The phrase " conspicuous consumption " was coined by sociologist Thorstein Veblen, who visited Newport c.1900 and witnessed the desperate need of new, entrepreneurial millionaires to flaunt their wealth. More than just a summer resort, Newport became an arena in which families competed to outdo each other - though the "season" of wild and decadent parties lasted only a few weeks, and many of the ten-million-dollar mansions lay empty for years at a time.

It's difficult to grasp the sheer wealth involved by merely gawking at the mansions' facades, but after being herded in and rushed through more than a couple, the opulence rapidly begins to pall. Choose one to see, or two at the most. The most important stand on Bellevue Avenue, Ocean Drive and Harrison Avenue . The Astors' Beechwood , 580 Bellevue Ave (mid-May to Oct daily 10am-5pm; Nov & Dec daily 10am-4pm; Feb to mid-May Fri, Sat & Sun 10am-4pm; $10), is an entertaining antidote to the drier historical drills given on other tours. Costumed actors welcome visitors as house guests who have arrived for a party held by Mrs Astor, the self-proclaimed queen of American society (she devised the notion of the Four Hundred , an elite of individuals whose lineage had to go back at least three generations). Anecdotes, bitchy asides and a constant stream of activity - as well as strawberry tea in the servants' kitchen - make it all great fun.

Also on Bellevue Avenue, the Marble House is the most over-the-top example of Gilded Age excess, with a golden ballroom and a Chinese teahouse in the grounds; both this and Rosecliff , with its colorful rose garden and heart-shaped staircase, were used as sets during the filming of The Great Gatsby . Kingscote , on Bellevue Avenue, is a quirky Arts and Crafts cottage with a lovely interior, while the biggest and best of the lot, Cornelius Vanderbilt's The Breakers , on Ochre Point Avenue, is a sumptuous Italian Renaissance palace, overlooking the ocean. All except Beechwood are run by the Preservation Society of Newport County , 424 Bellevue Ave (tel 401/847-1000, ), whose combination tickets slightly help to beat the hefty individual admission prices of at least $10 (April-Sept daily 9am-5pm; rest of year schedules vary; Breakers costs $15, all others $10; all eight Society properties $50).

One way to see the Bellevue Avenue mansions on the cheap is to peer in the back gardens from the Cliff Walk , which begins on Memorial Avenue where it meets First Beach. This three-and-a-half-mile oceanside path alternates from jasmine and wild roses to unappealing concrete underpasses through perilous rocks. For those with a car, Ocean Drive continues from Bellevue Avenue where the Cliff Walk ends, following the coast eastwards and passing Hammersmith Farm , John and Jackie Kennedy's 28-room shingled summer home, originally owned by Jackie's mother. Once open to visitors, the farm is now a private residence and closed to the public. The First Couple's wedding reception was held on the beautiful grounds.

Newport's mansions

• Newport's mansions

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