The Newport Mansions at Christmas Time

When it comes to Christmas, I love lights and sparkle and there is no place that sparkles during the holidays like the Newport Mansions. So the weekend after Thanksgiving we packed ourselves into the car for a few days in this former seaside retreat for the wealthy and toured it’s three most famous mansions: The Elms, The Marble House, and The Breakers. (While the Newport Preservation Society owns several other properties, these three are the only mansions that are currently open and decorated.) These three over-the-top summer “cottages” are open and decorated for the holidays from late November until early January and feature towering trees, shimmering lights, and lots of sparkle. Read on for more about the Newport Mansions at Christmas time.

The Breakers

The Breakers is the largest and most opulent of the Newport Mansions. Built by the Vanderbilts in the late 1800s, the Breakers has 70 rooms, including an open-air terrace with gorgeous views of the ocean. During the holidays, the house’s centerpiece is the massive 15-foot tree constructed of 150 live poinsettias. It is so unique and stunning and this year it made our holiday card! But my favorite tree was located in one of the upstairs bedrooms. It was almost entirely pink!

The mansion is also home to “Sparkling Lights at The Breakers: An Outdoor Magical Wonderland.” The grounds of the mansion are illuminated with thousands of colorful lights. My favorite part was the Candy Cane forest! This is a separate ticketed event, even if you have a membership, and only happens Thursdays through Sundays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The interior of the mansion is also open and I think that seeing all of the decorations in the evening made them sparkle even more!

Marble House

Marble House was built in the late 1800s for another branch of the Vanderbilt family and got its name from the fact that it is seemingly made entirely of marble. From the floors to the columns, to the ceilings, this historic mansion features marbles of all colors.

Marble House is actually one of my favorite mansions, specifically for The Chinese Tea House, located on the back lawn of the grounds and overlooking the ocean. On select weekends during the holidays you can actually enjoy brunch at the Chinese Tea House.  It runs $35 per adult and $16 for Children 12 and under for this three-course festive meal. I think Arielle may be a bit too young this year, but we will definitely do this either next year or the year after that because the Tea House was her favorite thing about our trip. Both times we visited (we went back because she was so enamored with it) she cried when we had to leave!

The Elms

We started our trip with a visit to The Elms. It was the summer residence of coal magnate Edward Berwind and his wife and was modeled after the mid-18th-century French chateau d’Asnieres which is located outside of Paris. You can see a model of the mansion in one of its ornate rooms, and that’s also dressed up for Christmas! I wish I had gotten a chance to get back to The Elms for a second visit because I feel like it has some of the most beautiful decorations.

General Information

I have just a few travel tips for your trip to the Newport Mansions. Masks are required indoors regardless of vaccination status. And yes, you must wear them even when taking pictures. You can take them off when you are outside on the grounds. Make sure to check for the dates and times you plan on visiting to make sure the mansions are open. And the Mansions have their own app that you can download to self-guide you through the homes so bring your earphones! There are also printed scripts available. For tickets, check out the Newport Mansions website. Oh – don’t forget to bring your camera!