The Breakers

State: Rhode Island. Type: Gilded Age house museum in Newport, largest of the Newport Mansions. Built 1893-1895 for Cornelius Vanderbilt II; architect Richard Morris Hunt. National Historic Landmark (designated 1994; listed on the National Register of Historic Places 1971). Address: 44 Ochre Point Avenue, Newport, RI 02840. Rhode Island's most-visited attraction, with about 450,000 annual visitors as of 2017.

The Breakers is the grandest of Newport's Gilded Age "summer cottages," built between 1893 and 1895 as the seasonal residence of railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt II. After an earlier mansion on the site burned down in 1892, Vanderbilt commissioned architect Richard Morris Hunt to design a fireproof replacement built almost entirely of masonry and steel rather than wood. The result is a 70-room, five-floor Renaissance Revival palace with roughly 138,300 square feet of gross area, sited on a 14-acre oceanfront estate overlooking Easton Bay, with interiors decorated by Jules Allard and Sons and Ogden Codman Jr. After passing through the Vanderbilt family for decades, the mansion opened to public tours in 1948 and was ultimately acquired by the Preservation Society of Newport County in 1972. Today it is the flagship property among the Preservation Society's 11 house museums and Rhode Island's single most-visited attraction.

The Breakers stands at 44 Ochre Point Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island, on a 14-acre oceanfront estate along the city's eastern shore, with the Cliff Walk running directly behind the property overlooking Easton Bay.

Newport's climate is ocean-moderated, generally cooler in summer and milder in winter than inland areas; the exposed oceanfront setting of The Breakers means it can be breezy, particularly on the terrace and grounds facing the water.

Spring through fall is the most popular visiting season, coinciding with the property's full operating schedule and good weather for exploring the grounds and adjoining Cliff Walk; note that the back terrace is closed for restoration through November 2026, with grounds and gardens still accessible.

Cornelius Vanderbilt II bought the property in 1885 for $450,000. After a previous house on the site burned in November 1892, he hired Richard Morris Hunt to design a new, fireproof mansion, completed in 1895 using masonry and steel trusses with no wooden structural components. Following Cornelius Vanderbilt's death in 1899, his widow Alice held the property until her death in 1934, after which it passed to their daughter Gladys Vanderbilt Széchenyi, who began leasing it for public tours in 1948 through an arrangement with the Preservation Society of Newport County. The Preservation Society purchased The Breakers outright in 1972 for $365,000. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994.

Take a self-guided or audio tour through the mansion's opulent public rooms and family quarters, walk the estate's oceanfront grounds and gardens, and continue onto the adjoining Cliff Walk, which runs directly behind the property.

Highlights include the Great Hall, the ornate dining and music rooms decorated by Jules Allard and Sons and Ogden Codman Jr., the mansion's grand staircase, and the oceanfront grounds; the rear terrace is closed for restoration through November 2026, though the gardens remain open.

The Breakers is in Newport on Aquidneck Island, reached by car over the Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge; the closest major commercial airport is T.F. Green International Airport near Providence, about 30-35 miles away, requiring a rental car or rideshare for the final leg.

Per the official Newport Mansions site, The Breakers is generally open daily 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with last admission at 4:00 p.m.; confirm current hours on newportmansions.org, as they can shift seasonally or for special events.

The official site directs visitors to a live "Buy Tickets" page for current pricing rather than listing a fixed rate; per the Preservation Society's general fee range across its properties, single-site adult tickets run roughly $25-$57. Confirm the current Breakers-specific adult, youth and combination prices directly on newportmansions.org before visiting.

Most visitors spend about one to one-and-a-half hours touring the interior, plus additional time for the grounds and a stretch of the adjoining Cliff Walk if desired.

Downtown Newport and the harbor district, a short drive from Ochre Point Avenue, offer a range of hotels, inns and bed-and-breakfasts, some within walking distance along Bellevue Avenue.

Newport's downtown and harborfront restaurant scene, a short drive from The Breakers, ranges from casual seafood to upscale dining; there are limited dining options immediately on the mansion grounds beyond any seasonal café service.

The Cliff Walk runs directly behind the estate; other Preservation Society mansions along Bellevue Avenue, including Marble House and The Elms, are a short drive or walk away.

T.F. Green International Airport near Providence is the closest major airport, roughly 30-35 miles from Newport; a car or rideshare is the practical way to reach the site.

Interior tours involve stairs and narrow original passageways in places, so watch footing and follow docent guidance; the back terrace area is closed for restoration through November 2026, so heed posted closures. For any emergency, dial 911.

Comfortable shoes for a fair amount of walking through the mansion and grounds, a light jacket for air-conditioned or breezy areas, and your own earbuds/device if you plan to use the free self-guided audio tour.

Book tickets online in advance during peak summer season to avoid gate lines at Rhode Island's most-visited attraction. Combine your visit with a walk on the adjoining Cliff Walk, and check the current status of the terrace restoration (ongoing through November 2026) before planning photos from that specific area.

Dial 911 for any emergency. For visitor questions, the Preservation Society of Newport County (which operates The Breakers) can be reached at 401-847-1000, per its official site.

The Breakers (Preservation Society of Newport County) - https://www.newportmansions.org/mansions-tours/the-breakers

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.