The Elms, Newport: Servant Life and House Tours
The Elms
As a fan of Downton Abbey, I had been eager to visit The Elms and go on its Servant Life Tour ever since learning about it years ago from a coworker. So, when my husband and I decided to start incorporating more historic sites into our weekend outings, I figured it was the perfect time to finally cross The Elms off my travel bucket list. We made our way there this past June, and here is how we spent our day at the Newport mansion.
Morning: Drive down to Newport and Go on the Servant Life Tour
After a quick pitstop at Twin Donuts, a Boston institution, for a couple of eggwiches and iced coffees, we hit the road. We left a little after 8:30am and arrived in Newport 90 minutes later, which was well ahead of our scheduled 10:30am Servant Life Tour. This was a nice change of pace for us, as we are almost always running late 😆
The Elms’ front entrance
Our tour began promptly at 10:30am in front of the mansion’s main entrance. To kick things off, our guide provided us with a brief history of the house and its previous owners, the Berwind family. One of the more interesting tidbits that we learned is that the house was inhabited and fully staffed (butler, footmen, maids, and all) until the 1960s! So, it was within living memory, not some distant past, that the house resembled a set piece out of The Gilded Age.
With this introduction complete, we walked around the side of the house to the staff entrance, where our guide told us about some of the lavish parties and balls thrown at the house during its heyday. The late Mrs. Berwind used to set aside $300,000 each season for hosting her various social events, and apparently, that was not that outlandish of a sum among the Gilded Age Newport elite.
The Elms’ servant entrance
We then entered the house via the staff entrance and climbed the servants’ staircase to the third floor, the former living quarters of the house’s servants. Owing to a skylight halfway down the corridor, the space was well-lit and felt surprisingly airy and inviting.
Hallway in the upstairs servants’ quarters
While standing at the start of the hallway, our guide gave us an account of the staff’s living conditions and reviewed the floor layout and features. I was surprised to learn that the majority of the servants’ rooms were single occupancy (I had envisioned something akin to the servants’ quarters in Downton Abbey) and that there were not one or even two bathrooms but rather three. Granted, even with three bathrooms, that still worked out to six or seven people per bathroom, which meant that queues for the washroom would have been inevitable.
One of the servants’ bathrooms
Our third-floor tour also included a short presentation in one of the rooms on several of the former servants. I found these personal stories particularly interesting. From the third floor, we walked out onto the parapet-lined roof, which once upon a time, offered servants a much-needed reprieve from the indoors. In recent years, a platform was erected on the roof, and from its top, you have an unobstructed panorama of the estate’s grounds and abutting harbor.
View from The Elms’ roof
After soaking in the picturesque views, we went back inside and descended the staff staircase to the ground floor. We walked through the kitchen to the laundry room, where we learned about the time-intensive (and strenuous) laundering process.
From there, we climbed down another staircase into the bowels of the basement. We viewed the massive coal furnaces, as well as peeked down the railway track that was once used to transport coal from the harbor to the house.
The coal furnaces that once heated the house
We then made our way back up to the ground floor and walked through the luggage room, which still houses the Berwinds’ original suitcases.
Suitcases once used by the Berwind family on their travels
We subsequently viewed the ice-making and pastry rooms before concluding the tour in the kitchen. If you are a fellow fan of The Gilded Age, you might be interested to learn that this kitchen serves as the Russells’ kitchen in the show.
The Elms’ once-state-of-the-art kitchen
The Servant Life Tour met our expectations and then some. It was informative and delivered in an engaging, entertaining manner. I loved learning about the history of the house, as well as the people who kept it up and running for so many years. If you love Downton Abbey or The Gilded Age, consider adding this tour to your travel bucket list.
Afternoon: Tour the House and Grab a Bite to Eat
The Servant Life Tour had offered us no more than a glimpse of the non-staff portions of the house, and being that we were desirous of seeing The Elms in its entirety, we purchased admission to the house. Our tour of the mansion was self-guided, which allowed us to peruse the rooms at our own pace. A printout containing information on each of the rooms was provided at the start of the tour, and for those who prefer an audio tour, an app featuring precisely that was available for download.
The Elms’ elegant ballroom
The rooms were breathtaking in their magnificence. Every aspect of each room was thought-out and part of a cohesive whole. A particularly stunning room was the breakfast room, which featured 18th-century Chinese lacquer panels.
The breakfast room
Even the more private rooms, namely the family’s bedrooms, were exquisite.
One of the bedrooms at The Elms
Once we had seen all that there was to see inside, we moseyed our way outside to explore the grounds, which were more expansive than I had anticipated. Beyond the lawn at the rear of the house was a sizable garden, as well as a few outbuildings.
Garden at the rear of the mansion
Trees sprinkled throughout the grounds offered respite from the oppressive summer heat.
Seeking shade under a tree
After wrapping up our tour of the grounds, we hopped back in our car and drove to Root, a plant-based café in downtown Newport, for lunch. I ordered the Arriba Bowl, which comprised quinoa, black beans, sweet potatoes, onions, tomatoes, jalapeños, avocado slices, cilantro, and an agave-lime dressing. All of the ingredients and flavors melded together perfectly (my mouth is watering just thinking about it). I washed everything down with an iced lavender matcha latte, which was equally delectable.
Helpful tidbit — Seating at Root is extremely limited, so be prepared to either hover about waiting for a table or take your food to go.
The Arriba Bowl — yum!
Once we had cleaned our plates, we began the drive back home. All in all, it had been a lovely day, and I cannot wait to return to Newport and explore more of the city and its historic mansions.
Practical Info
Servant Life Tour
The tour is offered twice daily at 10:30am and 3:30pm and is approximately an hour in length.
Owing to its limited space, advance purchase of tickets is recommended. Tickets can be purchased at the Newport Mansions’ website.
At the time of writing, tickets cost $25 per adult and $10 per child (ages 6 -12).
The tour grants you access to the staff areas that are off-limits in the regular, self-guided tours of the house.
The Elms House Tour
The tour is self-guided.
At the time of writing, tickets cost $25 per adult and $10 per child (ages 6 – 12).
If you plan on touring other mansions in addition to the Elms, consider looking into a multi-house ticket or membership to save money.
The Elms, General
Address: 367 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI
Open daily 10:00am – 5:00pm, but always check their website for the most up-to-date information.
Free parking is available on-site. When we went, we entered the parking area via one of the front gates, and there was a sign beyond the gate directing us to the parking lot.
At the time of writing, the house is not wheelchair accessible, but please check their website for the latest and most accurate information.
There are public restrooms inside the house. One can be found down the flight of stairs to the right of the ticket checker’s desk at the house’s entrance, and another is located downstairs by the kitchen.
Root
Address: 6 Broadway, Newport, RI
Open daily 9:00am – 5:00pm
Well, that does it for my write-up, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below!
