Skip to content
BusinessesGrow
Bellevue Avenue Historic District, Newport, RI

Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingIconicHistory BuffFree

Bellevue Avenue Historic District

Bellevue Ave, from the Newport Casino south past the mansions · Newport, RI

Why you should go…

This 606-acre National Historic Landmark District takes in the stretch of Newport where wealthy families built their summer houses. Eight properties here are landmarks in their own right, among them The Breakers, Marble House, The Elms, Chateau-sur-Mer, Kingscote, the Isaac Bell House and the Newport Casino. Walking or driving the avenue is free, and the Preservation Society of Newport County opens several of the mansions for ticketed tours. Rosecliff and Vernon Court also sit within the district.

  • #gilded age mansions
  • #historic district
  • #scenic drive
  • #newport mansions
  • #architecture

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Bellevue Avenue Historic District, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Cliff Walk

    Free

    Walk a 3.5-mile shoreline path with the Atlantic on one side and Newport's Gilded Age mansions on the other.

    0.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Rosecliff

    $25–$50

    Walk through a Gilded Age mansion with Newport's largest ballroom and a heart-shaped grand staircase.

    0.4 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    The Breakers

    $25–$50

    Tour the 70-room Vanderbilt summer house on Newport's cliffs with a self-guided audio tour of its gilded rooms.

    0.4 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Marble House

    $25–$50

    Tour the Vanderbilts' 50-room marble summer house and its Chinese Tea House above the Atlantic.

    0.6 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Iconic

    International Tennis Hall of Fame

    Under $25

    A Newport mansion turned museum honoring tennis's greatest champions with interactive and immersive exhibits.

    0.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Tours
    Date Night

    Sightsailing of Newport

    $25–$50

    Newport Harbor sailing charters and sunset cruises from Bowen's Wharf.

    1.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours