596 Bellevue Ave., Newport, RI 02840
Marble House was built between 1888 and 1892 for Mr. and Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt, a summer house, or "cottage", as Newporters called them in remembrance of the modest houses of the early 19th century. But Marble House was much more; it was a social and architectural landmark that set the pace for Newport's subsequent transformation from a quiet summer colony of wooden houses to the legendary resort of opulent stone palaces.
Mr. Vanderbilt was the grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, who established the family's fortune in steamships and the New York Central Railroad. His older brother was Cornelius II, who built The Breakers. Alva Vanderbilt was a leading hostess in Newport society, and envisioned Marble House as her "temple to the arts" in America. It was designed by the architect Richard Morris Hunt, inspired by the Petit Trianon at Versailles. The cost of the house was reported in contemporary press accounts to be $11 million, of which $7 million was spent on 500,000 cubic feet of marble. Upon its completion, Mr. Vanderbilt gave the house to his wife as a 39th birthday present. The Vanderbilts had 3 children: Consuelo, who became the 9th Duchess of Marlborough; William K., Jr., a prominent figure in pioneering the sport of auto racing in America; and Harold, one of the finest yachtsmen of his era who successfully defended the America's Cup three times. The Vanderbilts divorced in 1895 and Alva married Oliver H.P. Belmont, moving down the street to Belcourt. After his death, she reopened Marble House, and had a Chinese Tea House built on the seaside cliffs, where she hosted rallies for women's right to vote. She sold the house to Frederick H. Prince in 1932. The Preservation Society acquired the house in 1963 from the Prince estate. In 2006, Marble House was designated a National Historic Landmark
Operating Schedule
Holiday Evening Duet--The Elms & Marble House--Saturday, December 19, 2009
See two houses for the price of one!
Take a leisurely self-guided evening tour through both The Elms and Marble House, while enjoying live holiday music and sampling holiday sweets, eggnog and cider.
Open house format, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
THIS TICKET IS VALID FOR SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 19 ONLY.
All tickets are non-refundable.
Newport Mansions Experience
The Newport Mansions Experience ticket provides admission to any 5 houses of your choice, excluding Hunter House.
Choose from The Breakers, Chateau-sur-Mer, The Elms, Marble House, Rosecliff, Green Animals, Kingscote, Chepstow and Isaac Bell House.
Important note: Many properties are open only seasonally. Only 3 properties are open during the winter months. Please check operating schedule to determine which properties will be open when you plan to visit.
All tickets are non-refundable.
One Property
This ticket is good for admission to any one Preservation Society property, except The Breakers and Hunter House, subject to operating schedule.
All tickets are non-refundable.
The Breakers Plus
This ticket provides admission to The Breakers and one other Preservation Society property of your choice, excluding Hunter House.
Please check our operating schedule for further details.
All tickets are non-refundable.
Winter Passport
This ticket provides admission to the three houses that are open during the holiday and winter seasons, as follows:
From November 20, 2009 through January 3, 2010:
The Breakers, The Elms and Marble House
All 3 houses open daily and decorated for the holidays
From January 4, 2010 through April 2, 2010
The Breakers open daily.
The Elms and Marble House open weekends and holidays only, as well as daily during Newport Wineter Festival, February 12-21.
Please check operating schedule for times and further details.
All tickets are non-refundable.