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Newport sits at the southern tip of Aquidneck Island in Narragansett Bay, a colonial seaport that later became the summer playground of America's wealthiest families. During the Gilded Age, industrialists built enormous so-called cottages along Bellevue Avenue, and the town has also long been a center of yachting. Its colonial core, with wooden houses and early churches, is among the best preserved in the country.
The mansions are the headline. The Breakers, built for the Vanderbilts, is the grandest, while Marble House, The Elms and Rosecliff show other takes on Gilded Age display, and Rough Point preserves the art collection of Doris Duke. The Cliff Walk runs along the shore behind many of these estates, offering ocean on one side and lawns on the other. Drivers and cyclists follow Ocean Drive past rocky coves to Brenton Point State Park, a breezy spot for kites and sunsets, and Easton's Beach is the town's main stretch of sand. In the historic district, Touro Synagogue is the oldest surviving synagogue building in the United States, and Trinity Church stands near Washington Square.
Newport suits travelers interested in architecture, sailing and coastal walks. Summer is busy and pricey, with music festivals in season. Shoulder months are quieter, and mansion hours shorten outside summer.
WiserMap travel guideNewport Rhode Island Gilded Age Mansions and Cliff WalkPlan a Newport, Rhode Island trip: Gilded Age mansions on Bellevue Avenue, the Cliff Walk, Fort Adams, colonial streets, harbor food and when to go.Read the guide
The Breakers is the grandest of the Newport mansions, a 70-room Italian Renaissance-style summer house built for Cornelius Vanderbilt II in the 1890s. The audio tour covers its marble Great Hall, music room and ocean-view loggias. Arrive at opening time, and buy a multi-house ticket online to save.
Marble House was built for William K. Vanderbilt and Alva Vanderbilt in the 1890s, using about 500,000 cubic feet of marble. Highlights include the gilded Gold Ballroom and the Chinese Tea House on the lawn above the ocean. Alva later hosted women's suffrage rallies here. Allow about an hour.
Rough Point was the oceanfront home of heiress Doris Duke and is kept much as she left it, with Old Master paintings, French furniture and Chinese porcelain. It sits beside the Cliff Walk with lawns running to the rocks. Visits are by timed tour with small groups, so reserve ahead in summer.
The Elms is a French chateau-style mansion with formal sunken gardens, and its Servant Life Tour shows the kitchens, coal tunnels and roof. Rosecliff, modeled on the Grand Trianon at Versailles, has a heart-shaped staircase and Newport's largest ballroom. Both are on Bellevue Avenue.
The Cliff Walk is a public path of about 3.5 miles along Newport's eastern shore, with the ocean on one side and the lawns of Gilded Age mansions on the other. The north part from Easton's Beach is paved, while the southern section is rough rock scrambling. Wear good shoes and start at Memorial Boulevard.
Brenton Point State Park sits on Ocean Drive at the southern tip of Newport, where Narragansett Bay meets the ocean. It is a former estate with open lawns, rocky shore and stone ruins, popular for kite flying, picnics and sunsets. Waves can be dangerous on the rocks, so stay back from the edge.
Fort Adams is a large 19th-century stone fort on a point in Newport Harbor, open for guided tours of its tunnels and walls. The surrounding state park hosts the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals, sailing events and a small beach, with views to the Newport Bridge. Check tour times before going.
Easton's Beach, also called First Beach, is Newport's main public beach, a long curve of sand at the start of the Cliff Walk. It has a vintage carousel, a small aquarium and a snack bar, and gentle waves good for families and beginner surfers. There is a paid parking lot right on the beach.
Touro Synagogue, dedicated in 1763, is the oldest synagogue building in the United States. George Washington's 1790 letter to its congregation promised religious freedom, and the visitor center explains this history. Guided tours show the elegant interior. It is still an active synagogue, so check tour hours.
Trinity Church, built in 1726, is a white colonial church with box pews and a rare three-tiered wineglass pulpit. Nearby Washington Square holds the Colony House, one of the oldest statehouses in the country. Together they show the colonial core of Newport. Walk the Point neighborhood nearby too.
Bowen's Wharf is a restored 18th-century wharf of brick and wood buildings on Newport Harbor, now holding seafood restaurants, shops and boat tour docks. Thames Street runs behind it with more shops and bars. Harbor cruises and sailing trips leave from here. Use the public lots, since street parking is scarce.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame is housed in the shingle-style Newport Casino of 1880, a social club where early national championships were played. The museum covers tennis history with interactive exhibits, and its grass courts are still used and can sometimes be booked. Allow an hour or two.
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Rhode Island, United States
Rhode Island, United States
Rhode Island, United States
Rhode Island, United States
Rhode Island, United States
Rhode Island, United States
Rhode Island, United States
Rhode Island, United States
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