The Breakers is one of the more impressive and popular of the Newport Mansions. Located on Ochre Point Avenue, this "cottage" was the home of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt.

The 70-room Italian Renaissance- style palazzo was inspired by the 16th century palaces of Genoa and Turin, according to the Newport Preservation Society.

The youngest of the Vanderbilt children, Gladys, inherited the home after her mother's death in 1934. She opened the home in 1948 to raise funds for the Preservation Society. The society purchased the home in 1972. It is designated a National Historic Landmark.