The Servant Life Tour at The Elms highlights the stories of some of the men and women who worked to service the social whirl of Gilded Age Newport. Visitors will meet the butler, Ernest Birch; cook Grace Rhodes; and one of the maids, Nellie Lynch Regoli, while traveling from basement to rooftop exploring the inner workings of this grand house.
The tour moves from the basement kitchens, coal cellar and boiler room, laundry rooms and wine cellar, to the third floor staff quarters, where new exhibits will help to bring some of the staff personalities to life.
Included will be new information about The Elms strike of 1902, and exhibits about Newport's large community of domestic servants and individual members of The Elms's staff.
Admission to the Servant Life Tour is $12 for Preservation Society members, $15 for non-members. Children between 6 and 17 are admitted for $5. Space is limited and advance reservations are required. Space availability on a specific date and time cannot be guaranteed without an advance reservation. Please make your reservation at any Newport Mansions ticket booth as early in the day as possible on the day you would like to take your tour.
Visit www.NewportMansions.org or call (401) 847-1000 for the detailed operating schedule, and information about these and other events scheduled this season, tour packages and ticket prices. Tickets can be purchased online, at all of the houses, and at the Newport Visitors Center. Schedule is subject to change.
The Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island is a non-profit 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 - seven of them National Historic Landmarks - span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development.