We embark on a 3.5-mile walk of Rhode Island’s most popular attraction. Along the way, we pass by many Gilded Age mansions and discuss the origin stories and peculiarities of the families that lived there.

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

We begin our tour at this breathtaking view of Narragansett Bay and explore how this stairway to the rocks below became a pavilion for ad hoc music and dancing parties for the servants who staffed the luxurious mansions at the top of the cliff.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Many of the buildings that comprise this Catholic University were once Gilded Age mansions or supporting buildings on the estate. Ochre Court and Vineland Estate are two former estates that were donated to the University when their owners finally couldn’t bear the costs. Hear their stories as you walk past these elegant homes.

• Admission Ticket Free

You will walk past the largest mansion in Newport, once the summer home to the Vanderbilt family. You may exit the Cliff Walk and tour the interior if you wish (separate fee applies).

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

As you walk past this elaborate mansion, we will talk about its original owner, Mrs. Alva Vanderbilt, and how she tore open the previously closed door to Newport’s polite society, reshaping its power structure.

• Admission Ticket Not Included

This mansion was the home of heiress and socialite Doris Duke, who led an eccentric lifestyle. Learn about “the richest little girl in the world,” how she lived, and how she might have gotten away with murder (only the ghosts know for sure).

• Admission Ticket Not Included

We end our tour at this private beach club. Although access is restricted during the height of summer, you may walk the sandy beach or take a dip where the Astors and Vanderbilts played during the Gilded Age during the shoulder seasons.

• Admission Ticket Not Included