The Elms
4.7(2.5K)google
4.5(97)yelp
Date SpotIndoorOutdoorPhoto SpotLuxuryMust-SeeGuided TourEducationalHistoric BuildingDecorative Art
Overview
The Elms is an exceptionally elegant Newport mansion completed in 1901, designed by architect Horace Trumbauer for the wealthy coal baron Edward Julius Berwind. Modeled directly after the mid-18th-century French Château d'Asnières near Paris, this limestone palace represents the height of French neoclassical taste in America. The estate is equally famous for its advanced Gilded Age technologies, featuring an innovative basement with automated coal tracks, and its spectacular sunken Classical Revival gardens. Guided tours offer deep insights into the lavish lifestyles of the elite and the complex social history of the servants.
Practical Info
Mon9:00 AM – 4:00PM
Tue9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Wed9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Thu9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Fri9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sat9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sun9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Suggested Duration2-3 hours
Best TimeLate spring in May for garden blooms or December for magnificent Gilded Age festive decorations are top-tier. Visit between 2:00 PM and 4:30 PM on a clear afternoon; the low slanting winter sun rays filter beautifully through the massive French floor-to-ceiling glass window casements, bathing the jade marble staircases and grand ballroom in rich, radiant color.
Getting TherePerfectly positioned within the central historic corridor at 367 Bellevue Ave. Driving is remarkably seamless: follow America's Cup Ave south onto Bellevue Avenue; the mansion's towering classical limestone facade and formal wrought-iron gates are unmistakable. The historic site features its own large, free visitor parking lot located directly behind the west gates.
Travel Tips
- The highly sought-after Servant Life Tour navigates extremely steep, narrow service stairwells lacking modern elevator access. Spaces are hard-capped at 15 slots per run and sell out a week prior, requiring advanced online reservation.
- Despite massive landscaped turfs, laying picnic blankets, popping umbrellas, or consuming food inside the iron gates is prohibited. Only plain unflavored bottled water is permitted; sodas and sticky snacks are confiscated at the check-in kiosk.
Photo Tips
Photo Rules
- The historic sunken gardens and classical fountains are legally protected, maintaining an absolute drone ban. To avoid severe backlighting shadows over the rear limestone facade, schedule your outdoor wide-angle photography for the afternoon.
Reviews
Positive
- This historic estate modeled after Versailles is exquisitely elegant; its sunken gardens and classical statues are highly artistic and photogenic.
- Accessibility is well maintained with stable ramps at the main gate; the interior features a preserved elevator reaching upper bedrooms.
- The ticketing and entrance staff are exceptionally polite and clear; downloading the self-guided audio app is seamlessly smooth.
- Compared to The Breakers, tickets are slightly cheaper, but its sheer beauty and the servant-wing tour content offer incredible value.
Heads up
- The estate strictly bans cameras using flash or tripods; several core rooms are dimly lit, causing slight eye strain over time.
- The marble steps in the back gardens get very slick after rain or morning dew, lacking prominent multilingual hazard signs for safety.
- The free onsite parking spots are limited; arriving late forces drivers to search for difficult metered street parking along Bellevue Avenue.
- The corridors in the servant wings are cramped; if holiday crowd control lags, the entire pathway bottles up poorly, degrading the visit.