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    Isaac Bell House

    4.1 (7 reviews)

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    L.P. C.

    A surprise hit with the family! We've been coming down to Newport to tour the mansions for years and even have memberships, but for some reason we keep forgetting about the Isaac Bell House. This time we specifically made it a point to hit it first on our trip. As a "smaller" house (for the Newport Mansions, anyways) the tour is personal with no audio devices, but I think that makes for a more intimate experience by far. Our tour guide was fantastic and shared so many interesting tidbits. The real point of interest with the Isaac Bell House is the architecture and the blend of Colonial and Japanese motifs. Even if you have no architectural interest, it's absolutely worth a look. There isn't much focus on the lives of those who lived in the house, but considering its history and long term disrepair I can see why there's not much to say. My favorite part was learning about how resourceful the preservation society had to be when restoring rooms. They would find a teeny snippet on the wall of original paper or weave and manage to replicate it as closely as possible. Sadly, I think this house is often overlooked because it isn't "Downton Abbey" enough for a modern visitor. It's a real tragedy because there's a lot more work that could be done inside (like papering certain rooms with replicated paper), but it's in a perpetual state of repair. I hope they manage to garner more interest (and money) because I can see this property being a unique and desirable destination to rent out for more intimate parties and weddings, as there's nothing quite like it around.

    OLD GEM, VISIT THIS PLACE!

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    National Museum of American Illustration - Rose Garden Loggia with Maxfield Parrish's Florentine Fete on Display

    National Museum of American Illustration

    4.5(17 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    The National Museum of American Illustration is amazing, from the mansion that holds it, the…read moreoutdoor water effects and gardens and the great staff. The art inside is something you may never see again. You must stop if you are in Newport. The hours were confusing to me, so give a call or look at their web site to see when they are open. The art, all of it, on display is wonderful. Each piece is set perfectly, the lighting perfect and the story behind each piece is fascinating. If you are a Rockwell fan at all, you have to go here. You may think you know Rockwell's but I saw illustrations I had no idea existed, from the cute to the serious to the beauty of telling of a time in US history. The John Rogers sculptures are really something to see. This was my first time noticing his work and I just stood there in awe. Enjoy.

    Having been to the Norman Rockwell museum in MA, and looking at the pieces displayed in this…read moremuseum, I must tell you that there are a decent amount of prints and lithographs vs original art work. Rockwell painted much larger paintings, for example the actual four freedom paintings are probably 4 feet by 6 feet. The detail required could never be done in such small canvases. Yes there are plenty of actual paintings and illustrations but not nearly as many as you would think.

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    National Museum of American Illustration - Rockwell's works on display in the Tiffany Loggia beneath original ceiling murals by James Wall Finn

    Rockwell's works on display in the Tiffany Loggia beneath original ceiling murals by James Wall Finn

    National Museum of American Illustration - Vernon Court's Grand Salon

    Vernon Court's Grand Salon

    National Museum of American Illustration - Visitors observe Rockwell's talent in his Saturday Evening Post cover, 'The Bridge Game'

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    Visitors observe Rockwell's talent in his Saturday Evening Post cover, 'The Bridge Game'

    Audrain Automobile Museum

    Audrain Automobile Museum

    4.2(49 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    The other car musuem in Newport. Smaller than the Portsmouth one, but $2 cheaper. This one is a…read morelot more crowded, partly because of the size but its still a fun time. The cars here cyle every few months so its always something different. If you had to pick between the 2, the one in Portsmouth is probably the way to go. But if you have little ones with shorter attention spans, you may be better off here.

    Newport, RI - This is a small but exquisite and well-curated car museum, showcasing mostly…read morevintage/classic cars and prestige motors from retro to present day, with a mission of "preserving, celebrating & sharing automotive history." They also host the annual Audrain Concours and Motor Week each October. We were having lunch next door and were debating whether it was worth it to drive back up to Portsmouth to visit the Newport Car Museum (having a few moto enthusiasts in my family including my car-obsessed child) when we came upon Audrain, and caught the Porsche exhibit. Helpful and knowledgeable staff were on hand to answer questions and were very happy to chat about the cars and tell us more about the history and culture. It's an incredible and selective collection. For those who wish to learn more, the description plaques had QR codes that you can scan for more information or to watch and hear the car. They rotate exhibits every few months, so check their website or social media for upcoming themes if you're in the area.

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    Audrain Automobile Museum
    Audrain Automobile Museum
    Audrain Automobile Museum - Riding in style!

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    Riding in style!

    Newport Art Museum - Exhbit room, 1st floor

    Newport Art Museum

    4.1(23 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    I recently checked out this event at the Newport Art Museum with a few of my girlfriends and we had…read moresuch a fun night. It was the perfect excuse to get dressed up and try something new, with a twist of course... delicious cocktails. The Edgar Allan Poe experience itself was really well done. The actors were fantastic and fully committed to their roles. I loved the costumes and the dramatic personalities. It made the whole evening feel immersive without being over the top. I'm actually at the museum about once a month for meetings, so it was fun to see the space used in a completely different way. My only wish is that we had a little more time to wander and take in the current exhibits, because it's such a beautiful setting. My one real downside is parking. With the recent changes, it has become pretty difficult to find a spot that is easy to get in and out of, especially during a New England winter. Definitely something to plan ahead for. Overall, such a unique and memorable night. I would absolutely recommend grabbing your friends and checking this out if it comes back around.

    Beautiful space to view some art. I believe the whole place is a historic mansion rennovated for…read morethe museum. There are actually 2 buildings and both were beautiful with some stunning pieces. Small, but lovely, and still somehow incredibly grand. I didn't get to go into the main/large room because they were installing a new exhibit but there is a good amount to see beyond that one space anyway. The gift shop was small and no one was manning it so I didn't get to buy a souveneir but I enjoyed walking around the history and art that was everywhere. Also worth mentioning, but they had some good pieces by woman artists (c. 1940s) which I feel can be extremely hard to find. For this museum, the women tended to be friends of the original owners or at least ran in the same circles and some were even founding members of the museum's art association. Always so nice to see women's art (and some were my favorite pieces!) That being said, most of the art was very high brow white upper class with an emphasis on orientalism, which I feel simply encourages conversations about the zeitgeist of the early 1900s. I did really enjoy the pieces they had from Edward Mitchell Bannister which were on loan from the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society. There was also a members juried exhibit which brought some breath into the traditionalist art space. Well worth the visit!!

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    Newport Art Museum
    Newport Art Museum - Exhibit room (2nd floor)

    Exhibit room (2nd floor)

    Newport Art Museum

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    The Preservation Society of Newport County - outside lights at The Breakers

    The Preservation Society of Newport County

    4.6(369 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    The Preservation Society of Newport County is a non-profit organization based in Newport, Rhode…read moreIsland and its top priority is the preservation and conservation of its historic houses and their collections. This work includes restoration of roofs and windows, conservation of fragile textiles, cleaning and restoration of valuable paintings and much more. At any given time, dozens of projects are underway. A visit to the Newport Mansions is a donation to The Preservation Society of Newport County. During the holiday season, The Breakers, Marble House, and The Elms welcome visitors with spectacular holiday displays so it was a great opportunity to visit. In addition to the house holiday display, there is an outdoor holiday display called Sparkling Lights at The Breakers from November 22 to December 29, 2024 on select evenings. Admission is only at 4 pm, 4:30 pm, 5 pm, 5:30 pm and 6 pm. Gates close at 6:30 pm and the house and grounds close at 8 pm. Timed admissions tickets can be purchased online at https://www.newportmansions.org/. Tickets include access to the lavishly decorated rooms inside the house during the same visit. About a week prior, I bought 2 tickets for December 20, 2024 at 6:00PM ($40.00 each) and I was really looking forward to it. However, there was a winter advisory and it was snowing on the day of. Driving conditions were unsafe. I was worried I was going to lose my money since the website indicated tickets may not be resold, non-transferrable, non-refundable, and cannot be used for a different date. I tried calling the Preservation Society of Newport County, but there were just prompts and I couldn't talk to a live person. I sent a direct message to @newport.mansions through Instagram and they responded promptly that I could receive a refund by emailing info@newportmansions.org. Gary Ruff, Associate Communications Manager, responded and instructed me with what information he needed to provide the refund. I was so appreciative. Thankfully, the snow cleared and temperature warmed up a bit so I bought 2 tickets for December 29, 2024 at 4:00PM ($40.00 each). All the decorated Christmas trees, the 15-foot-tall poinsettia tree, poinsettias, garlands, wreaths and fresh floral in the interior of The Breakers were beautiful and then walking through the lights and illuminated displays of the outdoor 13-acre landscape was just a cherry on the top. The Preservation Society of Newport County also partnered with Stoneacre Brasserie to offer holiday treats and adult beverages. Thank you to The Preservation Society of Newport County for everything you are doing to protect, preserve, and present an exceptional collection of house museums and landscapes.

    The family (wife, 10 y/o son, 2 y/o daughter) were visiting Newport and looking fo some activities…read moreto do. I noticed that the Newport mansions were on every to-do list, with the Breakers being the top choice of many. I looked at their website as well as other reviews and saw that this may not be the best place for younger ones. I saw that no strollers were allowed and I didn't think a tour of an old mansion is something my 10 y/o would be interested in. So I decided to take a solo trip on a nice Friday morning while the rest of the family slept in late at the hotel. The Breakers opens at 10 AM. The visitors parking lot is on the corner of Ochre Point Avenue and Victoria Avenue. There are other lots nearby but read the signs as they are for other buildings...The parking lot had adequate space when I arrived at 10:15 or so, but by the time I was leaving at about 11:45 is was pretty packed with visitors having to park in the rear overflow lot. Once you reach the front gate of the Breakers mansion, there are COVID restriction and general rule signs. As you proceed you can go to the left to buy tickets, use the bathroom or enter their cafe. Tickets are about $26 for adults and $8 for children 6-17 years old. The cafe has a bunch of premade food items, drinks, snacks, premade sandwiches... and few seats with tables. There are some more seats and table just outside of the cafe. Before you enter the mansion, there are signs showing you how to use their self tour audio app. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND DOING THIS...AND BRING HEADPHONES. You download the Newport Mansions app from the App Store onto your Apple or Google device, select the mansion you are visiting and begin the tour. The audio tour was excellent and follows you through the tour route of the mansion. I enjoyed listening to all the interesting facts about each room via bluetooth earbuds while my hands were free to take photos with my camera. You only thing you will need to do is to advance (click the play button) the tour to the next room before entering. There are some interesting facts about the mansion as a whole and each individual room. You can also stay around longer in each area for additional facts, essentially lengthening the tour. Without the audio tour, you will have to fread the printed information sheet. You go through the main floor, upper floor and back down into the service area where the kitchen is. You then exit through the gift shop. The gift shop has lots of interesting items, which includes typical magnets, mugs and prints, but they also have some luxury items like platters and wine stoppers as well as a small jewelry section. You finally exit out onto the side of the mansion and are able to walk back around outside to the front where you entered. Before sure to walk through the opened gate to the right of the mansion which takes you through a small garden to the back. Here you can see the Cliff Walk path and the ocean. Overall, I had a great time...It was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. The entire tour took just over an hour without listening to the extra information about each room. (During the tour, there are a few instances where you have to ascend/descend steps - I did NOT see any elevators - so you may want to call ahead to check if you cannot climb steps) Again, I highly recommend downloading the app and listening to the audio tour via headphones. It allows your eyes to focus on the beauty of the mansion instead of reading. Lastly, the mansion is right off of the Cliff Walk path...so be sure to make the short ride (or walk) north to Narragansett Avenue and visit the Forty Steps.

    Photos
    The Preservation Society of Newport County - 15-foot-tall poinsettia tree

    15-foot-tall poinsettia tree

    The Preservation Society of Newport County - Sparkling Lights at The Breakers

    Sparkling Lights at The Breakers

    The Preservation Society of Newport County - Menu of holiday treats and adult beverages

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    Menu of holiday treats and adult beverages

    Isaac Bell House - museums - Updated June 2026

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