A 70-room Italian Renaissance megapalace inspired by 16th-century Genoese palazzi, the Breakers is the most magnificent of Newport's grandiose mansions. At the behest of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, Richard Morris Hunt did most of the design (though craftspeople from around the world perfected the decorative program). The building was completed in 1895 and sits at Ochre Point, on a grand oceanside site. The furnishings, most made expressly for the Breakers, are all original. Don't miss the Children's Cottage on the grounds.

　　Admission includes entry into The Breakers' Stable & Carriage House, also designed by Hunt, on the west side of Bellevue Ave. The Preservation Society of Newport County also has an excellent value two-house ticket (adult/child $29/9) which offers entry into The Breakers and one other property under the Newport Mansions banner. For architecture buffs, a five-house ticket (adult/child $35/12) can't be beaten.