HOW TO SAVE MONEY AND TIME VISITING THE MANSIONS OF NEWPORT, RI

.Beautifully ornate mansions from the historic Gilded Age, delicious food, and charming shops in a visitor-friendly complex overlooking the harbor are just three of the reasons to visit the coastal and walkable town of Newport Rhode Island. If you’re planning a trip to see the historic house museums, here are my top tips on How to Save Money and Time Visiting the Mansions of Newport. I’ve also included a few tips on exploring downtown Newport, the Downton Abbey connection and how to enjoy the whole experience visiting Newport.

This post on visiting the Mansions of Newport Rhode Island is part 2 of my 3 part series: The Best Weekend Trips on the East Coast. Learn more about other RI cities in part 1 and part 3.

A Little History First

The Gilded Age in America took place between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of World War I (late 1800s – early 1900s). During this time period, America’s population, economy and technology expanded rapidly providing the catalyst for an unprecedented accumulation of wealth.

Captains of industry and high society members chose Newport Rhode Island as the place to build and enjoy opulent architecturally stunning summer homes called “cottages” primarily on the peaceful and stately tree-lined Belleview Avenue.

Due to the high cost of upkeep, nine of the mansions (and the Green Animals Topiary Garden) are now being maintained by The Preservation Society of Newport County and are available for the public to tour.

Begin with Two Mansions

The hardest part of your trip to the Newport RI mansions will be deciding which ones to see in the time available.They are all beautiful and unique. You can easily spend hours wandering through endless rooms and multiple floors at any of the houses. For a quick overview to help you decide which of the mansions to see, at the end of this post I included a complete Overview of the Newport Mansions and for fans of the show Downton Abbey, a little about the Downton Abbey and Newport Connection.

In the spirit of inclusivity, according to the Preservation Society website, The Breakers, Marble House, The Elms and Rosecliff are partially wheelchair accessible.

The Breakers

Before I arrived at the Newport RI mansions, I had already decided to see the two homes owned by the Vanderbilt family. The Breakers with its own Welcome Center was my first stop of the day. Designed to look and feel like a European palace, this mansion is the perfect example of life in the Gilded Age.

With velvet brocade drapes, a sweeping staircase, carved mantles, elegant chandeliers, tall ceilings edged in gold, and personal items of the Cornelius Vanderbilt family on display in the bedrooms, I felt like a house guest peering behind the curtains. This Vanderbilt mansion in Newport RI was timeless.

These are just a few of the dozens of photos I took of The Breakers in Newport Rhode Island. From the scalloped edging and clamshell fountain under the grand staircase to the clusters of acorns (symbol from the Vanderbilt family crest) in the tile floor, there was always one more intricate detail that caught my attention.

The Chinese Tea House

After touring The Breakers for three hours, I was ready for some refreshments. I walked down Belleview Avenue to see the Chinese Tea House at Marble House (owned by another Vanderbilt of Newport family). Perched on the edge of a cliff at the back of the property, the architecture is wonderfully ornate with carved dragons on the roofline and tall windows on all sides.

With plenty of seating inside and out and a nice view of the ocean, it’s a comfortable gathering place. No wonder Alva Vanderbilt used it for Suffragette meetings.

Park Early or Take the Trolley

Luckily, there are parking lots behind each of the mansions but they do fill up, especially during the busy summer season and holidays. You can also park your car at the Gateway Visitors Center on America’s Cup Avenue downtown and purchase a $6 all-day pass to ride the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) Newport Trolley that stops at each of the mansions along Route 67. Trolley riders also enjoy additional park and ride rewards in town.

Visit on a Week Day if Possible

It’s no surprise that weekends and holidays are the most crowded. The Breakers is the most popular mansion. It’s much nicer to go on a quieter day and wander at your own pace instead of waiting in long lines that begin at the ticket window outside of each mansion.

Get a Combo Ticket

For $38, the Mansion Experience combo ticket will allow you to see any 5 properties. If you want to include lunch (at either the Garden Café at the Breakers or the Chinese Tea House at Marble House) and see those magnificent homes as well as The Elms and Rosecliff, it will cost $49 per person.

For current prices, visit the The Preservation Society of Newport County website. For a real treat, consider visiting in December to see three of the Newport mansions beautifully decorated for the season.

Take Advantage of Discounts

Pricing varies and there are many ticket options. Save time and order your tickets online in advance. In 2019, the individual admission price for visiting one mansion is $18 (excluding The Breakers). If you only plan to visit The Breakers, the ticket is $26.

For locals and anyone who intends to tour the mansions more than once, the Preservation Society offers a yearly Membership to the Newport Mansions nonprofit that’s a good value. It provides unlimited admission and regular tours of all the mansions, discounts on special tours (like The Elms Servant Life Tour or Beneath the Breakers Tour), and discounts at the gift shop and elsewhere.

An individual membership is $55, two adults from the same household is $80, and two adults and children from the same household costs $95. Students pay $35. Active, reserve or retired military with valid ID get a $15 discount on any of the memberships listed above.

Accept the Headphones

I really appreciate the fact that many museums (including five of the Newport mansions) now provide self-paced audio tours. As you enter the building, you will be offered headphones and a cell phone sized audio player. The audio device is free and the detailed room-by-room narration adds nice context to what you see as you walk along.

Hearing the voices of the original owners as they described life in the mansion during the Gilded Age was priceless. It felt as if they were narrating your own private Breakers mansion tour. You can also download the app and listen to the tours in advance of your visit. Private Newport mansion tours led by docents are also available for a fee.

Step Out on the Patios

At certain mansions like The Breakers, visitors can walk out onto the back patio from one of the ground level rooms or a hallway between rooms. The view of the vast lawn and the Atlantic Ocean beyond clearly captures why these parcels of Newport real estate became a coveted place to build a summer cottage. Imagine the luxurious lawn parties (think Great Gatsby) that took place here 100 years ago. Drinks and croquet anyone?

Stroll on the Grounds

If you have time (after you tour the house), wander around the grounds. In addition to appreciating the beautifully designed and well-manicured landscaping, you’ll find some of the mansions have additional buildings that you can examine by at least peering into the windows. On the grounds of The Breakers, there was a well built small building off to one side that was partially furnished and appeared to have toys on a shelf. The family standing next to me on the steps looking in was having fun imagining who lived there.

Visit the Cafés

According to The Preservation Society website, food and drink are available for ticket holders and members, year round at The Breakers Garden Café. Refreshments are available seasonally at the Chinese Tea House at Marble House from 11 am – 6 pm beginning April 4th. After a long day of walking around, having a choice of coffee, tea, sodas, sandwiches, salads and snacks is a pleasant reward.

Wander through the Gift Shops

The five-room gift shop in the lower level of The Breakers occupies space that was originally the domestic kitchen staff’s work area, pantry, dining room and refrigerator room. For that reason alone, it’s interesting to tour the gift shop.

I admit I couldn’t leave without buying a souvenir; I selected a large coffee mug with a nice floral design which felt elegant. I noticed they also offered china, books, jewelry, clothing, decorative items and souvenirs in the gift shop as well.

Amble Along the Cliff Walk

Sadly, I knew I didn’t have time to do Marble House justice so I ended the afternoon with a stroll behind the mansions on the publicly accessible Cliff Walk (a mostly paved path along the shoreline) that provides an interesting view of the back of some of the mansions.

To get to the Cliff Walk, I followed a surfboarder down Belleview Avenue to a dead end where I could see a path to Bailey’s Beach. The Cliff Walk extends in both directions but I entered at the eastern end. If you have the energy, the entire Cliff Walk is 3.5 miles. It was a pretty blue sky day and the natural vegetation was in full bloom.

Along the path behind each mansion, I noticed a plaque on a pedestal with a scannable QR code for your phone. (QR Scanner is the app I use on my iPhone). After scanning the code, a message popped up and immediately took you to the Citimaps website which provided more details on the mansion at that stop. Great idea!

Overall, the Cliff Walk was a quiet soothing place to take an afternoon stroll. In some places near Bailey’s beach, the path becomes a bit rocky and uneven so be careful where you walk. Entering the Cliff Walk at the western end by Memorial Boulevard at Easton’s Beach is much easier. A paved and fenced-in pathway allows a much safer and more comfortable stroll.

At one point, I couldn’t resist following other tourists who had climbed down to the beach to put their feet in the water (still chilly!) and take photos of the stacked rocks that seemed to be all over.

Stop by the Wharves

After touring the mansions all day, a nice meal is the perfect reward. When you drive over Claiborne Pell bridge into Newport, you arrive right near the shopping and dining district. You can’t miss all the boats in the marina. Bannister’s Wharf and Bowen’s Wharf are both worth exploring and are right near each other. Bannister’s has a marina, guest rooms, small boutiques and historic restaurants on the harbor.

At Bannister’s Wharf, I explored the shops and ended the day with dinner. There were many lively restaurants to choose from but I decided on a lovely old restaurant called The Black Pearl. As a solo traveler, it’s nice to sit at the bar. I had a lively discussion with some of the locals about life in Newport.

I started with a light and refreshing local Whalers Pale Ale and looked over the menu. After asking the bartender for recommendations, I chose New England Clam Chowder and a Brochette with Shrimp and Scallops. The chowder had a velvety texture and was full of clams. The grilled shrimp and scallops were nicely seasoned and slightly crispy. Very tasty!

The next day I went back to the downtown area to explore again. This time I headed to Bowen’s Wharf and saw that it has eateries, galleries and more places to spend money too, but it’s hallmark is that it provides deep-water dockage for yachts. Arriving via water is a nice option and as a seaport town, Newport is very accommodating.

Overview of the Newport Mansions

A number of these magnificent house museums are on the national historic landmark registry. They include the Breakers, Marble House, The Elms, Chateau-Sur-Mer, Kingscote, Hunter House and Isaac Bell House.

• The Breakers – the 70-room solid stone summer estate of railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt II includes a two and a half story high great room with a grand staircase and numerous balconies to peer down from in the hallway above. Built in 1895 with lavish furnishings and intricate architecture, this house is simply stunning. I felt like I had stepped into the American version of Downton Abbey.

• Marble House – Alva and William Vanderbilt hired the well-known architect Richard Morris Hunt (who had worked on the Louvre in Paris) to design this house in the Beaux Arts style with 500,000 cubic feet of marble. After her husband’s death, Alva hosted suffragette meetings in the Chinese Tea House she had built perched on the cliffs at the back end of the lawn.
• Rosecliff – a silver heiress, Tessie Fair Oelrichs and her husband had this massive estate built in 1902 in terra cotta in the Beaux Arts style. Both the original owner and the last owners (of shipbuilding wealth from New Orleans) threw extravagant parties there. The grand ballroom was featured in a number of films including the Great Gatsby, High Society, True Lies and Amistad.
• The Elms – coal magnate Edward Berwind and his wife Herminie had their house built in 1901 to resemble a French chateau outside of Paris complete with French furnishings and interior designs. The sunken gardens outside are very colorful and unique. The Elms offers a glimpse of life “below the stairs” also reminiscent of Downton Abbey. The Elms Servant Life Tour includes personal photos and stories of the staff.
• Chateau-Sur-Mer – built in 1852 in high Victorian style by a wealthy American-China Trade merchant, three generations of the Wetmore family lived here including a Rhode Island Governor and Senator. Notable for it’s hand-carved Italian woodwork, Chinese porcelains and lavish wallpapers, it was the largest home in Newport until the Vanderbilt homes were built.
• Kingscote – Originally constructed in 1841 in Gothic Revival style by Georgia plantation owner George Noble Jones, it was rebuilt in 1881 for William Henry King, a China Trade merchant. The house contains original family collections and Tiffany glass bricks.
• Isaac Bell House – built in 1883 for the wealthy cotton merchant Isaac Bell, this house is considered one of the best examples of American Shingle Style architecture in the U.S. Inside, Arts and Crafts interiors are mixed with Japanese-inspired columns.
• Chepstow – built in 1862, this Italianate-style cottage was last owned by Alletta Morris McBean, a descendant of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Original furnishings include a collection of important 19^th-century American paintings including Hudson River School landscapes.
• Hunter House – The oldest mansion built in 1848, a merchant, ship-owner and colonial deputy called it home. Later it was the headquarters of the French Navy during the Revolutionary War. The house still contains original colonial furniture.

Directions to the Newport Mansions of Rhode Island

Newport is a seaport town on the southeastern side of Rhode Island. I drove to Newport from Westerly and it took less than an hour primarily on US Route 1. If you are driving from Boston, Providence or New York, it’s easier to follow the directions listed on the Preservation Society of Newport County website.

Downton Abbey and Newport Connection

Downton Abbey is one of my favorite shows and I loved the movie. In Season 3, Lady Cora Crowley’s mother from America (played by Shirley MacLaine) mentions several times that she has a cottage in Newport. If you haven’t had the chance to see the whole series, all six seasons of Downton Abbey can be purchased as a set. If you have Amazon Prime, you can binge watch it!

So what’s the connection between Downton Abbey and Newport? It turns out, according to “From Stem to Stern,” the official blog of the website Visit Newport Rhode Island, there is a real life connection.

“George Reginald Oliver Molyneux Herbert, the genuine owner of the estate where Downton Abbey is filmed, Highclere Castle, descends from the Stanhope family, Earls of Chesterfield. On August 14, 1783 Sir Henry Edwyn Stanhope, captain of HM Frigate Mercury, married Margaret Malbone, daughter of Colonel Francis Malbone, a well-known shipping merchant. The two wed at Newport’s Trinity Church and today, the Francis Malbone House, named for its most well-known owner and on the National Register of Historic Places, stands at 392 Thames Street and is a luxury inn.“

And finally, two of the Newport mansions offer tours that provide a different perspective much like the storyline on Downton Abbey. Servant Life Tour at The Elms showcases the domestic workers’ experience while Beneath The Breakers highlights new technology that only the wealthy could afford during the Gilded Age.

Moving On….

With a belly full of seafood and memories of the elegant house museums from the Gilded Age still on my mind, I hopped in my car and set my GPS for the city of Providence, my third and final destination in Rhode Island.