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Marble House, Newport, RI

Photo: dchelyadnik@yahoo.com, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingHistory BuffRainy-Day PickIconic

Marble House

596 Bellevue Ave · Newport, RI

Why you should go…

Marble House was built between 1888 and 1892 as a summer house for Alva and William K. Vanderbilt, designed by Richard Morris Hunt with the Petit Trianon at Versailles in mind. The 50-room mansion used 500,000 cubic feet of marble. A self-guided audio tour tells how Alva used the house to secure her place in society and later to rally support for women's right to vote. Behind the house, the Chinese Tea House of 1914 overlooks the Atlantic.

  • #gilded age mansion
  • #historic house
  • #newport mansions
  • #audio tour

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 Marble House, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Rosecliff

    $25–$50

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

    0.2 mi awayMore like this

  • 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.

    0.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Bellevue Avenue Historic District

    Free

    Stroll or drive past Newport's Gilded Age mansions, several open for tours, along a landmark avenue of summer cottages.

    0.6 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.

    0.6 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.

    1.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Ocean Drive

    Free

    Drive 10 miles of Newport shoreline past beaches, Gilded Age mansions, Fort Adams and Brenton Point.

    1.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor