Rosecliff is one of Newport’s great Bellevue Avenue mansions, built for silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs at the turn of the 20th century. It is less overwhelming than The Breakers, but its white façade, heart-shaped staircase, and grand ballroom make it one of the most theatrical houses in the city.
The mansion is especially good if you are interested in Newport as a stage set for Gilded Age entertaining. Rooms are often used for exhibitions and events, so check what is open, but the architecture alone gives a strong sense of the social world these summer “cottages” were built to impress.