Every holiday season, the Preservation Society of Newport County transforms The Breakers into a richly decorated winter showpiece, filled with towering Christmas trees, hundreds of poinsettias, and layers of garlands, wreaths, and fresh floral arrangements. What most visitors never see is the extraordinary amount of work required to make that transformation happen.
For three Thursdays each December, a special behind-the-scenes experience pulls back the curtain on that process. And for 2025, every date has already sold out.A Rare Look Behind the Holiday Magic
The Behind the Scenes: Holiday Decorations Tour at The Breakers offers access that is not available during standard mansion visits. Participants are taken into areas normally closed to the public, including attic spaces where decorations are stored and staged, while learning exactly how the holiday displays are planned, installed, and maintained.The tour is led by Jim Donahue, described by the Preservation Society as the creative force behind the mansions’ holiday décor. During the experience, he walks guests through how decorations are designed, transported, and installed throughout the 70-room mansion, while sharing professional techniques that visitors can adapt for their own holiday decorating.
2025 Dates and Why They Sold Out Fast
For 2025, the tour was offered on just three dates: Thursday, December 4, Thursday, December 11, and Thursday, December 18. Each session is limited to a maximum of 10 participants, creating an intimate, small-group experience that cannot be replicated during public hours.That exclusivity, combined with rare access and expert commentary, caused tickets to sell out quickly for all three dates. Tickets for the tour are priced at $25 for non members and $20 for Preservation Society members.
A Physically Demanding Experience
This is not a passive walking tour. Participants must climb and descend more than 100 stairs to reach the attic areas, and there is no public elevator access to or from these spaces. The group remains together throughout the experience, which lasts approximately one hour.The Preservation Society notes that the tour is not accessible for visitors who have difficulty climbing stairs, walking long distances, or standing for extended periods.
Planning a holiday visit to Newport? Staying downtown makes it easy to visit The Breakers, see Sparkling Lights, and explore other decorated mansions without driving. Check hotel availability here.
What Goes Into Decorating The Breakers
The scale of holiday decorating at The Breakers is difficult to grasp until it is explained room by room. Every major space is decorated to complement its architecture and historical theme. Dining tables are set with period-appropriate silver and china, mantels receive custom arrangements, and windows glow with individual white candles.One of the most recognizable elements is Mr. Vanderbilt’s Christmas tree, decorated with trains and top hats that reference Cornelius Vanderbilt II’s role as president and chairman of the New York Central Railroad.The centerpiece of the mansion remains the living poinsettia tree in the Great Hall. Rising 15 feet tall and constructed from 150 individual plants, it must be carefully assembled, watered weekly, and refreshed multiple times throughout the holiday season to maintain its appearance.
If You Missed the Tour
While the behind-the-scenes tour is already sold out for 2025, visitors can still experience the finished holiday décor during Holidays at the Newport Mansions, which runs through January 1, 2026.The Breakers, Marble House, and The Elms are open daily during the holiday season, with closures on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, and an early closing on Christmas Eve. Chateau-sur-Mer follows a more limited weekend schedule.Even without attic access or insider commentary, knowing what happens behind the scenes adds an extra layer of appreciation when walking through the mansion’s decorated rooms.
