If you are planning a trip to Newport, Rhode Island, one of the best ways to experience the city is through its Gilded Age mansion tours. Newport’s grand “summer cottages” were built by America’s wealthiest families and today are preserved as house museums, giving visitors access to the architecture, interiors, gardens and social history that defined the era.

Newport was the summer home of the Gilded Age rich and the period was marked by extraordinary change and spending on luxuries, including lavish summer houses. Today, the Newport Mansions offer a window into American history, architecture, art and landscape design across multiple preserved properties. 

The official Newport Mansions site currently offers standard tickets for properties including The Breakers, The Elms, Marble House, Rosecliff, Chateau-sur-Mer, Kingscote, Isaac Bell House and Green Animals Topiary Garden. 

The Best Gilded Age Mansions to Tour in Newport

The Breakers

The Breakers is the must-see mansion in Newport and the flagship property for most first-time visitors. It is the grandest of Newport’s summer cottages and a symbol of the Vanderbilt family’s social and financial status in the Gilded Age. The mansion was completed in 1895, designed by Richard Morris Hunt, and contains 70 rooms on a nearly one-acre footprint. 

Marble House

Marble House is one of Newport’s defining Gilded Age landmarks. The official mansion page says it was built in 1892 by William Vanderbilt as a 39th birthday present for Alva Vanderbilt and helped mark Newport’s transformation into a resort of opulent stone palaces. 500,000 cubic feet of marble were used in the house. 

Marble House is a great choice for travelers interested in both architecture and social history. It captures the ambition and theatricality of the era, and it works especially well on a multi-mansion itinerary when paired with The Breakers or The Elms. Audio tours are available through the Newport Mansions app. 

The Elms

The Elms offers a slightly different Gilded Age experience, focused on refined European-inspired design and the lifestyle of the Berwind family. The official site says the house was completed in 1901 for Edward Julius Berwind, whose fortune came from coal, and that architect Horace Trumbauer modeled it after the 18th-century French Château d’Asnières outside Paris. 

The Elms is also one of the best tours for visitors curious about the people behind the glamour. The official schedule lists a Servant Life Tour, which focuses on the men and women who worked behind the scenes to keep Newport’s social season running. 

Rosecliff

If you want the most party-forward mansion in Newport, Rosecliff is a strong pick. It highlights signature Gilded Age features such as the heart-shaped staircase and grand ballroom. The ballroom was once used as a roller skating rink, which underscores how entertaining was central to the house’s identity. 

Rosecliff is especially appealing for travelers who want a lighter, more event-oriented stop, and it is also one of the partially accessible houses. 

Chateau-sur-Mer

For visitors who want to go broader than the Vanderbilt-centered mansions, Chateau-sur-Mer adds an important Victorian layer to a Newport itinerary. It was one of America’s great Victorian houses, dating to 1852, and ties it to the period’s fascination with industrial wealth, science, history and exotic influences. 

Chateau-sur-Mer also appears in the mansion system’s current touring lineup and has audio tour support through the app. 

Tips for planning your Newport mansion tour

A good first itinerary is to start with The Breakers, then add Marble House or The Elms depending on whether you care more about Vanderbilt spectacle or house-and-staff social history. Rosecliff works well as a third stop if you want a mansion associated with entertaining and changing exhibitions. That approach fits the official multi-property ticket structure and gives a balanced introduction to Newport’s Gilded Age. 

It is also smart to check the operating schedule before you go, because some properties are seasonal or have limited open days.

Gilded Age mansion tour prices, opening hours, and where to buy tickets

If you are planning Gilded Age mansion tours in Newport, Rhode Island, the easiest way to book is through the official Newport Mansions ticket page. The Preservation Society currently sells tickets online and tickets and memberships can also be purchased at the properties, with admissions staff available at The Breakers Welcome Center, The Elms, Marble House, Rosecliff, and Green Animals Topiary Garden. Visitors can buy admission for The Breakers plus one or two additional open properties, or purchase a one-property ticket for houses other than The Breakers.

Current general admission prices

Based on the official ticket page, the main self-guided ticket options are:

• The Breakers only: Adult $32, youth ages 6–12 $14, children under 6 free. This ticket requires a selected date and time. 
• The Breakers + 1 additional property: Adult $45, youth ages 6–12 $16, children under 6 free. The Breakers requires a timed entry; the second property does not. 
• The Breakers + 2 additional properties: Adult $57, youth ages 6–12 $18, children under 6 free. 
• One-property ticket for a mansion other than The Breakers: Adult $25, youth ages 6–12 $10, children under 6 free. 

Is there one ticket to see all the mansions?

There is not a single one-day “all mansions” day ticket listed on the standard ticket page, but the official site does offer an Access Pass that includes unlimited general admission to all open properties for one year. The current listed price is $75 per adult. Access Pass holders also do not need a timed reservation for The Breakers. 

That makes the Access Pass the closest thing to a see-it-all ticket if you want to visit multiple open mansions across one trip or return later. It is valid for one person per pass and does not include specialty tours or events. 

Current opening hours and seasonal schedule

Because hours vary, it is best to say that Newport mansion hours are seasonal and should always be confirmed on the official operating schedule before publishing or traveling.

Here are the current opening hours –

• The Breakers: currently listed as open daily, 9 am to 5 pm, with last admission at 4 pm. 
• Rosecliff: currently listed as open daily, 9 am to 4 pm, with last admission at 3 pm. 
• The Elms: currently listed as open Fridays through Mondays, 9 am to 5 pm, with last admission at 4 pm. 
• Marble House: currently listed as open Fridays through Mondays, 9 am to 5 pm, with last admission at 4 pm. 
• Chateau-sur-Mer: currently closed for the season, then open Fridays through Mondays starting May 4, and open daily June 1 through August 31. 
• Kingscote: currently closed for the season, then open daily April 20 through May 3, and open Sundays through Tuesdays June 1 through August 31. 
• Isaac Bell House: currently closed for the season, then open Fridays and Saturdays, June 5 through August 29. 
• Green Animals Topiary Garden: currently closed for the season, then open daily May 4 through August 31, plus weekends and Labor Day through late September. 

Specialty tours

If you want more than standard self-guided admission, the official site also lists specialty tours, including:

• Beneath The Breakers Tour: currently daily at 10 am and 12 pm. 
• Third Floor Preservation in Progress Tour at The Breakers: currently daily at 12 pm and 2 pm. 
• Servant Life Tour at The Elms: currently Fridays through Mondays at 10 am and 12 pm.