For the first time in The Breakers’ 129-year history, the private third-floor family space occupied by generations of Vanderbilts will be open for public tours.
The Breakers Third Floor Preservation in Progress Tour starts Monday, June 24, and will be offered daily at 3:30 p.m. This limited, guide-led tour will take you through private bedrooms, bathrooms, and recreational spaces used by the Vanderbilt family and household staff for over a century.
“The third floor of The Breakers is a historically significant space,” said Trudy Coxe, CEO and Executive Director of The Preservation Society of Newport County in a statement, which has owned The Breakers since 1972. “This new tour of private living quarters never seen by the public allows us to provide a more complete story – not only of this iconic property, but also of the family who built it and lived there for generations.”
Visitors will also witness preservation work in action, as the research, planning, and physical work to restore these spaces are still in progress. Guests will see floors and walls that have been restored and others that have been left untouched to show the effects of time and the elements. Décor from the 1890s, 1940s, and later reflects the family’s changing uses of the third floor.
“Work on this space is ongoing, so this will be an evolving experience for visitors,” said Leslie B. Jones, Director of Museum Affairs and Chief Curator for the Preservation Society in a statement. “This early incarnation of the tour offers an opportunity to witness the process of preservation. How are decisions made, what applications are best in this case, and why? We are excited to share our approach to this unique project while introducing this area of The Breakers to the public for the first time.”
The Breakers Third Floor Preservation in Progress Tour tickets are available through www.NewportMansions.org.
