• Historic Tours of Newport Boutique Visitor Center - Experience a fully narrated bus tour highlighting the residences of notable figures such as the Watts Sherman House, Kingscote, McCauley Hall, and Belcourt Castle. Discover:

Architectural History 1640-1915: Richard Morris Hunt, Richard Munday, McKim, Mead & White
Colony House where the death of King George II was announced
Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House: the oldest house in Newport
Touro Synagogue: the oldest surviving synagogue in North America
Redwood Library: the first public library in America
The Tennis Hall of Fame
Newport Naval Academy
Hammersmith Farm built for John W. Auchincloss (1887): the unofficial Summer White House of John F. Kennedy
We’ll also catch a glimpse of Newport’s Famous Trees such as Beech Trees, – Copper Beech, Weeping Beech, and Turkey Oak trees, and hear legendary stories like how Mr. Gordon Bennet, New York Herald publisher, and Augustus Candy made an interesting wager that got them kicked out of The Reading Room!

10 minutes stopover for pictures ..

• The Breakers - On your left is the renowned Breakers. Built in 1895 by Richard Morris Hunt for Cornelius Vanderbilt II, who amassed his wealth in the railroad and steamship industries, it is the largest house in Newport. Cornelius’s brother constructed Biltmore, the largest home in America, in Asheville, South Carolina. Vanderbilt’s summer residence was used for entertaining business clients, friends, and hosting numerous summer parties. The Vanderbilts also owned a city block in New York on 5th Avenue, a four-story building later demolished for redevelopment. Mr. Vanderbilt also built Grand Central Station in New York City and operated his train line from New York to Chicago.
• Rosecliff - On your left, you’ll see the elegant white mansion, Rosecliff. Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs commissioned Rosecliff in 1899. During a summer in Newport, Theresa met Hermann Oelrichs while playing tennis at the Newport Casino. They married in 1890. A year later, they acquired the property known as Rosecliff from the estate of historian and diplomat George Bancroft.

She enlisted architect Stanford White, who designed Rosecliff after the Grand Trianon, the garden retreat of French kings at Versailles.

• Marble House - Adjacent to Astor’s Beechwood is The Marble House, constructed in 1892. Designed by Richard Morris Hunt for William K. Vanderbilt, it was a gift to his wife Alva for her 39th birthday. This palace utilized 500,000 cubic feet of stone. The white marble came from a Hudson River quarry in New York. The Vanderbilts chose it for its gold and large mica chips, which make it sparkle under light.

• Rough Point Museum - On your left is Rough Point, once owned by James Buchanan Duke and his second wife. They had one daughter, Doris Duke. The Dukes resided in New York City on Fifth Avenue. Mr. Duke passed away in 1925 when Doris was 12 years old. He was a benefactor of Duke University, named after his father, and made his fortune in the tobacco industry, particularly Camel cigarettes. He left half of his fortune to the Duke endowment and the other half, $100 million, to Doris. At 12, Doris spent summers in Newport with her mother, lived in New York City, and attended school in a chauffeured limo. Her maids maintained a picture album of her clothes to help plan her wardrobe. She also had guards to protect her from potential kidnappings (after the Lindbergh Baby incident) for ransom.
  In 1966, Doris Duke and her interior designer Eduardo Tirello were leaving Rough Point in her car when Doris accidentally put the car into gear, running Eduardo into a tree and killing him.

• Hammersmith Farm - As you may know, Jackie Kennedy’s maiden name was Jacqueline Bouvier. Jackie began visiting Newport to spend time with her mother Janet Lee Bouvier and stepfather Hugh Dudley Auchincloss. Hugh Auchincloss was a native of Newport.

Jacqueline Bouvier spent much of her teenage years here, learning to ride horses while working on the farm. Jackie married John F. Kennedy in 1953. Interestingly, they were married here in Newport at St. Mary’s Catholic Church downtown and held their wedding reception at Hammersmith, Jackie’s childhood home. During JFK’s presidency, Hammersmith served as the Summer White House.

• Experienced driver/guide included
• Complimentary parking during tour

• Gratuities