It was 70 years ago, in 1948, that The Breakers first opened to the public for tours, thanks to the generosity of Cornelius Vanderbilt II's daughter, Countess Laszlo Szechenyi, as a way to raise money for the fledgling Preservation Society of Newport County. Twenty-six thousand people visited the house in the first year. In 1972 the PS purchased the house and grounds from her heirs, and in 1995 it was designated a National Historic Landmark. To date, more than 25 million people from around the world have been through The Breakers. #newportmansions #preservationsocietyofnewportcounty #newport_mansions #newportri #TheBreakers