The Studio to the Tea House and Tunnels

      Two tunnels, broad open vistas of both the coast and Atlantic Ocean, and three bright mansions (Rosecliff, Astor's Beechwood and Marble House) highlight this section of Cliff Walk.

      The Walk is well marked and is composed of a variety of surfaces. The Studio to the Tea House Tunnel is about a quarter mile; the Tea House tunnel to the Second Tunnel is about another quarter mile.

      There are no official exits to Bellevue Ave. from the walk through this segment.

      At Beechwood (the first mansion above) Mrs. Astor entertained her chosen top 400 U.S. socialites over 100 years ago.

      Today, visitors can experience a tour through this impressive villa that is conducted by actors replicating the accents, dress and manners of a century ago.

      RoseCliff (the mansion with the red stripped awning) was designed by Stanford White to feel like the Grand Trianon at Versailles. This palace has the largest ballroom in Newport and was used in the film "The Great Gatsby."

      The Newport Preservation Society offers tours and it is available for weddings, social affairs and as the main setting for the Newport Music Festival.

      The third mansion, Marble House, was designed by William H. Hunt to reflect Mrs. William Vanderbilt's ideals of beauty and culture.

      Over 700,000 cubic feet of imported marble were built into this Greek-style palace. It is open to the public and is one of the Newport Preservation Society mansions.

      Mrs. Vanderbilt's Chinese Tea House is built right above the walk so that it offered an uninterrupted vista of the Atlantic Ocean.