I find the life of Doris Day to be pretty fascinating. This mansion is not part of the historical…read moremansions of Newport; it is operated and ticketed exclusively. While opulent, it was also lived-in and seemed the most storied of all of the other mansions. Doris lived a privileged and extravagant life. She was quirky and whimsical. Yet there was always a shadow of sadness looming over her, after the loss of her infant. She was a murderer and a victim. She was a privileged (and perhaps spoiled) woman and a philanthropist. She was a sinner and a saint. I felt empathy and compassion for her, but also a sentiment of annoyance, maybe? I'm not sure really. Mixed emotions. From the camels as pets to her affiliation with the Hari Krishna movement, Doris was as eccentric as all get-out. The house is stunning. I can't wait to visit Shangri-la when I am in Honolulu again. I am eager to see the Islamic decor there. The decor and fashion on display here is more mid-century modern in some rooms, classic in others, and seemed to be a mix of different styles. I am interested in learning more about this fascinating story of the Duke heiress.

One of the "lesser" known mansions, its a must stop when touring the mansions. Very underrated and…read morenot talked much about but GO!

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.

This is an art gallery pure and simple and is located in one of the more modest Newport "cottages"…read moreon Bellevue Ave. It just happens to feature art by "commercial" artists--specifically by Norman Rockwell, his predecessors, his protégés, and his contemporaries. You will not find any works that make you wonder about meaning or whether you are being kidded. No abstraction, no bold geometric designs, no blobs of paint, no pure blacks or reds. You are never in doubt about whether these artists possess real talent. These are all artists who made good money while they were alive! I liked it a lot and I'm glad we just happened upon it. In addition to finding a couple of dozen works by Rockwell, you will see landscapes, beautiful women, handsome men, a few portraits, some excellent caricatures, and a lot of art that became the covers of books and magazines. The gift shop has some impressive quality copies of the art that you can take home for a price. The only negatives I should mention is that no photography is allowed (copyright issues) and sometimes it is hard to read the captions in the darkened rooms. Treat yourself to a different genre of high quality art--this is worth a one to two hour visit.

Cars I like the…read moreidea of different themes and the car selection was tuff . One of the racing simulators was broken though :(

23rd September 2026 Audrain Auto Museum…read more Newport, RI Sunny cool 62°F Best in Show variety of automobiles were on display during our visit on this brisk first day of autumn in Newport. Jay Leno (who owns a cottage in Newport) is often here with some of his auto collection during the Newport Motor Week Auto Show held every October. The museum collection is always in rotation every couple of months, thus check the schedule. You can find tickets and schedules for the premier automotive event at the Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week website. This year's event takes place from October 1-4, 2026, here in fabulous Newport Rhode Island. Do check out the gorgeous wheels on display!

Bottom Line: A historical building housing a lovely gift shop and exhibits about local history…read more I really enjoy a local museum so during a brief visit to the area I visited the Newport Historical Society Museum and Shop. The building itself dates back to 1762 and once served as a market, dry goods storage and granary, among other things. Today the bottom floor houses a nice gift shop and the second floor consists of the museum. The museum exhibits start with the history of the native people that inhabited the area and then cover different aspects about the people, businesses and past times of Newport. The museum exhibits combine original artwork and historical artifacts with documentary films. Also, there was helpful object labels throughout the museum. Museum admission is donation based and the employees were friendly. The museum is located in downtown Newport so we parked in a public lot a few blocks away.

Outstanding guided tours. We arranged for a private tour focused on colonial Newport. Our guide was…read morea retired professor, actor and an expert. Could not have been better!!

Paid $25 to just see the first floor. Second floor was some exhibit that had nothing to do with the…read morehouse and its history... or did it? I can't recall because I didn't go there to look at things borrowed from another museum. Well there was one marriage room or something on the second floor but really nothing to see. Underwhelming experience for the entire family. Extremely underwhelming for my first Rhode Island mansion experience. You can't even pose on the stairs for a picture. I believe all my disappointment stems from the second floor lacking anything amazing. The only good part of this mansion was the backyard and the water view. My kid went nuts in the yard. She loved it. If I could go back in time, I'd tell myself to skip the mansion tour and just go straight to the backyard for free. Good day.

Newport, RI - built in 1902, Rosecliff boasts the largest ballroom in Newport and is modeled after…read morethe Grand Trianon at Versailles. One can imagine the extravagant Gilded Age society parties that must've taken place here. The interior is more sparsely furnished than some of the other mansions, as the house is often used for private events, and is also a popular filming location, having been featured in movies and shows such as The Great Gatsby, True Lies, and HBO's The Gilded Age. The second floor is an exhibition space with changing displays - the current exhibit is on Richard Morris Hunt, America's premier Gilded Age architect, whose contributions included the Biltmore Estate in Asheville NC, parts of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, as well as many summer cottages of Newport RI and Manhattan's Fifth Avenue mansions of their day. While the house and grounds are lovely and is a grand example of Gilded Age era architecture and excess, if your desire is to see opulently furnished rooms and decorative arts, then I would pick one of the other mansions to visit first.

Twin date to Belcourt of Newport for our birthday. We did the candlelight tour. Our tour guide…read moreDavid was awesome. It was a really cool building with some really interesting stories. If you want to tour a mansion that is not part of the Newport Preservation Society, this one is one to check out.

World's largest bachelor pad...that's what this sprawling circa 1895 mansion was built as…read more Imagine, 50,000 square feet and only one (very elaborate) bedroom, although there were stables for a herd of horses. Turns out is was designed by same guy that designed the Statue of Liberty's pedestal and they're installing an display of artifacts from Lady Liberty. Will have to do back for that. Fascinating place.

Loved this place! So rich in history and beautiful! Kevin was an amazing help and quite hilarious!…read moreWould absolutely recommend this place when visiting Rhode Island!

Absolutely beautifully kept. We did not go inside the museum but we did walk the grounds. They…read morealso have a lovely gift shoppe. Outdoor but well kept grass in the middle of the winter. They also have public courts that anyone can play on. This is truly a special place if you love tennis. Museum is pricey. Lovely staff. Great selection of gift store items.

Hidden gem in Newport. If you love history, photography, science, math, or astronomy, you must…read morevisit this museum. The Newport Tower one of the oldest structures in New England and its origins are shrouded in mystery. Who built the tower? Vikings? The Portuguese? The Chinese? The 1st Governor of Rhode Island, Benedict Arnold? (Not the Revolutionary war traitor, but his great-great-great-grandfather). James (Jim) Egan is the owner/curator of this museum. He is super knowledgeable (and eccentric) and has wrote over 20 books relating to the Newport Tower. Mr. Egan presented his fascinating theory of the Newport Tower involving English mathematician/astronomer John Dee, physicist/astronomer William Penhallow, and architect/designer Buckminster Fuller. He's worked on translating a Latin manuscript into English in order to better understand the origin and purpose of the tower. Admission is free. When we walked in, Mr. Egan wasn't anywhere to be found, then he popped in from the front door (think "Doc" Brown from Back To The Future). As he starts talking, you're left wondering: "Did I just stumble across a museum owned by a conspiracy theorist?" but I encourage you to listen to his entire presentation. Mr. Egan sells merchandise including his books, mugs, magnets. Part of his presentation involves covering all the windows of the museum and only leaving a small hole so a beam of sunlight can shine through. He turns the room into a "camera obscura" so an upside-down image of the outside world is projected onto a screen. Very cool! Mr. Egan is self-aware of his eccentricities ("when people leave the museum, they wonder if I'm a genius or an idiot..." and "...no one has figured this out because no one cares..."). While his presentation may be boring to people who don't enjoy math, science, history, astronomy, or photography...if you are even remotely interested in any of those subjects, you must check this place out.

Phenomenal experience as we visited before "the season" opened on Memorial Day weekend. The audio…read moretour is informative and keeps people moving. Excellent that it provided more information about particular aspects if you had the time and interest. The buildings are exquisite as architectural marvels. Disappointed that none of the tables were set with china, silver, and crystal. Would have enhanced the experience and created a sense of the opulence of the era. Also disappointed that much of the furniture was period rather than specific to the house or family. After all, it is their taste which we are admiring or disparaging. Would have loved postcards or books of postcards or notecards or books of photos of each room & view. Tacky to be dumped in the gift shop in order to exit, this isn't a Disney property, but I understand the non-profit organization's need for income. More information about the servants' lives, work, and accommodations would be interesting. Am very interested in information about the guests, neighbors, and an explanation of "The 400" and/or Society.

Just a phenomenal place. Audio tour works well. While many children will love it not infants or…read morevery young children. Architecture etc just unbelievable

I was very impressed with the car collection and the staff. We were greeted by very friendly staff…read moreas soon as we entered the museum. Another staff member gave us a brief introduction and asked if we had any additional questions. We didn't, so we were free to wander and explore. We visited on a rainy day and there were many people also exploring the museum but it did not feel crowded. It is a spacious facility that allowed room for everyone to have a closer look. There was a very knowledgeable gentleman discretely walking around and greeting people. We asked him a few questions and he was a walking encyclopedia of car information! Overall, it was a very fun visit for people who love cars and their loved ones.

I had a pretty fun time stopping in here yesterday, I must admit. They were really friendly and…read morewelcoming at the front desk, and the women's restroom was nice and clean. I honestly stopped in here to take pics of the cars for my dad. But ended up enjoying walking around and looking at everything on display. It's not super big, it took me about 45 mins to walk through. But it was something fun to do on a hot day inside.