NRF promotes and invests in the architectural heritage of the Newport community, the traditional building trades, and Doris Duke’s fine and decorative arts collections, for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of all.
As a leader in the preservation of early American architecture, NRF supports research and education in areas directly related to its collections and issues of critical concern to the field of historic preservation.
Tour Doris Duke’s art-filled mansion and enjoy panoramic ocean views from the extensive grounds, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Open April to November.
Experience the only museum in the world specializing in 18th-century Newport furniture and related decorative arts.
Explore 40 acres of open space, a tribute to the agrarian heritage of Aquidneck Island. The site is open daily from dawn to dusk for public enjoyment.
Newport Restoration Foundation holds one of the largest collections of period architecture owned by a single organization anywhere in the United States.
Celebrate excellence in historic preservation efforts within the City of Newport, Rhode Island.
Live amidst history by renting one of our many historic properties.
Help us to continue a lived-in legacy by becoming a Restoration Partner today.
Rough Point is a mansion and a museum with an extensive collection of fine and decorative arts and a sprawling historic landscape with panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean. The property is experienced today largely as it was lived in during the lifetime of its most famous owner, the heiress, philanthropist, and preservationist Doris Duke.
What happens when a dovetail joint shrinks down to a few thousands of an inch? Miniatures artist Bill Robertson shares the stories and secrets of his 42-year career.
Get insider tips about how the Rough Point staff keep the grounds looking lush and how to incorporate those practices in your own home garden.
Rough Point’s rose allée bursts into full bloom for a few days every July. Savor this brief and breathtaking event with a glass of rosé in hand.
Almost every Newporter with a long enough memory has a story about Doris Duke. Come hear from special guests, including former staff, and share your own Doris memories and sightings.
This presentation by the 1696 Heritage Group will explore how African craftsmen and women contributed to colonial Newport’s economic and cultural prosperity.
A night that celebrates Doris Duke’s lifelong affinity for jazz music. Join us for an evening of picnic blankets, ocean breezes, and soulful tunes that recalls the early years of the Newport Jazz Festival when Doris was known to bring musicians back to Rough Point for informal musical performances. Featuring Joe Albano and the Jazz Lords.
A night that celebrates Doris Duke’s lifelong affinity for jazz music. Join us for an evening of picnic blankets, ocean breezes, and soulful tunes.
Our estate gardeners have culled over 400 perennials from Doris Duke's historic gardens, and this is your chance to plant a little bit of history in your home garden.
Estate gardener Alyssa Leach leads this workshop is for novices and experts alike, borrowing inspiration from Doris Duke’s historic flower gardens.
Doris Duke's name is associated with celebrities like Andy Warhol and Jackie Onassis, but those who knew her best are less well-known. Join us as we unveil the most intimate and influential relationships in Doris's life.
Museum Hours The museum is open Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Wednesday until 7:00 pm.
Visit the remarkable mansion of an unconventional heiress. Admission to Rough Point includes access to the house, galleries, and gardens for exploration at your own pace. Knowledgeable guides are on hand to answer questions and share their favorite stories.
Grounds Pass: Tuesday – Sunday Explore the historic landscape and enjoy spectacular ocean views, between 10:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Tickets Adults: $20.00 Students with ID: $10.00 Children 12 & under: Free
Rough Point is a Blue Star Museum. Active-duty military and families receive free admission from May 18-September 2, 2019.
Ground Pass All visitors: $5
Combine Your Ticket Purchase a combined ticket to both Whitehorne House Museum* and Rough Point Museum for only $25! *Whitehorne House Museum opens for the season May 29, 2019.
Group Tours For groups larger than 10 visitors, please visit our Group Tours page.
Guided Tours Highlights of the Museum guided tours introduce the singular personality of Doris Duke through the home she created, the art she collected, and the causes she embraced. The tour visits two floors of the house and special exhibition galleries. Tours last approximately 60 minutes.
Tours offered daily at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm. Included with admission.
Garden Tours 30-minute tour of the historic gardens at Rough Point. Enjoy breathtaking ocean views as we talk about the transformation of the grounds over the seasons and how NRF’s celebrates Doris Duke’s interest in environmental conservation and sustainable horticulture. Weather permitting.
Tours offered daily at 1:30 pm. Included with admission.
Roam Around Rough Point After hours access to the house, special exhibitions, and the grounds
Wednesdays, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Newport, RI County Residents are free!
Tickets for all admissions available at the door; no advance reservation necessary.
680 Bellevue Avenue Newport, RI 401–847–8344 visit@newportrestoration.org
Parking is available at the property. The estate is fully air-conditioned and wheelchair accessible.
Pantsuit by André Courrèges
Jeune fille blonde cousant (Young blonde girl sewing)
Famille Rose covered jars with phoenix and cranes among peonies
Portrait of Nanaline Holt Inman Duke
Portrait bust of Julius Caesar in bronze
Tiffany swan centerpiece
This pair of finely painted covered jars represent just a small portion of the large collection of Chinese Export ceramics that Doris Duke's parents had collected for their New York City residence. From historic photographs we know that from ca. 1912 to 1957 these jars were displayed alongside the 18th-century tapestry upholstered furniture in the Drawing Room of the Dukes' New York City house, just as they are today in the Music Room at Rough Point.
From 1912 to 1957, this grand portrait of Doris Duke's mother, Nanaline Holt Inman Duke (1871-1962), hung in the library of the Duke family's residence in New York City at 1 East 78th Street. It was moved to Newport in the late 1950s when Doris Duke gave the New York house to New York University.
The portrait was made in 1907 around the time that Nanaline, the widow of wealthy Atlanta-based cotton merchant, William Inman, married tobacco and energy tycoon James Buchanan Duke.
The bust and the pedestal were purchased separately by Doris Duke in 1962 from the sale of the contents of The Elms, the Bellevue Avenue mansion owned by the Berwind family and designed by Horace Trumbauer.
Made by Tiffany in 1874 and exhibited at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, the silver swan was a latecomer to the collection of Doris Duke. She bought it at auction in 1988, and was so fond of it that she kept it with her on her annual cycle of journeys to homes in Honolulu, Beverly Hills, Newport, New York, and New Jersey.
