Breakers Mansion
The famed ‘cottage’ of the Vanderbilt family, this mansion may be haunted by a Gilded Age ghost
Paranormal Activity
at Breakers Mansion
- The figure of Alice Vanderbilt has been seen
- Visitors and workers report feelings of not being alone or being watched
- Visitors note an oddly positive atmosphere in some spaces, attributed to Alice enjoying the company
- Members of the Vanderbilt family have encountered Alice’s figure in private spaces of the home as well
History of Breakers Mansion in Newport, Rhode Island
If you’re hoping to experience the height of Gilded Age extravagance, there is no better place than Newport, Rhode Island.
Originally a northern escape for wealthy southern planters in the early 1800s, Newport’s fair summers and picturesque views quickly turned it into a destination for every wealthy American. Today, the most well-known mansion in the area is Breakers. Who lived in the Breakers mansion you may wonder. It was the historic summer manor to none other than the famous Vanderbilt family.
Breakers is a public attraction today, and has become one of the most popular tourist stops in all of Rhode Island. But, the Vanderbilt family long maintained private familial spaces on the mansion’s upper floors.
And local legend suggests at least one spectral Vanderbilt still visits their summer home from beyond the grave.
Timeline of Breakers Mansion's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Breakers Mansion through the years
1885
When Cornelius Vanderbilt II bought the property of his future Rhode Island palace in 1885, there was already an expansive mansion built on it. The original Breakers, constructed in 1878, was a stately, wood-frame mansion used as a tobacco baron’s summer house. Vanderbilt used it in the same way, summering there with his family. That changed in 1892, when a fire tore through the original Breakers estate, leaving Vanderbilt’s summer home in ruins.
1895
From the ashes of the first Breakers, Cornelius Vanderbilt vowed to rebuild. To avoid another fire, Vanderbilt and his wife, Alice, were careful in their design choices. The exterior was built of stone, and steel formed the mansion’s frame. When Breakers reopened to the family in 1895, it was both totally fireproof and magnificent in size. With 70 rooms, including 48 bedrooms and a great hall sporting a 50-foot ceiling, Breakers had become the definition of America’s Gilded Age.
1899
Cornelius Vanderbilt II had only a few years to enjoy his summers at the new Breakers. He died in New York City in 1899, just four years after his summer home’s completion. His wife, Alice Vanderbilt, was left to tend to the massive summer estate, which she did for 35 more years. When Alice too died in 1935, the expansive property fell to her daughter, Gladys. At the time, Gladys didn’t own any property in the US, and had long adored Breakers. So Alice had the estate specifically bequeathed to her.
1948
In 1948, Gladys opened the grounds of Breakers to the public for the first time. She opened the home for several different reasons. For one, the tourist traffic would help support the Preservation Society of Newport County. Additionally, the Preservation Society would contribute to upkeep and maintenance of the massive mansion. The opening proved to be a significant success, and helped support the growing Preservation Society for years to come. It also helped Gladys to continue to enjoy the mansion until her death in 1965.
1972
The Preservation Society purchased the Breakers property, and much of the furniture, in 1972, and has continually operated the mansion as a tourist attraction ever since. To this day, Breakers remains the most popular Newport cottage under the Society’s purview. It also remains one of the most visited sites in all of Rhode Island. But, at least one old Vanderbilt hasn’t given up their attachment to the property. The spirit of Alice Vanderbilt purportedly haunts the mansion, her specter adding a bit of mystery to the home’s luxury.
Why is the Breakers Mansion haunted?
Alice Vanderbilt’s 35 years of summering at Breakers was one of the longest tenancies during the family’s ownership. Additionally, Alice had enjoyed the property’s luxuries since before the palatial manor had even been built. Given all that, perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising to hear her ghost seems to still linger in the mansion.
The Breakers Estate Ghost
While it seems Alice may be Breakers’ only resident ghost, she has apparently been quite the active haunter. Even in the eras before Breakers was publicly accessible, the Vanderbilts purportedly encountered Alice’s ghost. Family members and house servants alike all happened into Alice’s phantom in the years after her death, and many of the reported encounters share similarities.
The Apparition of Alice Vanderbuilt
Alice’s ghost is most often seen as a vivid apparition. While many ghosts might like to call out or make noise to be heard, Alice seems to be quite the opposite. You’ll never hear her coming, nor feel a cold chill lingering around her presence. But while she apparently moves in complete silence, Alice seems to enjoy making her spiritual form visible.
Her apparition has been spotted just about everywhere in the house over the years. But, she has her share of hotspots, including her former bedroom. Not every area where Alice roams is open to the public. But even in closed-off spaces, tales of workers’ ghostly encounters still spread far beyond Breakers’ gates.
The Breaker’s Watchful Specter
Even though Alice’s ghost seems to enjoy being seen, there are times when her spiritual presence is known only by strange feelings. Visitors and workers around the house sometimes note the sense of not being alone while they’re visiting empty rooms. Others say they feel eyes watching them from afar, even when they know nobody is around them.
At other points, there is said to be a certain positivity in the air, with some attributing it to the happy haunting Alice, forever enjoying her summer home.
Explore Rhode Island’s Haunted Mansion
Breakers is not the kind of place you’re likely to find ghost tours or paranormal investigations. However, both guided and self-guided tours of the mansion are on offer. Breakers greets thousands of tourists each year and is always expanding their list of offerings.
The mansion’s third floor, a private Vanderbilt family space into the 21st century, has even recently been opened to public tours as well.
Although Breakers is not listed as a Rhode Island haunted attraction, many of the mansion’s ghost stories come from visitors on day tours. With even more spaces in the mansion being opened for public viewing, perhaps there are even more chances to spot Alice Vanderbilt’s ghost on a Rhode Island mansion tour.
Between Alice’s apparition at Breakers, and the haunts of the family’s Biltmore estate, it seems Vanderbilt homes may simply be havens for hauntings.
