Fans of HBO’s “The Gilded Age” will have a chance this summer to step inside the Newport Mansions that serve as backdrops for the Emmy-winning period drama.
The Preservation Society of Newport County is offering its Inside “The Gilded Age” Tour on Tuesdays and Fridays only, from May 12 through Aug. 28. The guide-led experience takes visitors through Marble House, The Breakers, Chateau-sur-Mer and The Elms — all four chosen by series creator Julian Fellowes for their authentic scenery.
Guides will walk visitors through which scenes were filmed in each room, share the history of the houses and offer a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to host a major television production in four National Historic Landmark house museums.
“Every season of ‘The Gilded Age’ has brought more scenes filmed in our houses, and it’s always a thrill to see them on the screen, populated by the characters we’ve come to know so well,” said Trudy Coxe, CEO and executive director of the Preservation Society. “Of course, the houses and rooms are not identified in the show by their real names, so this tour is perfect for ‘Gilded Age’ fans who want to discover the roles these historic spaces play in the drama.”
Among the highlights, The Elms appears throughout the series as the Russell family’s Newport cottage, while the Marble House dining room was the setting for Bertha Russell’s dinner for the Duke of Buckingham. The Chateau-sur-Mer’s dining room and ballroom were used for Mrs. Fish’s doll tea party, and The Breakers billiard room — where George Russell talks business over games — features the actual billiard table once owned by Cornelius Vanderbilt II.
Tours run from 1 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. and include bus transportation starting and ending at the Gateway Transportation Center, 23 America’s Cup Ave. Tickets are limited to 12 per tour and must be purchased in advance at newportmansions.org/events/inside-the-gilded-age-tour-2026.
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