It seems like a long time since we welcomed guests to The Breakers. Of course, it’s a small fraction of the nearly 72 years we have been giving tours! On June 17, 1948, the Preservation Society signed a lease for The Breakers with Countess Szechenyi, née Gladys Moore Vanderbilt, — daughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt II — for a token $1 per year, allowing it to open the first floor of the house to the public for paid tours. Less than two weeks later, the first visitors went through the doors. Formerly seen by only a privileged few, the house drew 8,339 visitors in the first month of operation and 26,200 by the end of that first season in late October. Our founder and longtime President Katherine Warren later reminisced she was worried no one would come! Today, The Breakers has been visited by over 23 million people. We look forward to welcoming back guests to The Breakers and The Elms soon! #NewportMansionsFromHome #MuseumsFromHome #AloneTogether #NewportMansionsStrong #ThePreservation...