The Best Christmas Display in the World Is Here (And It’s in Rhode Island)

It's beginning to look a lot like the holiday season here in Rhode Island. There are plenty of magical traditions we love to indulge in during this time of year, most notably the Christmastime tours of our elegant Newport Mansions in Rhode Island. The seasonal decor is more dazzling than ever, and for that, we are thankful. Read on to learn more about the best Christmas displays in RI!

Each November, we watch as four of Newport's most magnificent and revered Gilded Age mansions — The Breakers, The Elms, Marble House, and Chateau-sur-Mer — are decorated from the inside out. While we can tour these mansions throughout the year, there's just something so magical about visiting during the holiday season when the halls and rooms are decked to the nines.

We love seeing The Marble House, The Breakers, The Elms, and Chateau-sur-Mer shine bright during the cold winter season. The mansions are decorated lavishly with hundreds of poinsettias, numerous ornamented evergreens, wreaths, fresh flowers, table settings, mantle decor, and more. The Newport Mansions at Christmas are absolutely stunning. At The Breakers, for example, there's typically a 15-foot-tall poinsettia tree that's a local favorite and a color-coordinated theme chosen for each room, and the results are spectacular.

Christmas at The Breakers, the best-known mansion in Newport, is as spectacular as you could imagine. Built as a summer cottage for Cornelius Vanderbilt II, who was among the country's wealthiest at the time, its opulence is over the top. So, you can imagine how dazzling its decor is during a Newport, RI, Breakers Christmas.

Of course, no expense is spared when decking these halls. Over the years, Christmas at the Newport Mansions has received plenty of national attention. People come from all over New England to take guided tours during the holiday season.

Did you know that the Newport mansions' Christmas decorations are considered some of the best in the world? Rhode Island Christmas displays have become more popular over the years, putting our tiny state on the world stage. One thing is for certain — Christmas at the Newport Mansions is the most wonderful time of the year!

Reservations aren't required to visit the Newport Mansions in Rhode Island, but reserving tickets online is always a good idea. That way, you are guaranteed to see one of the best Christmas light displays in Rhode Island! This year's Holidays at the Newport Mansions event will be held from Nov. 22, 2025, through Jan. 1, 2026. The Breakers, The Elms, and Marble House will be open daily, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas, while Chateau-sur-Mer will only be open on Saturdays and Sundays. Whether you tour one or all four mansions during the holidays, they will certainly make your season a bit merrier and brighter!

Will you be exploring the Newport Mansions during Christmas to see the best holiday lights display in Rhode Island? Get your tickets for Newport Mansions at Christmas on the Newport Mansions’ website. You can also view the mansions virtually.

Feeling inspired? Try planning your own Newport, Rhode Island, trip using Only In Your State’s itinerary planner.