8 jaw-dropping facts about the famous Breakers mansion in Newport

Updated

Newport, Rhode Island is a charming New England city characterized by rich history, quaint shops and restaurants and yacht-filled harbors.

Amongst museums, bars and plenty of historical landmarks, perhaps one of Newport’s most well-known attractions is its iconic Cliff Walk, where opulent, timeless mansions sit perched above the ocean to be adored and — if open to the public — visited.

Right off of the Cliff Walk path lies the most famous of all the mansions in Newport: The Breakers.

The Breakers mansion was commissioned to be built by railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt II in 1893 and quickly became the summer home for the Vanderbilt family for generations to come,

Now a National Historic Landmark, visiting the Breakers is rated as one of top three things to do in Newport and is seen as a tangible symbol of the Vanderbilt family's wealth and social superiority.

Here are 8 little-known facts about the massive estate that will make you even more enticed to step inside yourself:

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