A&E - America's Castles: Newport Mansions

In the wild and extravagant heyday of the Gilded Age, Newport, Rhode Island was the summer retreat for America's social elite. In this quaint coastal town, "the 400" of high society built their most magnificent estates summer palaces filled with rare marble and glass, woodwork, art, and even solid gold taps running salt and fresh water. America's Castles takes an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the famed Newport Mansions, from the 50-room Chateau Sur Mer, the first of the great "cottages," to the stunning estates of the ultra-wealthy Vanderbilts. Get an unprecedented look at the Marble House, created to put the strong-willed Alva Vanderbilt at the center of Newport society, and visit her sister-in-law's awe-inspiring The Breakers a 70 room palace that could entertain 3,000 guests. It is an inside look at the summer "cottages" that are some of the grandest homes ever built.