The Elms

I’m not going to lie, the Elms is usually my least favorite of the mansions to visit, but it’s different at Christmas time. I do wish they would decorate the conservatory though, that would look so pretty. All in all though, I got to see one of my favorite paintings and can’t wait to see what things look like once some of the renovations are complete on one of the upstairs rooms.

It was awesome to walk through and see a piece of Newport history and to catch a glimpse into the lives of a historic, wealthy Newport family and their service staff. The house is beautiful even though a few rooms were under construction. It's amazing even though it's a bit more "simple" than the nearby Breakers and other ultra gilded mansions around. Worth the tour if you have a day to spare. I'd recommend this ( and the other mansions) as part of a self guided tour to save hundreds vs the cost of an on ship cruise excursion. You can see more, do it at your own pace, and save. Easy access from port and a nice 10 minute walk to the other mansions. Just remember to download the app and bring headphones so you can listen to the tour.

Easily one of our favorite mansions. It is gorgeous inside and out but by far has the most beautiful grounds with beautiful gardens and fountains and sculptures. We enjoyed our time here year after year. We also love the cafe out in back which has really delicious food and ambience. Edit add: The restaurant at Elms review: The Carriage House is one of our favorite places in Newport already! It just opened and we already went twice on our last trip to Newport in one week. We absolutely loved the tasty club sandwiches, salads, drinks (I had lemonade and my wife had iced tea). The service is very good. The ambiance and beauty of place is exceptional- how can you go wrong sitting at Elms after all! Highly recommend you make a trip out and make reservation in advance as it can get busy at times. Dine like the royals for a day!

✨ The Elms – A Grand Tour Worth Experiencing ✨ Taking the audio tour at The Elms was nothing short of amazing. The storytelling brought the Gilded Age to life, guiding us through the grand rooms and exquisite décor that still feels timeless today. What really stood out was seeing the behind-the-scenes details—especially the kitchen. Tucked away and literally “put on the back burner” back in the day, it was fascinating to realize how differently the household ran compared to the opulence shown upstairs. The contrast between servant life and high society was eye-opening. Every corner of the mansion revealed layers of history and artistry. From the intricate furnishings to the architectural flourishes, you can feel the care and vision poured into every detail. Highly recommend the audio tour—it’s engaging, informative, and makes you appreciate not just the grandeur, but also the grit that kept it all running.

Visiting The Elms Mansion was one of the most inspiring and mind-blowing experiences I’ve had in the United States. Having recently started watching The Gilded Age, it felt surreal to walk through the real-life settings and made the visit feel even more personal. The mansion and its gardens are stunning, and everything is beautifully maintained. I purchased the Newport Historical Society membership ($115, includes entry for a guest and access to all the mansions), and I’m already planning future trips to return and explore the rest. There’s also a new café on site that I’ll try next time. One of the highlights was the audio guide — easy to download with your ticket or membership. I didn’t have headphones, but even at low volume it guided me room by room, explaining what I was seeing, which made the experience interactive and exciting.

The staff were all welcoming and helpful. We had a little chat with some of them between segments of the audio tour. Instead of the usual pictures, I've included some storage area pics that give a little information about the functioning of the house. The conservatory (solarium/ greenhouse /sunroom on the south side) was very nice but hard to photograph well. It is great that the management keeps palm trees and other greenery growing in there. The holiday decor gave the house a warm feeling.

The Berwind's home until 1961 is filled with very interesting pieces. It was great to visit during the Holiday season. It was fun to see all the trees and holiday items interwoven into the house.

The Elms was included in the tickets we bought to visit the Breakers. The Elms isn’t as grandiose as the Breakers, but it was pleasant to visit. The French architecture and decor are lighter and elegant. Remember to download the app according to the instructions there and bring your own headphones/ear buds for listening to the audio guide as you step into each room.

Good self guided house tour. It's nice that they are getting more of the original furniture back, look especially at Mr. Berwins bedroom...we did not have time but the guided servant quarters tour is awesome.

This was an outstanding mansion tour in Newport, RI. The Elms itself was easy & very interesting, but, surprisingly, the grounds were even more stunning, and at the end of it all sat the newly-opened "Carriage House", a real treat which offered just delicious food & wine in an incredibly calming ambience. The prices were fabulous and the food was even better. The gluten-free clam chowder might've been the best I've ever had visiting New England. Absolutely recommend this stop on the opposite, overlooked side of Bellevue (mansion) Avenue!

Technology filled The Elms which was built for Edward and Sarah Berwind at a cost of $1.5 million dollars. Although they never had children, their nieces and nephews spent time at the mansion and its grounds. Inspired by a French château, Château d'Asnières, the summer cottage is really beautiful. Coal baron Edward Berwind was very interested in technology. The Elms was one of the first houses in America to be wired for electricity without any backup system. The "summer cottage" also had one of the first electrical ice makers as well indoor plumbing. Although it never had washers or dryers, it was still quite advanced for its time. The original carriage house and stables was replaced in 1910 with a garage for their new automobiles. The new garage was 125-foot long by 70-foot deep, one of the largest private garages in America. It sported a central indoor track and two gasoline tanks. As the automobiles replaced horse-drawn carriages, the Berwind's head coachman became the chauffeur. Since he was unable to back out of the garage, an automobile turntable had to be installed. After Sarah died, Edward invited his sister Julia to run the home. She liked to invite the children of working-class families over for milk and cookies and drive herself around Newport in a luxury car. After her death in 1961, none of the family was interested in living at The Elms. Initially, the home and contents were auctioned off and slated for demolition. In 1962, The Elms saved from destruction by the Preservation Society of Newport County for a cost of $116,000. Today you can visit The Elms and its beautiful grounds. Lots of parking is available. Download the app to learn more. Tickets are $29 for one home or $46 for three. We used our NARM reciprocity passes for reciprocal benefits for entry.

The Elms was one of our favorite mansions to tour. It has a lot of interesting history and is beautiful.

In my humble opinion, the most interesting and understated of all the Newport Mansions! The stairwell for the servants says alot about how they were treated here versus some of the other homes! Fans of The Guilded Age will immediately recognize Bertha Russel's kitchen!

PROS: beautiful home with a nice staff and good proportioned back yard. They had the typical field in the backyard, followed by a weeping willow, then a garden/fountain area. CONS: this place closes early and is not as elegant, large, or luxurious as the other mansions. Also doesn't have a good view of anything OVERALL: this is a good house to see, the lot is on their property so that's convenient. However, it is not as good as marble or breaker house

Just beautiful! This mansion brings such historical elegance and is the perfect place to step back in time. I hadn't visited since I was young and it was a pleasure to be back here to reminisce childhood memories while also really being able to take in it's beauty and rich history- pun intended. The grounds are beautifully decorated with art and pristine greenery. A must when visiting Newport. The self guided tours are a wonderful addition to the mansions, making it super easy to go at your own pace and be able to appreciate every ounce of the properties.

Beautiful mansion. I heard from eavesdropping to the tour that it was built to become a competition to the breakers. But this is not the same size as the breakers Further and comprehensive info at newportmansions.org

Beautiful mansion. Horrible to think it was going to be torn down for a parking lot. So amazing to see the rich peoples "summer home" in all its glory. You can download a free audio tour to help as you walk through. There is a written brochure if you do not have the ability to download.

I was so excited to visit the "cottages" in Newport! Only 3 of the houses are currently open due to Covid and staff shortages. The Elms is one of the smaller mansions and not as opulent as the Vanderbilt mansions although it's still a luxurious home. The 1st and 2nd floor were open but lots of rope barriers. The main rooms were beautifully decorated for Christmas! The bedrooms were also decorated. Seeing the rooms and period furniture really let you see life in the Gilded Age. The kitchen where the staff prepared meals was also open for viewing. Although the staff were treated well, it was a quite different life! The grounds are large and beautiful. In the back is a tree that is actually 4 trees growing together. It was my favorite part of the property! The house has a self guided tour. An audio tour is available for no extra charge. It took us about an hour to see the house and grounds. The elevator wasn't working when we were there.

The Elms is one of our favorite Newport Mansions. The house and property are beautiful and cannot be missed. If you love The Breakers and The Marble House, you will enjoy The Elms. Recommend buying a multi-house tour ticket as it's the best way to visit the homes and save money! Photos are allowed to be taken without flash.

If you're picking and choosing which houses to visit, definitely have The Elms on your list. While it's not the biggest of the houses you can visit, they have it fully decorated and there is plenty to see. I enjoyed visiting this house.

One of two mansions opened during pandemic in July. We have visited it during our stay in Newport after previously seeing the Breakers therefore we had a comparison. The space is huge! They managed to keep the area accessible and safe to all visitors who wanted to see it. Some rooms were closed because of limited space but you could still admire the opulence of the house. Personally I would put sights with names outside of each room because the guide got me a bit confused. Definitely worth a visit. If visiting during the pandemic be prepared to wear a mask.

Newport's Gilded age glory... Whats not to be intrigued by?! If you love history, tours and architecture you will definitely enjoy the Elms. Honestly there hasn't been a Newport mansion I haven't enjoyed. I was lucky enough to be taken by my job on Wednesday morning this week. It was a great time! Very quiet and no traffic. WIN! The tour has an audio guide. It's on a lanyard that goes around your neck and I was amazed at how light they are- I think they are apples! The self guided tour really allowed you to travel at your own pace. It walked you through each of the rooms with opportunities to hear extra stories about the Berwind family or about the specific pieces in the room or the architecture. It was really easy to figure out and maneuver through the house! The gift shop employee was super helpful and a dapper dresser! I have to say I loved walking the grounds. Unfortunately with our rough Spring, the flowers were not blooming yet. There was a lot of greenery and you are allotted ample time to spend on the property investigating or enjoying! No fountains were running. Not sure if they only run in the summer or not at all. But either way it's fun to picture what Newport was like in the gilded age and how people lived!

Do the servants tour!!! It's a really look in the life of the staff when the house was used as a summer cottage. The tour is about an hour and definitely worth the $15. Enjoy

There is something magical about the Mansions. Yesterday we visited the Elms for the first time. The paintings will leave you standing in amazement and forgetting to move to the next room. The rooms are breath taking and one gets the feeling the family will be back any minute. It is an audio tour and don't be afraid to turn down the volume. Get lost in history to the silence and imagine how life was in this glorious Mansion. Triple A members receive 10 percent off tickets.

The senior staff was very welcoming and educated and wonderfully informative. Sadly, many of the rooms were roped off and it was impossible to even see into the rooms (signs with photos were propped in the doorways). This may be because of lingering Covid restrictions, but if so prices should have been adjusted or at the very least guests should have been made aware before booking. Like the Breakers, somewhat disappointing was that several younger staff seemed disinterested and uneducated, down to unprofessional dress which seemed odd and out of place in a pricey and formal setting. (Casual dress is fine for touring.) A gorgeous and informative tour but our enjoyment was limited by the restrictions and the few uninformed staff. The outside grounds are amazing, and the available free app download/audio tour is very well done.

The Elms is a great tour and I'd say a must see if you are doing the 5 house tour. It's one of the grander houses, and that's what you are paying to see. It's an audio tour and the family is the Berwind, who made money in coal. I had not heard of the Berwinds, so there was some interesting information about a self-made man and his sister who was wearing her Victorian undergarments well into the 20s. This place has the largest collection of Venetian paintings outside Venice. Lots of cool paintings and furnishings to see. There is also a servants tour here that I did not have time for, but if you are into grand Gilded Age houses, this is a great one to hit (good variety of rooms from public first floor ones to bedrooms to some kitchen/prep areas). The light was kind of low though and on a cloudy day, I didn't get many good photos because of no flash policy.

Its a beautiful castle and totally worth visiting. They have done a nice job to convert it musem and run it during difficult COVID days.

Just the covid stroll the dr ordered. Amy time to visit and play tourist is a respite. Covid precautions are perfect and staff lovely. Download the ap for the full tour experience

We did the Servants' Life tour. Totally worth it. Only saw the entryway to The Elms, and it's beautiful, before we started outside to enter through the servants' door. These people were taken care of by the owners. Very nice accommodations. The price is reasonable. A ticket to the house is separate. Purchase your ticket(s) online to reserve your spot, as the tour fills up. We did the servants tour first to understand what it took to maintain these gilded mansions.

When you come in the winter you have a live person tour which is nice but also has some down sides. We were on a bit of a time constriction and the lady kept asking us to stop leaving the toe an going ahead which meant either leaving early and not seeing some rooms or being late to meeting friends. I choose the later which they weren't too happy about but hey I paid 18 bucks to look at this place! I wish they had let us wander a bit more freely because I don't care about who painted painting not original to the house but whatever. I like that they have the option for a servant quarters tour but it wasn't until later and we didn't get to do that. Honestly I would rather have done that one because you get to go up to the third floor and see an area I've never seen before. I would come back just for the servants tour.

What a lovely, grande home. Lots of marble, silk wall coverings, period furniture pieces and lovely artwork. The history of the building is both grand and sad (almost demolished) and they have some artwork I would have loved to be able to see better but as the rooms are roped off, it was impossible to really enjoy them. Much of the furniture, even the bathroom mirror and light fixtures, are exquisite. Oh to live in this kind of lux. We took the afternoon tour of the servants area which was quite interesting. It included information on the servants who lived there and showed that the family provided very nice accommodations for their staff. The tour also provided a glimpse into the basements, laundry area and pastry kitchen as well as a view from the roof. Not something on the 'regular' house tour. The house tour itself is provided through head sets with several languages available which is very nice for our international visitors. Many of the rooms have 'additional information' recordings that you can choose to listen to (information about art work, people or events for example) or you can just move on to the next room if you do not have a lot of time. We spent about and hour rushing through the house tour in order to have time for the servants tour. If you want to do both in the same day, I recommend a morning time slot. If you enjoy taking in the details of these grande homes, you can easily spend 2.5 - 3 hours in the house alone. The servants tour took over an hour more, so plan accordingly.

The Elms was the summer residence of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Julius Berwind. A summer residence?!?! My word. What a place to go for a few weeks in the summer. . . I would definitely live there year round. It is absolutely beautiful! Lavish ballrooms, sitting rooms, dining rooms, breakfast rooms, marble grand staircases, and expansive grounds. What sets this mansion apart from the rest is that it does not boast a direct ocean view from its back porch. Instead, there much more of a focus on the landscaping and decoration of the backyard. The audio tour, as is featured at select mansions under the Preservation Society rule, is available here. As I've ranted about in other Newport Mansion reviews, this is definitely the way to go. Much better and more informative than a real tour guide shuffling along. As mentioned before, I fell in love with the backyard of this mansion. The back steps house statue upon statue, each more beautiful and awe-inspiring than the next. Shrubberies and weeping willows/beech tries dot the property making for hidden alcoves where one could imagine curling up with a good book. Fountains and sunken gardens can be found near the Carriage House back there, with the option of partaking in an afternoon luncheon if you so choose. One of the interesting aspects well-outlined by this tour was the lengths went to hide the servants who kept this place running. Walking through servant hallways, hidden staircases, and basement kitchens gives you an inside look to its well traveled past. To exit the building, you leave through the servants entrance which is well hidden under from what above looks like your everyday garden. Amazing! A must see :)

Stunning mansion with an excellent audio tour included in entry price. Well worth the walk from town to see our The glitterati of the gilded age lived.

Although it's not the largest or most lavish of the Newport Mansions, this was one of our top two. The audio tour allowed you to listen to all the stories and features, plus bonus stories if you wanted. The grounds were amazing. They really had a things for french food and cooking so their chefs were either french or french-trained. You could see their menus were in french. It was funny to me that they covered the toilets in the bathrooms so that they looked like actual chairs. Imagine that having an actual toilet would offend their sensibilities! In the kitchen you could see all the different sized copper pots and large cooking surfaces. The other thing that boggled my mind was that they only stayed here for the summer social season. The lady of the house and perhaps her social secretary had their hands full with rsvp'ing and figuring out who should be on their guest lists. So much writing and organizing to do. It was quite the job. It tooks many weeks to ready the place for the owners to come and many weeks after to close up the house. Don't miss this one.

My parents and I decided to visit The Elms as our second mansion visit aside from The Breakers. We didn't really know how it differed from some of the other places such as The Marble House or Rosecliff. I was very glad that we chose The Elms. The art there is stunning. I expected to see pretty much the same thing that we saw at The Breakers but I was wrong -- there were so many more paintings and sculptures! I found the history even more interesting than the one at The Breakers. Again, do not forget to walk around to the back of the mansion. There is not only a sprawling yard, but also a number of amazing sculptures near the steps of the back of the mansion. Truly beautiful.

Just amazing!! Beautiful architecture and amazing views. I recommend anyone who loves history, to visit all the Newport mansions. Also I will recommend to buy the winter pass if you are just visiting because it's cheaper than the 3-4 mansion pass.

Love it! My group was able to free roam this place after hours (cause we're special like that...lol) Place is absolutely gorgeous. Walking in, you approach the foyer with nice marble pilars. Go upstairs to all the rooms...OMG, are they HUGE! The beds are full size beds, but they look so ity bity in them. Each room also had a bathroom. Again, i can't believe how big it is. I also can't imagine living in a place this big. It's too creepy. Lol. Way too quiet.... Now, this isn't the largest mansion, but it's still very nice. Has tons of history to this place. Make sure you go out back and check out the sunken garden. It's beautiful. And all the landscaping/trees are gorgeous as well. I got in some nice shots here! :-) Our dinner was held in the ballroom. Gorgeous!!! Nice chandelier and just amazing in general. Go check out all the mansions! Crazy that these were just summer homes

This is my second Newport Mansions visit, I went to the Breakers a few years ago. I believe this is the second largest mansion (The Breakers being the first) and it is beautiful. We went on a Friday afternoon in October and it wasn't busy at all. There were still about 20 other people touring as well but not too many where you didn't have each room to yourself. I can't imagine how crazy it must get in the summer. I liked how we could take our time in each room and no one was standing in the way etc. The people who work there are extremely friendly and helpful. Unfortunately only self guided tours were available. I personally prefer tour guides, it makes each experience unique and more fun. You're given a phone with an audio for each room. It was very easy to use and very user friendly. I did accidentally restart my device, I had to exchange it at the beginning for another. Luckily I wasn't too far into the tour. The mansion itself is beautiful and very well kept. You are encouraged to take photos now which is great! It just has to be on a smart phone, no flash or selfie sticks etc. The tour took about an hour. You did have the option of hearing more about each room if time allowed. There are bathrooms at the beginning and end of the tour. Parking is also on the grounds of the mansion. Speaking of the grounds, they were gorgeous as well. It was very relaxing sitting on the grass pretending as if you lived there. There are gorgeous fountains and incredible trees on the grounds as well. We had a guest pass but I'd say the tour is definitely worth the admission fee. Especially if you have more time to listen to all of the stories and experience the grounds.

Ever following in the annual tradition of visiting Newport after Rhode Island Comic Con, we intended on visiting Rosecliff. However, the entrance being barred we went to the next location on our list, being the Elms. Ever following in the style of the guilded age, the Elms is no exception in grandeur. Palacious space with attention to detail, like the covered delivery to the side to obstruct the idea that commoners delivered to the summer home. Sorry, sarcasm, that's all I could think when I saw the ivy-covered delivery driveway. The corinth columns, the sculpted and carved friezes, especially the main entrance with the white marble and plaster design on the stairs is fantastic. This felt more beautiful and appealing without being, 'extra' (which is what the Breakers feels like). This mansion is definitely worth the trip, maybe even more so then the Marble house. Breakers is still the top, but this is a very close second. The audio-guided tour was a breeze, although we had to cut it short due to my wife needing to finish a class project and submit by that evening. This one I wished we could have spent more time visiting, I want to visit again to hear more details about the family and daily life.

In my previous life... I lived in The Elms. Nothing can prepare you for the beauty, attention to detail in all of the minor accoutrements of the rooms down to doorknobs and hinges. Imagine a lovely era where you work hard and can reap the rewards. No taxes. Smart investments and industrial expansion. I love America, and I just love the era of Gilt. Some are offended by it, modern politicians like Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and the late Ted Kennedy hid their wealth to avoid taxes...but The Newport Mansions are a testament to hard work and reward ... without a political spin. Pish Posh on Mark Twain's notion of the Gilted Era!! If you have it, flaunt it! And they did in the 1880s to 1900s Newport. Every room is a story. My favorite is the main bathroom... salt water/fresh water tub... I'd love to experience that!

The Elms is the second best all around mansion behind the Breakers. It is amazing for its inside decor and backyard grounds. The history is rich and it's very underrated. We enjoyed strolling through this home using the individual cassette players! Lots of info!! We had a fantastic tour pertaining to the life of the servants in this house!! Our tour guide for this special tour was amazing . We got to see the servant bedrooms and bathroom and also go out on the area outside these rooms to see the property from the roof!! Fantastic!!! The behind the scene work that the staff had to get done without being "seen" was hard to believe!!! The kitchen was massive and the food cooling area was "cool"!!! We saw old Louis Vuitton travel chests and the incredible tunnel for coal delivery!!! So glad we went on this special tour!

Beautiful building and my friends and clients with family there love the Elms. Great to have a place for the elderly that's so well maintained and just a gorgeous mansion like home that blends in perfectly with the large historic homes on Elm Street. I've known the owner and his family a long time and his commitment and love for the elderly there is amazing.

Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!! This was one of the most historical landmarks I've ever been to. I bought the tickets only for access to 5 houses and the Elms was the I visited. Definitely, take the audio tour option and allocate about 1.5-2 hours for this house. The audio tour had so many interest tidbits of information and was a great way to explore the house and learn about the history of the gilded age and the families that were prominent at this time. Must see!!!

This may just be my new favorite Newport mansion. Although I was born and raised in RI, I've only been to a couple of the mansions over the years (until recently). The Breakers is where my family always takes out of towners to visit and get the Newport Mansions experience. Although The Breakers is exquisite, after a recently visit to The Elms, I'm blown away. The mansion itself is gorgeous. From the conservatory to the dining room and beyond. It's really quite stunning. The gardens are incredible. They are reason enough to add the Elms to your list of mansions to visit. I could the gardens being an incredible location for wedding portraits too. On top of the standard tour, there is an additional tour you can opt to take at the Elms. It takes you behind the scenes to where the servants lived and worked. Although it's an added cost, it's a one-of-a-kind experience at the Newport mansions, as the other facilities do not offer a comparable experience. I really loved seeing each and every part of the Elms on a recent visit, from the mansion itself, to it's beautiful grounds, and the secret world behind the scenes. I would definitely recommend visiting the Elms for visitors and locals as well.

This and the Breakers were my top choices for our Christmas tour. The staff are marvelous answering questions and the listening devices cover so many subjects. We could tour 3 mansions for $29. The tours could take you 1.5 hours or more. The parking was very good as we parked on the property. They are stratify about you touching tables or curtains or trying to take peeks where you should not. There are Servant Tours in addition to the regular tours. Check those out!

I went on a quick walk through today with my daughter. Compared to some of the other Newport mansions, it may not be as impressive but it's worth checking out. Amazing how this place was once lived in by a man named Mr. Bertrand. Guess he made a fortune with coal. Kind of cool how you can go at your own pace..you'll get a set of headphones with audio history lessons. The place has tons of amazing bronze and marble statues,venetian paintings,jade and other fine works. You cannot take pictures inside of the mansion for some reason....found this out after a dozen flicks when a woman started yelling at me and giving no explanation. If on vacation I would recommend going to the Breakers first but this is within walking distance and they have package deals for multiple mansion tours.

While The Breakers was built to resemble an Italian Renaissance villa, The Elms was built to resemble a French chateau. It is built on the interior and doesn't have an ocean view as some of the other mansions do. While a seven bedroom home might seem small for the grand entertaining that the Berwinds did, they also owned three other houses where guests could stay. A few interesting facts about The Elms: The male servants cooked and the female servants cleaned. After the "summer season" the house was "put to sleep". All furniture, lamps, wall sconces, etc. were covered with slip covers. (I immediately thought of an episode of Downton Abbey where the servants did the same thing!) At that time in Europe, Lord and Lady bedrooms were separate, so when building the mansions during the Guilded Age, they too, were separated. Traditionally, the men's bedrooms were smaller. Mr. Berwind worked all week in New York City and only came home on the weekends. The Lady's bedrooms were traditionally larger and served as her office. Managing estates of this size were the equivalent of managing a small hotel. I would definitely recommend a tour of The Elms!

We stopped by the Elms after the Breakers. It is another mansion in Bellevue but is not quite as extravagant as the Breakers. But don't get me wrong-it's not meager by any means. The tour is also much shorter, about 1/2 an hour. Worth the stop if you some free time.

An absolutely stunning experience. I highly recommend visiting The Elms and also paying the extra cost to take a tour of the upstairs servants quarters.

We visited the Elms on a visit to two other Newport Mansions. My dad, husband and I visited in the summer and enjoyed a great self-guided tour through a wonderful historical building that is open to the public. The history that is told on the audio really gives you an understanding a bygone age. The beautiful gardens are not to missed and the sculptures are right there to admire and enjoy.

If you're coming to Newport, it definitely makes sense to get the "Breakers plus One" mansion ticket. For only a few dollars more than visiting just the Breakers alone, you can chose any other mansion to tour. I highly suggest visiting the other mansion first, then the Breakers afterwards. The Elms was a nice stop, but the Breakers is so much more opulent, that had we visited Breakers first and Elms second, we would have been disappointed in the Elms, although their garden is definitely nicer. Many visitors seemed to not even walk all the way back to the garden area, which is somewhat strangely hidden - not even visible from the house itself. The carriage house also features a cafe, which would probably make for a peaceful stop.

The Elms was the mansion I was most excited for, mostly for the prospect of the gardens and grounds. The mansion was extravagant and gorgeous, larger than Rosecliff (I think) but smaller than Marble House and the Breakers. Still a self-guided tour with options of additional blurbs of info to hear. I would have liked to spend more time here and listen to more of the tour, but it was getting close to the end of the day, and my group wanted to get to a 5th house to use all of our purchased tickets. The grounds and gardens ended up being my favorite of all the mansions we saw that day. Not everything was in bloom, but it was gorgeous, and the sunken garden while not overly extravagant was beautiful. As this one was my favorite, I again say, CHECK THIS ONE OUT!

We did the Servants tour at the Elms. Our guide was very knowledgeable and took great pride in giving this tour. He was able to answer all our questions and was informative and humorous as well. It was a very interesting perspective and I highly recommend.

Great mansion. Spent almost 3 hours here. Enjoyed the mansion and the audio tour. Didn't get to see much Of the outside grounds as they were about to close the gates for the evening. Definitely takes longer than the suggested 45 minutes.

This was my least favorite of the 3 cottages I saw (Breakers, Marble House, and The Elms): Even though I was fairly disappointed in Biltmore Estate, I had heard about these Newport cottages and knew it was something I wanted to see. I'm a giant snoop and thoroughly enjoy visiting famous or historical homes. These did NOT disappoint and I found both The Breakers and Marble House to be leagues better than Biltmore Estate. First the price: $35 to see 5 different homes. I only ended up seeing 3, but the ticket doesn't expire! PLUS the audio guide is included at each stop. I wasn't able to see Rosecliff because it was only open to guests with Flower Show tickets. Second: These homes are BEAUTIFUL. Marble House was my favorite, but The Breakers was a close 2nd. I was surprised to learn that most people prefer The Elms, but I didn't particularly find anything draw-dropping about it. Marble House: my GOD. The gold, the intricate carvings, the TEA HOUSE. THIS is what was lacking from Biltmore Estate. THESE people knew how to spend money. Everything in Biltmore was tasteful and classy. When I tour someone's home, I do not want to see taste. I want to see GOLD. I want everything SHINY. And I want something that shows me that you DGAF. Rub your wealth all up in my face. I want to see fat cherubs worth more than my college education adorning your toliet. Don't worry.. I'm still paying my hard-earned money to simply look at your gawdy bathroom, so you still get the last laugh. All three homes also had wonderful audio tours. I did find that The Elms had too many side-options on the audio tour that made it drag on a bit, but both Marble House and Breakers did what Biltmore did not embrace. Brevity. At Biltmore, you were crammed in a small room with 30 of your new best friends listening to loooong recordings. These audio tours were much quicker and fit the size of the space. It wasn't often that was lingering much longer than it took to look around just to finish up the audio. They also tended to focus on the family members and stories of the home.. they didn't just prattle off who made each chair and rug. One thing I did not realize was that each of these 'cottages' has their own parking lot. My original plan was to walk between all of them, but due to the rain I found it a lot easier to drive, which is what the Visitor's Center recommended. There isn't anyone checking tickets or timing you either, so it is quite easy to post up in your spot at The Breakers and walk part of the Cliff Walk while you are there. While it was a dreary day while I was in Newport, the Cliff Walk was still worth it. I can only imagine how stunning it might be without fog when you can see up the coastline. After stopping at The Elms, I then drove Ocean Drive and stopped at Brenton Point State Park. This was a quick stop, but plenty of parking. Then I finished up walking the Bay Walk at Fort Adam State Park. This is a great walk at sunset if you can swing it!

I was born in and practically raised in Newport so the mansions of Bellevue are very familiar to me. However, I haven't toured all of them and when I heard about the Servant's Life Tour at the Elms, this "Downton" addict quickly signed up. The tour is great. Very affordable and definitely thorough. You get to see the Elms through the eyes of the many staff that ran the house. The tour ticket also grants you unlimited access to the grounds of the house. Beautifully landscaped lawns, gorgeous fountains, tea houses, gardens and more. The Servant's Life Tours have limited spaces so you are with a small group and the setting is informal so you're free to ask as many questions as you'd like. They offer snacks and lunch items in the carriage house as well as clean restrooms. Parking is free and the Elms is a must see on your next Newport jaunt.

If you watch Downton Abbey you need to do the "servants life tour". My girlfriend and I have done the mansion tours before (Breakers and Marble House) but on our second trip to Newport we decided to explore the Elms. Due to our fascination with Downton we decided to take part in the $15 guided tour of the 3rd floor of the mansion which focused entirely on the life of the servants. Compared to the normal Newport ritual of opulence and gaudy riches this was a welcome change of pace. The information is great and you get to see parts of the house, including the laundry, coal storage, living quarters, and many other places that give a different but really informative perspective on life in Newport during the Gilded Age. The Elms is a great experience and the "Servant Life Tour" is not to be missed.