Make a Gilded Escape in Newport

The library room at the Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the Vanderbilt, Auberge Resorts Collection.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated from the original version first published June 2023.

Stay: Breakfast by the sea in a nineteenth century mansion? Yes, please. The Gilded Age Experience at Castle Hill Inn has everything you need to feel like a Fifth Avenue socialite on break from the big city, including tickets to one of the Preservation Society of Newport County’s mansions. Tour the real-life homes of the Gilded Age elite, then lounge like one of the pack in a period-inspired retreat. castlehillinn.com

Eat: For a memorable meal, look no further than Stoneacre Picnics’ Classic Gilded Picnic at the Elms. The opulent spread takes place in a marble and glass pavilion overlooking the estate’s Sunken Garden, where lavishly clad ladies once strolled between games of croquet. The menu features delectable bites like smoked ham and gruyere baguettes, or upgrade to the luxe spread to enjoy Kaluga caviar and blinis with crème fraiche. stoneacrepicnics.com

The Gilded Age Dinner Party at the Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the Vanderbilt, Auberge Resorts Collection.

Play: Devotees of HBO’s “The Gilded Age” will want to book the Preservation Society of Newport County’s Inside “The Gilded Age” tour, featuring filming locations from seasons one and two of the hit show. The 3½-hour tour, which runs Tuesdays and Fridays through June 28, takes visitors to select rooms at the Breakers, Marble House, Chateau-sur-Mer and the Elms to enjoy the ambience and learn about the real-life characters who inspired the show’s plot. All four mansions were handpicked by series creator Julian Fellows to bring authentic scenery to the period drama. 

“Working with Lord Fellowes and HBO in the making of ‘The Gilded Age’ has been an amazing experience for our staff,” says Trudy Coxe, CEO of the Preservation Society. “We try to share some of that excitement with our visitors, and this guided tour is a great way to do that.”

Guides will explain which scenes were filmed in each room, highlight the real people who dwelled in them and provide an inside look at what it’s like to host a major television production in four National Historic Landmark museums. Tour locations of note include:

• The Elms, which did double duty as the Russell family’s Newport cottage as well as places in their New York mansion.
• The Marble House Dining Room, where Bertha Russell hosted a dinner for the Duke of Buckingham.
• The Chateau-sur-Mer Dining Room and Ballroom, used for Mrs. Fish’s doll tea party.
• The Breakers Billiard Room, where railroad tycoon George Russell and Alderman Morris schemed over a game.
• The Breakers Music Room, where guests danced during Gladys’ debutante ball and Bertha had her first social triumph.

The Inside “The Gilded Age” Tour is limited to 12 guests at a time so be sure to purchase your tickets in advance at here. Can’t make the tour? Fans of “The Gilded Age” can also check out the Newport Mansions’ “Deep Dive into the Show” for episode-by-episode insights and commentary at newportmansions.org/gilded-age/episode-deep-dive.

Grab a picnic and a wide-brimmed hat and head to Glen Farm for the Newport International Polo Series, continuing every Saturday through September. Newport’s polo club traces its roots to the 1870s, when the sport was a favorite among wealthy gentlemen on summer holiday. nptpolo.com

Celebrating its fifty-fifth anniversary this year, the 2024 Newport Classical Music Festival promises three weeks of classical music in beautifully bedecked venues, including two evenings with “The Gilded Age’s” very own Laura Benanti on July 9 and 10. newportclassical.org

The Newport Historical Society hosts daily walking tours throughout the summer. Hop on the Golden to Gilded tour to learn how a Colonial seaport transformed into the summer playground for the nouveau riche. newporthistorytours.org