Vanderbilt Family's Private Breakers Rooms Open to Public

The third-floor apartments of the iconic Newport mansion are now accessible for the first time.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 3:55pm

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For over a century, the third floor of the Breakers, the grand Vanderbilt 'cottage' in Newport, Rhode Island, has been a private family retreat. Now, after the departure of the last Vanderbilt descendants in 2017, the Preservation Society of Newport County is opening these intimate spaces to the public, offering a rare glimpse into the private lives of America's most famous family.

Why it matters

The Breakers has long been a symbol of Gilded Age excess, but the opening of the third-floor family apartments humanizes the iconic mansion and provides insight into how the Vanderbilts actually lived within its walls. This move by the Preservation Society aims to give visitors a more complete understanding of the home's history and the family's legacy.

The details

Designed by architect Ogden Codman Jr., the third-floor suites were created as private living spaces for Cornelius Vanderbilt II's sons. These more modest, Louis XVI-inspired rooms stand in contrast to the opulent public spaces below, offering a glimpse into the family's intimate daily lives. The spaces have remained largely untouched since the Vanderbilts' departure, with faded wallpapers, stacked mattresses, and other remnants of the family's occupancy still intact.

  • The Breakers opened to the public in 1948 after Gladys Széchenyi, Cornelius Vanderbilt II's daughter, leased the property to the Preservation Society of Newport County.
  • The third-floor family apartments were used by Vanderbilt descendants until 2017, when the last occupant, Sylvia Szapáry, passed away.

The players

Cornelius Vanderbilt II

The grandson of 'the Commodore' who commissioned the construction of the Breakers in 1895.

Ogden Codman Jr.

The young architect hired by Vanderbilt to design the more intimate third-floor living spaces of the Breakers.

Gladys Széchenyi

Cornelius Vanderbilt II's daughter, who leased the Breakers to the Preservation Society of Newport County in 1948 for $1 per year.

Sylvia Szapáry

Gladys Széchenyi's daughter, who was the last Vanderbilt descendant to occupy the third-floor apartments until her death in 2017.

Leslie Jones

The chief curator and director of museum affairs for the Preservation Society of Newport County.

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What they’re saying

“Too often we encounter a guest who believes the historic house museum is designed to be static, as if the family up and left, never having made a change to any room across the years. Recreating the family's gathering spaces and showing the ways they 'lived above the museum' illustrate what makes the Breakers such a rare story in the American landscape.”

— Leslie Jones, Chief curator and director of museum affairs, Preservation Society of Newport County

What’s next

The Preservation Society plans to continue preserving the third-floor apartments as they were found, allowing visitors to witness the ongoing restoration process and gain a more authentic understanding of how the Vanderbilt family lived within the iconic Breakers mansion.

The takeaway

By opening the previously private third-floor spaces of the Breakers to the public, the Preservation Society is providing a more complete and nuanced portrait of the Vanderbilt family's legacy. This move humanizes the grand Gilded Age estate and offers visitors a rare glimpse into the intimate daily lives of America's most famous dynasty.