Get Your Holidays On! Holiday Sparkle returns to Newport Mansions, inside and out

Chinese Tea House Seasonal Brunch Offered

It won’t be long before visitors to The Breakers are strolling a half-mile outdoor path of glittering lights and colorful displays as holiday music fills the evening air.

For the fourth straight year, “Sparkling Lights at The Breakers” will cast a warm glow over the 13-acre landscape of this iconic Gilded Age landmark on select dates from November 17 through December 30.  Walk though dazzling tunnels of light and marvel at the illuminated displays and sparkling surprises along the way, including a striking, 50-foot long, 26-foot-tall light display on the back lawn in the outline of a train from the Vanderbilts’ New York Central and Hudson River Railroad. 

As you make your way around the grounds, warm up at one of the fire pits and enjoy holiday treats and adult beverages for purchase on the back terrace and at The Breakers Welcome Center. Once again, s’mores kits will be available for purchase at both locations. 

Admission to “Sparkling Lights at The Breakers” requires a special ticket with a specific date and entry time, and it includes interior access to The Breakers during the same visit. Tour times are 4 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. The gates close at 6:30 p.m. and the house and grounds close at 8 p.m. Visitors are welcome to stay on the property for as long as they wish until closing. A complete list of dates for “Sparkling Lights at The Breakers” is below.

“We started ‘Sparkling Lights at The Breakers’ in 2020 during the pandemic because people were looking for outdoor experiences,” said Trudy Coxe, CEO of The Preservation Society of Newport County, which owns The Breakers and 10 other historic properties. “Since then, it has grown every year and has become a holiday tradition for many in New England and beyond.” 

We thank our Partners in Preservation, BankNewport and Bartlett Tree Experts, for their support of “Sparkling Lights at The Breakers,” along with OptoGlo Solar Signs.

In addition to “Sparkling Lights,” Holidays at the Newport Mansions brings a festive holiday atmosphere to the interiors of The Breakers, Marble House and The Elms. These National Historic Landmarks come alive with beautiful seasonal decorations, themed Christmas trees, wreaths, garlands, and fresh floral arrangements. Mannequins dressed in elegant Gilded Age fashions match the décor in Gertrude Vanderbilt’s bedroom at The Breakers, Alva Vanderbilt’s bedroom at Marble House, and the conservatory at The Elms. The mannequins have been created by Karen Corinha of Corinha Design.

Once again, the 15-foot-tall poinsettia tree in the Great Hall of The Breakers – made up of 150 individual poinsettia plants – provides a wonderful holiday photo opportunity. 

All properties are closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and will close at 2 p.m. on December 24. Visit www.newportmansions.org/events/holidays-at-the-newport-mansions to learn more.

Holiday Brunch Offered at Chinese Tea House

Located on the back lawn of Marble House and perched above the historic Cliff Walk, the Chinese Tea House provides an unmatched setting for a three-course holiday brunch by Stoneacre Brasserie. The menu includes a three-tier tea tower, an entree selection and assorted desserts. Complimentary tea service is included. Specialty cocktails and wines are available for purchase. 

This Holiday Brunch is available on Saturday and Sunday, November 18 and 19; Thanksgiving weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 24, 25 and 26; Saturday and Sunday, December 2 and 3; Saturday and Sunday, December 9 and 10; Saturday and Sunday, December 16 and 17; and Christmas Week, December 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31. Seatings are at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The cost is $55 per adult and $35 per child (age 2-12). Make reservations at  https://resy.com/cities/nwp/stoneacre-tea-house?date=2023-11-01&seats=2

The Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island, is a nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area’s historic architecture, landscapes, decorative arts and social history. Its 11 historic properties – seven of them National Historic Landmarks – span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development. 

Complete List of Sparkling Lights Dates:

Friday, November 17
Saturday, November 18
Friday, November 24
Saturday, November 25
Friday, December 1
Saturday, December 2
Sunday, December 3
Thursday, December 7
Friday, December 8
Saturday, December 9
Sunday, December 10
Thursday, December 14
Friday, December 15
Sunday, December 17
Thursday, December 21
Friday, December 22
Saturday, December 23
Tuesday, December 26
Wednesday, December 27
Thursday, December 28
Friday, December 29
Saturday, December 30 

Photos: Courtesy of The Preservation Society of Newport County