Summer may be over, but it’s a great time to enjoy the less-crowded roads and spaces of Newport, Rhode Island, for tours of this elegant seaside city’s collection of restored Gilded Age mansions. The fabulous homes were built as summer “cottages” for the rich and powerful, and survive thanks to the work of the Preservation Society of Newport County.
Most of the famous houses are located on or near Bellevue Avenue, with wide lawns and terraced gardens that slope down to the sea. What many visitors to Newport’s more highly recognizable houses don’t know is a shocking number of other fabulous mansions were completely demolished from the 1930s through the 1960s.
Some, such as the beautiful Stone Villa — a stunning Italianate manor house built from fieldstone trimmed in granite — were replaced with shopping centers and parking lots. Others, including the sprawling Harper-Field Warren Estate, called Seafield, and the timber-framed estate known as Seaverge, disappeared from history to become subdivisions or were replaced with modern homes.
Happily, you can still visit a collection of beautifully preserved mansions that include The Breakers, The Elms, Marble House, Rosecliff, Chateau sur Mer, Isaac Bell House, Kingscote, Chepstow, Hunter House and Green Animals Topiary Garden. While seasonal closures begin at some houses Oct. 15, there’s still a chance to enjoy a docent-led tour or a self-guided audio tour.
Plan for a holiday season visit, when events include an exploration of Shirley Jackson’s seminal horror story originally published in 1959, The Haunting of Hill House (Penguin Classic, 2006). Part of the Books@Bell series, the talk takes place Oct. 19 and will be led by Dr. Renee Somers, assistant professor of English, Bridgewater State University.

The Cliff Walk, Cliffside Mansions of Newport Rhode Island. Photo: Joe Sohm | Dreamstime.com
On Oct. 24, an evening lecture led by author and journalist Julie Satow will delve into the fascinating history of New York City’s Plaza Hotel. “The Plaza: The Secret Life of America’s Most Famous Hotel” will be hosted at Rosecliff, and will address the myriad stories of scandal, tragedy and fabulous wealth associated with the Plaza.
Pumpkin Decorating at Green Animals will take place Oct. 26 in the Topiary Garden. The event is planned 10 a.m. to noon, and includes a garden walk to collect decorating materials from the expansive grounds.
A lecture covering “Food in the American Gilded Age” will be offered at Rosecliff on Nov. 7, led by Helen Zoe Veit, associate professor of history, Michigan State University. Dr. Veit will discuss the diet disparities between classes via period cookbooks, dietary studies and advice manuals from post-Civil War America.
Learn all you ever wanted to know about the glass windows and lampshades created by Tiffany Studios Dec. 8 at Rosecliff during “Tiffany Glass: Painting with Color and Light” Exhibition Opening Lecture and Reception.
A festive Holiday Dinner Dance at The Breakers, Dec. 21 includes a cocktail hour on the loggia, an elegant three-course seated dinner in the mansion’s Great Hall, and dancing in the opulent Music Room. The event is black tie, and reservations are required.
Read This Next
#WhereverFamily
Insta FeedTravel Tips
Nov 22, 2023New Hilton Report Shows What All Ages Want from Travel
Trying to plan a multigen trip? You may anticipate trouble finding a travel destination, activities and more to appeal to every member of your crew. However, a new report from Hilton found there are certain experiences all travelers want right now, regardless of generation.
Sponsored Content
Unearth Seoul’s Hidden Gems
Filled with hidden treasures waiting to be discovered, Seoul invites travelers to unearth its many gems, and Seoul Tourism Organization is here to help travelers do just that. Through thoughtfully created initiatives like the Theme Tourism County Competition, Seoul Tourism Organization works closely with local districts to identify and showcase what makes each district unique and charming in all seasons.
Multigenerational
Nov 21, 202310 Resorts & Hotels Around the World with Festive Celebrations 2023, Part 2
With the holiday season upon us, resorts all over the world pull out all the stops to bring the joy of the holidays to family travelers of all ages. Here are five more resorts to check out this holiday season:
Multigenerational
Nov 17, 2023Perfect Holiday Gifts for Travelers on Etsy
When searching for unique gifts for family travelers, Etsy is a good place to begin. A marketplace of online shops owned by craftspeople and collectors, Etsy is filled with handcrafted works in all mediums, often one-of-a-kind or custom-made. It’s like an open studio, a place to share the latest creations directly to people who appreciate handcrafted things.
Sponsored Content
United Airlines Celebrates its First Class of United Aviate Graduates
As the only major U.S. airline to own a flight school, United Airlines already hit a major milestone, and now the carrier celebrates another important — and historic — step as the inaugural class of United Aviate Academy pilots graduates, leading the next generation of aviators. The 51 students in the graduating class were majority, at 80 percent, women and people of color — another stride toward United’s goal of training 5,000 new pilots by 2030 with half women or POC.
Cruising
Nov 16, 2023Norwegian Cruise Line Returns to Asia with New Itineraries
Norwegian Cruise Line is known for offering an impressive assortment of itineraries letting family travelers visit practically every corner of the globe, but one part of the world has been missing for the past few years: Asia. Luckily, that is finally changing as the line returns to the region for the first time in three years.
ShareThis