The Breakers - Newport, Rhode Island

Yesterday (day-3) we drove an hour North to Newport, RI to visit The Breakers. The Breakers is a perfect and incredible example of a "Gilded Age" mansion. It was built between 1893 and 1895 as a summer residence for Cornelius Vanderbilt II, a member of the wealthy Vanderbilt family. The 70-room mansion, is 125,339 sq ft, 62,482 sq ft of which is living area on five floors. The footprint of the house covers approximately 1 acre or 43,000 square feet of the 14 acres estate on the cliffs overlooking Easton Bay of the Atlantic Ocean. 30-foot tall gates mark the entrance onto the property.

Just inside the entrance, a breathtaking foyer awaits ... like walking into a cathedral of Renaissance-era art. Gold filigree, statues, beautiful arches and the most detailed ceiling we've ever seen ... all works of art! We toured the 2 open floors of the 4, and the backyard garden.

The deeper we went into the self-guided tour of the mansion the more we found this house to be something hard to believe anyone could live like this ... without an army of servants. I'll post a few more picture of noteworthy rooms. If you ever have a chance to experience this place with a visit you will not be disappointed.

The rear of the mansion is just as impressive as the front, with a spacious view of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Preservation Society of Newport bought The Breakers and approximately 90% of its furnishings in 1972 for $365,000 ($2.3 million today) from Countess Sylvia Szapary, the Vanderbilt's youngest daughter. Although the agreement granted her life tenancy, upon her death in 1998, the Preservation Society agreed to allow the family to continue to live on the third floor, which is not open to the public.

This isn't the only mansion in the near area ... we drove around and found block after block of beautiful mansions. This is definitely a high-rent district in Newport, and the downtown stores, businesses and restaurants all reflected a "fat wallet" expectation of your visit to the area. Lots of tourists and traffic.