The 2026 holiday season at the Newport Mansions will blend familiar traditions with a celebrity musical reading of A Christmas Carol, with The Gilded Age’s Christine Baranski lending her voice to Charles Dickens’ enduring tale. “The holiday season at Newport Mansions is always a special time for our community, and this year will be particularly magical,” says Trudy Coxe, CEO and executive director of the Preservation Society of Newport County (PSNC). Beginning November 21, the historical society hosts six weeks of holiday programming, transforming Newport’s The Breakers, Marble House and Chateau-sur-Mer into charming visions for the season, with each decorated in festive holiday finery.
Nearly 30 Christmas trees will fill the historic houses, exquisitely decorated to complement the décor and theme of each room, such as Mr. Vanderbilt’s tree in The Breakers, ornamented with trains and top hats. The 15-foot centerpiece tree will return to The Breakers’ Great Hall, decorated with 150 poinsettia plants, and a very popular spot to capture that perfect holiday selfie. “Every holiday season is different as we refresh displays and remix elements from house to house,” says Jim Donohue, the Preservation Society’s curator of historic landscapes and horticulture.
One of the biggest changes this year is the exciting addition of a highly decorated Chateau-sur-Mer, which you might recognize as Mrs. Astor’s cottage in The Gilded Age. Donohue said that the Chateau will be “fully decorated in high style, much more so than in years past.” The Elms, meanwhile, will sit out the holiday season due to the fall opening of the digital multi-sensory experience (also worth checking out separately). What makes this season extra special is that several New England artists will contribute their talents to the dazzling displays at each house. Karen Corinha will create a Gilded Age lady dressed in a formal ball gown made using traditional Christmas decorations for display in The Breakers dining room. At Chateau-sur-Mer, Colleen Gebhard will provide a fully furnished Victorian dollhouse decorated for the holidays. Outside, professional sculptor Mike Hansel will fabricate “light sail” structures to be strung with holiday lights, resembling sailboats across The Breakers’ back lawn.
In addition to the opulently decorated interior at The Breakers, visitors can follow a half-mile path through hundreds of lights, illuminated displays, and music in the nighttime experience that runs from 4 to 8pm on select dates from November 21 through December 27. Special holiday treats and adult beverages will also be available for purchase at the back terrace and The Breakers Welcome Center. Who doesn’t want to enjoy a spiced cider while taking in this gorgeous display? “It is so heartwarming that Sparkling Lights at The Breakers, which was born out of a necessity for outdoor programming in the first year of the pandemic, has now become a cherished annual tradition for so many families,” said Coxe.
Complementing season two of Julian Fellowes’ HBO hit, The Gilded Age, filmed at several of the Newport mansions, series star Christine Baranski (Aunt Agnes to us fans) performed a reading of the Christmas staple, A Christmas Carol, to great acclaim last year. The Emmy- and Tony Award-winning actress is returning to delight local Newport audiences with a musical retelling of the classic, accompanied by vocal ensemble Skylark on December 17. “We’re thrilled that Christine Baranski has become somewhat of a regular face here,” Coxe adds.
Other special events include a holiday wreath-making workshop at The Breakers greenhouse led by Jeff Curtis, director of gardens and landscapes on December 5, and behind-the-scenes decorating tours at The Breakers and Marble House. The festivities culminate with a black-tie Holiday Dinner Dance at The Breakers on December 19, featuring cocktails, dinner in the Great Hall or State Dining Room, and dancing in the Music Room.
Holiday decorations remain on view through January 3, 2027. “Newport really sparkles this time of year, and we are always excited to be a part of it,” said Coxe. Learn more at NewportMansions.org
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