Newport's Shoulder Season Growth Includes More Mansions Open Year Round

NEWPORT, RI—Newport civic leaders and the local business community has for years been trying to expand the tourist season beyond the summer months.

This winter, they’re getting some support from the Preservation Society of Newport County, which is now keeping three Newport Mansions open year-round instead of just The Breakers.

“Over the last few years, we have gradually expanded the length of our Newport Mansions operating season, and visitors have responded,” said Trudy Coxe, CEO & Executive Director of The Preservation Society of Newport County. “By keeping more houses open during the winter months we are also supporting our colleagues in Newport’s hospitality industry, by offering visitors more reasons to visit and stay in Newport in the off-season.”

This winter, along with The Breakers, The Elms and Marble House will be open daily for tours.

Guide-led tours will be featured at all three houses during the winter months, with self-guided audio tours available at The Breakers during some busier time periods. Visit www.NewportMansions.org for details.

More open mansions is good news for Newporters planing to take advantage of the Preservation Society’s offer of free admission through 2016 for Newport residents.

They also have planned several free admission for all Newport County resident days through the year, the first of which right around the corner on Jan. 10 and 11.

The so-called ”shoulder season” refers to the weeks and months wrapped around the prime tourism time between June and August when the weather is warm and Narragansett Bay is sprinkled with sails.

Getting more people to visit Newport throughout the year is considered essential to protecting the small business community, which has been grappling with rising rent, utility and labor costs, among other challenges. A little extra foot-traffic in the fall and spring might be a deciding factor in whether a restaurant or gift shop has a profitable or unprofitable year.

Some of the efforts to expand the season have proven to be influential, like Newport Restaurant Week, which was launched 10 years ago. Similar restaurant weeks have been deployed in cities and towns across Rhode Island.