Revival cottage Kingscote (1839), Social History Fellow Astrid Tvetenstrand’s research uncovered untold stories about the business and personal lives of the residents of Kingscote through a global lens.
Astrid will discuss the application of her research – including the examination of family travel albums documenting trips throughout Europe and Asia; David King Jr.’s account book recording his trading practices in China; personal correspondence; probate inventories; and documentation of the household domestic staff circa 1880 – to enrich our understanding of this landmark that witnessed many events that shaped American history.
Preservation Society Fellow Dani Zhang
Dani Zhang will discuss her research in support of the upcoming exhibition The Celestial City: Newport and China. Dani’s work has expanded our understanding of the rich and vibrant Chinese American community in 19th-century Newport and Chinese objects collected by their Gilded Age peers.
By examining the Chinese-crafted objects in the collection of the Preservation Society, Dani has illuminated a world of meaning: decoding imagery, identifying previously unknown Chinese artists, and uncovering the nuanced nature of traditional vs. Western utility. Ultimately, her work has enriched the Preservation Society’s understanding of individual objects and the associated collecting practices of Gilded Age Americans during this complex time.
Live at Marble House or via Zoom video conference
Astrid Tvetenstrand
Astrid Tvetenstrand earned a PhD in American & New England Studies, specializing in American Art History, Nineteenth-Century History and Literature, from Boston University. She is a graduate of the Sotheby’s MA in American Fine & Decorative Art History program, and has experience working with the MFA Boston, De Cordova Sculpture Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum. Astrid joined the Preservation Society as a Curatorial Research Assistant this July.
Dani Zhang
Dani Zhang received a Master of Arts degree in East Asian Languages and Cultures from Columbia University and has experience working with the American Museum of Natural History and the Asian Handicrafts Foundation. She most recently contributed to the forthcoming PieceWork Magazine article, “Feathers and Fibers: A Remarkable Chinese Embroidery in the Newport Mansions.”
Explore the underground systems that made this great house a marvel of technology for its time.
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. *Sept. 1-Oct. 6, 10:30 & 3:30. Nov. 23-Jan. 1, 2025, 10:30 & 2:30.
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. *Sept. 3-Oct. 14, offered twice daily at 1:30 and 3:30 pm. Starting Oct. 15, offered once daily at 1:30 pm.
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 across a range of media.
Fans of HBO’s "The Gilded Age" will love this guide-led tour of locations in four of the Newport Mansions where the show was filmed. Tuesdays and Fridays only, September 3 through 27.
SOLD OUT
In an exclusive for our members, Director of Museum Affairs & Chief Curator Leslie Jones will give a wide-ranging update on the state of the Preservation Society's collections.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a 3,000-year-old tradition from China that celebrates togetherness. We invite you to a family program celebrating this festival on the grounds of Marble House and in the Chinese Tea House.
Save the dates for the 19th annual festival, featuring the Vintner Dinner, Sunday Brunch and tasty yet educational seminar experiences. Plus, special guest appearance by Jacques and Claudine Pepin!
Join us for a masterclass and tasting of Sonoma County wines and Kentucky whiskeys finished in French oak wine casks.
The perfect pairing: Fine wines from Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival sponsors and inspiring cuisine from the world-class chefs at participating local restaurants.
In this insider’s look at the Preservation Society’s new exhibition “Wild Imagination: Art and Animals in the Gilded Age,” curator Dr. Nicole Williams explores the evolving relationships between Gilded Age Americans and their pets and wildlife, with a focus on Newport history.
Download our tour app before your visit and bring your earbuds.
Parking is free onsite at all properties except for Hunter House and The Breakers Stable & Carriage House, where street parking is available.
Answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.
Explore the 11 properties under the stewardship of the Preservation Society and open as historic house museums.
Partners in Preservation