The Breakers
Built 1895National Historic Landmark
The Breakers is the grandest of Newport's summer "cottages" and a symbol of the Vanderbilt family's social and financial pre-eminence in the Gilded Age.
Things to Do
The Breakers Audio Tour
Daily
opening hours
Based on personal diaries, letters, records and oral histories, The Breakers audio tour offers first-person accounts of life in the house from members of the family, servants and their children. You’ll also learn fascinating facts about The Breakers and how it was built, and see details of the rooms that you might otherwise not notice!
The Breakers Family Tour
Daily
opening hours
A dragon in the dining room and a dolphin under the stairs – this tour will introduce children to this Gilded Age mansion from a unique and fun perspective.
Beneath The Breakers Tour
Daily
10:00am
Explore the underground systems that made this great house a marvel of technology for its time.
The Breakers Third Floor Preservation in Progress Tour
Daily
2:00pm
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.
History
The Breakers was built by America’s pre-eminent architect for one of the richest families in the world.
Learn more about The Breakers
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Original Builder
Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt II
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Architect
Richard Morris Hunt
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Construction dates
1893-1895
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Materials
Brick faced with Indiana limestone
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Ownership transferred to the Preservation Society
1972
Upcoming Events
Behind the Boiserie: An Intimate Exploration of the Ladies Reception Room at The Breakers
April 9, 2025
11:00am – 12:00pm
Follow the history and conservation research on the Ladies Reception Room at The Breakers, a highly significant but often overlooked space.
This program will be offered on March 6 & April 9.
Conserving The Breakers: Exploring the Furniture of A.H. Davenport
April 18, 2025
11:00am – 12:00pm
Learn about the ongoing research into and conservation of the furniture on the third floor of The Breakers, which opened to the public for the first time last year.
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