Let your children imagine they are the richest kids in the world. What would it be like growing up in a Newport Mansion? They'll discover that and much more on the new Family Tour at The Breakers, the 1895 summer home of the Vanderbilt family, founders of the New York Central Railroad and one of the world's richest families during the Gilded Age. The Family Tour is offered daily every half hour, and appeals to both children and their parents, focusing on stories of how the Vanderbilts lived in this palatial, 70-room villa built at the end of the 19th century.

"We want to engage children at an early age in the wonder of the mansions, the significance of the people who built them, and the value of preservation," said Trudy Coxe, CEO and Executive Director of The Preservation Society of Newport County, which owns and maintains The Breakers and 10 other historic house museums in Newport County, Rhode Island.

Children taking the tour can imagine what life would be like if they were the richest kids in the world. They're encouraged to ask questions and talk about what they see as their guide gives them a very personal perspective on what life would be like growing up in a mansion like the Vanderbilt children.

Children are engaged even before the tour begins, given name badges designating them as "junior preservationists." To help them understand the importance of preservation, they are allowed to handle samples of the architectural ornaments, fabrics and gilding used in the construction and decoration of the house, and told how time and wear can damage and even destroy them. Throughout the tour, children are engaged in looking for various decorative themes and thinking about how their own homes and daily activities compare to what life was like in a grand mansion.

"It's cool," was the response of 7 year old Alanna, who took the tour in mid-June.

The Breakers Family Tour is offered daily, every half hour, as an alternative to the regular Breakers guided tour, for the same admission price. A Gilded Age Experience ticket that includes The Breakers and 4 other houses is $32 for adults and $11 for children 6-17. A Breakers Plus ticket, for admission to The Breakers and one additional house, is $23 for adults and $7 for children. Admission to The Breakers only is $15 for adults, $5 for children.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.NewportMansions.org, at any Preservation Society property, at the Newport Mansions Stores, or at the Newport Visitors Center.

Photos courtesy of The Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island, a non-profit educational organization accredited by the American Association of Museums and dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area's historic architecture, landscapes and decorative arts. Its 11 historic properties—five of them National Historic Landmarks—span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development.

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