The Gilded Age Dinner Party at the Vanderbilt ; the library room at the Vanderbilt .
Jacqueline Bouvier and John F . Kennedy in Newport on their wedding day , Sept . 12 , 1953 .
KENNEDY CONNECTION
The twenty-eight-room main house of Hammersmith Farm on Harrison Avenue was originally built in 1887 for financier John W . Auchincloss . He later sold it to his younger brother , Hugh , who eventually passed it down to his son , Hugh Jr . In 1942 , Junior married the mother of Jacqueline Bouvier when the future First Lady was thirteen years old . The two were very close , and Bouvier spent many a summer at her stepfather ’ s family estate in Newport . In fact , Hammersmith Farm served as the reception backdrop for her 1,200-guest wedding to John F . Kennedy on Sept . 12 , 1953 .
CAMPBELL ’ S SOUP AND JUDGE JUDY
Campbell ’ s Soup heiress Dorrance “ Dodo ” Hamilton summered in Newport throughout her life , starting with her family ’ s French chateaustyle Gilded Age mansion , Bois Doré , on Narragansett Avenue , and ending with the Bird House , a sixbedroom , six-bathroom estate she built on the grounds of the former Arthur Curtiss James estate in 2013 . Following Hamilton ’ s death , the latter property was purchased by Judy Sheindlin , known to most as Judge Judy , in 2018 .
GILDED ESCAPE
Always wanted to be a Rockefeller for a day ? The City by the Sea offers ample opportunities for a weekend — or a staycation — of living large .
STAY : Breakfast by the sea in a nineteenth century mansion ? Yes , please . The Gilded Age Experience at Castle Hill Inn has everything you need to feel like a Fifth Avenue socialite on break from the big city , including tickets to one of the Preservation Society of Newport County ’ s mansions . Tour the real-life homes of the Gilded Age elite , then lounge like one of the pack in a period-inspired retreat . castlehillinn . com
EAT : For a memorable meal , look no further than Stoneacre Picnics ’ Classic Gilded Picnic at the Elms . The opulent spread takes place in a marble and glass pavilion overlooking the estate ’ s Sunken Garden , where lavishly clad ladies once strolled between games of croquet . The menu features delectable bites like smoked ham and gruyere baguettes , or upgrade to the luxe spread to enjoy Kaluga caviar and blinis with crème fraiche . stoneacrepicnics . com
Guests can play king in their own castle with the Gilded Age Dinner Party at the Vanderbilt , Auberge Resorts Collection , a private dining experience for six to eight guests in the hotel ’ s mezzanine . Start with a cocktail service by James Beard Award-nominated Maison Premiere , then continue with a nine-course dinner that includes oysters , Beluga caviar , roast lamb Wellington and baked Alaska for dessert . aubergeresorts . com / vanderbilt
PLAY : Devotees of HBO ’ s “ The Gilded Age ” will want to book the Preservation Society of Newport County ’ s Inside “ The Gilded Age ” tour , featuring filming locations from the hit show .
The 3½-hour tour , which runs through July 14 , takes visitors to select rooms at the Breakers , Marble House , Chateau-sur-Mer and the Elms to enjoy the ambience and learn about the reallife characters who inspired the show ’ s plot . For more gilded education , the Preservation Society ’ s “ The Gilded Age Years : Transforming America ” lecture series continues through June 15 , with topics spanning from vacation hotspots to inequality today . newportmansions . org
Grab a picnic and a wide-brimmed hat and head to Glen Farm for the Newport International Polo Series , continuing every Saturday through September . Newport ’ s polo club traces its roots to the 1870s , when the sport was a favorite among wealthy gentlemen on summer holiday . nptpolo . com
The 2023 Newport Classical Music Festival promises three weeks of classical music in beautifully bedecked venues , including the premiere of Curtis Stewart ’ s The Gilded Cage , an original work inspired by the Breakers , on July 22 at the namesake home . On July 20 , the mansion will host “ The Gilded Age ” actress Kelli O ’ Hara performing a selection of opera and Broadway hits . newportclassical . org
The Newport Historical Society hosts daily walking tours throughout the summer . Hop on the Golden to Gilded tour to learn how a Colonial seaport transformed into the summer playground for the nouveau riche . newport historytours . org — L . C . 🆁
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