Had a handicapped person with us and they charge full price for only viewing 2 rooms on 1st floor...no accessibility for handicapped to get to 2nd floor...very disappointed at this and disicriminating...
It is a truly spectacular place to visit at Christmas. It was a great venue for the evening of opera singing which was astounding. A memorable event
Gorgeous setting for informal concerts on the lawn!
Beautiful grounds, we went for Daffodil Days over the weekend. Flowers were out in full bloom, and great to walk around the grounds. The bamboo forest was a surprise and cool to walk through. Some families brought picnics and were setup on the grounds. Great place to spend an afternoon. Bathrooms open in the basement of the mansion, but no interior access beyond that.
Great place to spend the day. You will find many opportunities to photograph a variety of flowers and plants and sometimes birds and other wildlife. The mansion has some nice history to it and is also fun to check out.
A lovely place to walk around. Water, gardens, and some wildlife to enjoy.
One of my favorite places! Even in its hibernation state!
Beautiful mansion with gardens and an amazing view of the ocean
Nice mansion and beautiful gardens to spend a couple of hours. Guide said that the decorations are very good during Christmas
A lovely old mansion. The backstory is interesting and the grounds are large and beautiful. However, nothing really distinguishes this from other old properties. Good to see if you re in the neighborhood but not a must see.
A under-rated hidden treasure in RI. This is the second time my family and I paid a visit and still want to go in the future. Visitors get to enjoy special plantation, beautiful grass land, flowers, fruit trees, miniature bamboo forest, and even vast, crystal clear water body... Cannot believe that they can keep sequoia trees alive for so long through so many cold winters.
Gorgeous place! Peaceful, amazing view amazing people amazing gardens !
What i nice hidden gem this place is. Definitely plan a full day there is so much to do and look at to enjoy it all.
Such a great place! Never thought I would see a Giant Sequoia but they had one that is over 100 years old!
Absolutely wonderful. Come during Christmas for tea and spring for the daffodils. Volunteers make a wonderful contribution.
This was an amazing experience!! Went on a Saturday afternoon with my boyfriend and even though the mansion wasn't open, it was still so refreshing and exhilarating! The daffodils are in bloom and it was the perfect Spring day. Got to see the bosquet, rock garden, bamboo garden, a huge Sequoia tree, and Lover's lane! There was even a stroll near the shoreline. Blithewold will also let visitors have picnics on the property as long as you take in what you take out (leave no trash behind). Will be going back in June when the mansion opens!!!!
Such wonderful tea! Best my mom and I have had in a while. I cannot wait to go back when it is warmer and the house is more open.
Absolutely beautiful!! Well worth the tour,! Judy was very knowledgeable, answered all of our questions and was super friendly!!
Interesting audio tour of mansion. Beautiful grounds to meander and sketch.
My husband and I were just married at Blithewold and we had an AMAZING experience. Karen Bellavance and her crew run a tight ship and made sure every detail of the ceremony was carried out perfectly. They worked well with the caterer and vendors, as well as with us throughout the planning process. We live across the country, which can make coordinating efforts a bit of a challenge, but we felt we were in good hands with Karen. She even took phone calls with us well after east coast business hours as needed to ensure we were all on the same page.
We hired a band that has never worked with Blithewold before. There are some constraints around decibel levels as the mansion is in a residential area, but everyone communicated well and our evening was perfect (read- super fun dance party).
The grounds and reception- Blithewold is gorgeous. We were married in the garden area facing the water. Even though it was mid-October, the flowers in the garden were colorful and beautiful. The tent is already decorated with lights strung across the top which add a pleasant ambiance. There is a lovely bridal suite where my bridesmaids and I were able to finish getting ready. The bathrooms were clean and well kept. Our photographer was like a kid in a candy store taking our pictures in various parts of the mansion grounds. The sunset was breathtaking and added to the beauty of the evening.
All in all, we had a wonderful experience. We both agree that the wedding and reception far exceeded our expectations.
This beyond gorgeous wedding venue is a MUST SEE! It's just amazing.
This was a great place to visit. Spent part of a Sunday afternoon there, and although it was busy, it wasn't at all crowded. The grounds are beautiful and lovely to take a stroll through. Their displays of flora are curated excellently, and walking though them is extremely relaxing. The paths are well maintained and consist of mostly gravel, but some are wood chip and some stone. It's an easy walk, and there is plenty of seating along the paths for rests (I have back problems). They encourage family picnics and for artists to come paint/sketch/create and be inspired by their grounds. They have many different types of gardens to see and walk through, and I'm very glad I chose to visit. The greenhouse and mansion were closed, I will be sure to be back to see those too!
i ve never been there personally but i chose this place for one of my projects and this was the perfect match for what i was going for
The house is great you can really get a sense of what living was like there. I enjoy the gardens a lot
Went to the first music event last night , excellent music ,{ Little Compton Band} beautiful grounds . What a lovely way to send a Wednesday evening. Looking forward to the summer Wednesday evenings from 6-8 PM
Giant sequoias. Cedars. Peonies. Roses. Water views And much, much more.
My husband and I put a down payment for this venue 2 years before our wedding (wedding date was set to August 2016). Few months before our wedding, my mother in law got very sick and was in the hospital for months. My husband and I needed to make a decision to either go on with the wedding date or postpone our date. We made the decision to postpone our wedding and unfortunately few months before our "expected wedding date" my mother in law passed away. We called Blithewold to work something out and they did not work with us. I would think that because my husbands mother had died they would at least provide back a portion of our deposit or at least let us change the date given the fact that this was a legitimate reason why we needed to postpone the date. They did not let us switch the date, we were told that if we wanted to switch the date we needed to put a whole new deposit down. That was of course no help for us. We were not about to put a SECOND deposit for the same place were we wanted to get married because my mother in law had passed!! But in the mean time they were still and are STILL in 2019 sending letters asking us to CONTRIBUTE to their garden!! We have emailed and called Blithewold to STOP any mail coming to us and they have not yet done it. I find this EXTREMELY DISRESPECTFUL given the fact that they did not sympathize with our situation back then and after the loss of our family member. My husband and I understand a contract is a contract but we also know that as a human being and a person with a heart, a contract can be worked on in uncontrollable situations like this. We felt helpless and lost so much money. Blithewold did not switch our date and did not give any money back.
Unless you know someone in your family or close to you will not pass away right before your wedding, OR HAVE OVER $10,000 TO THROW AWAY, WE WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT RECOMMEND THIS VENUE!!
Blithewold: STOP SENDING US YOUR MAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gorgeous....grounds, mansion, location, even the gift shop
I love coming throughout the year, beautifully flowers and trees everywhere!
Good energy. Peacefully environment.. very satisfied with this visit.
I've been going to blithewold for over 40 years and always have a wonderful experience it's so beautiful
We knew we were a bit early & everything would not yet be fully in bloom... but it was great!
Beautiful house and gardens with an interesting history. Staff is knowledgeable and friendly. A membership here is ideal so you can see it in different seasons. We visited in spring when the daffodils were in bloom but virtually nothing else.
Great Family Friday Event and spectacular walk through the mansion and the magnificent grounds
Our entire family visited both during the summer for a concert, and during Sparkle. What a beautiful place with lovely, helpful people. The Christmas trees in every room, the welcoming atmosphere. A really magical night during the holiday season. Don't miss it!
Magnificent gardens and views. We went to a Christmas tea at Blithewold to start the season off with a little holiday cheer. Just gorgeous and a beautiful setting inside. The tea was delicious with homemade scones and other tea sandwiches. After the tea, I strolled in the garden to look at the garden. The trees are just so impressive and unusual. One of my favorites is a weeping Hemlock. I would highly recommend doing a tour at Christmas and you must buy your tickets ahead of the season as the space is limited.
I went to Blithewold over the summer. I spent 3 hours there and loved every minute of it. The house is amazing with so much detail and history. This place is of my dreams. The 10 acre lawn to the water provides beautiful views. I walked through the shaded paths to the green house. The plants and gardens are gorgeous. The restored stables are interesting as well. Nice and helpful staff and volunteers. I didn't make it back for Christmas. Maybe next year.
What a beautiful location! Very friendly staff. A must see for anyone!!
I came here for a wedding, it was very pretty, and the grounds were well kept. The facilities we're brand new and very clean. I enjoyed visiting and it was a great choice by the bride and groom!
Gardens are really really amazing. Most of plants are as happy in England s climate.
High five to gardeners!
Lovely gardens to stroll through. The mansion is usually open but not during Covid.
A wonderful place for a walk and to visit their exquisite gardens
I just had my daughter's wedding at Blithewald and Karen Belivance who is the wedding coordinator and her asistant Ann Marie were HORRIBLE to work with. Our wedding cost over $85,000 and they treated our family and our vendors TERRIBLY!!! I will be glad to give you my list of grievances but lets start with the fact that the wedding must end at 10:30 and every venror, every guest, every table, chair, piece of linen, every scrap has to be off the property by 11! at 11:10 my daughter, the bride was told to get her and her vendors off her property NOW! Sweet isnt she? She says yes to things in the beginning then renegs 6 days before the wedding. That would be our liquor vendor.... Good thing my daughters father is a lawyer! Karen Belivance was actually enjoying being mean! If you fight back with her she eventually backs down, but she makes you so nervous and upset that its horrible....my advise is If you WIN a FREE WEDDING AT BLITHEWALD MANSION IN BRISTOL, RI...RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!!!!! Place is a JOKE
Denise Marchetti
Toured Blithewold yesterday with a tour guide, Eileen LaCazette, who was simply wonderful. A tiny powerhouse of a woman who knows everything about the place. After the official tour was over (maybe 1 1/2 hours) she continued with those that were interested to tour the grounds, pointing out interesting facts about the extensive plantings and trees. She is as excited, knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the place as one could be. Highly recommend.
Excellent landscape worth exploring. Don t miss the bamboo forest.
We came for a Garden Tour with Gail and she was fabulous!! Her knowledge of the plantings and the foliage is excellent and she shared fun and interesting stories about the family and their favorite places in the gardens. I would highly recommend a visit to the mansion and the gardens!
A lovely mansion with beautiful gardens and greenhouse. I ve only visited around the holidays which is very pretty with several Christmas trees.
Nice gardens a little too pricey, it was very nice to see one. I doubt we return for a second visit. It is not that big, so you can see it all fairly fast. Good green houses nice to see sequoias on the east coast. Overall we enjoyed it, but felt it to be a little small.
The cliff walk had a lot of daffodils, so we enjoyed that a bit more.
Really beautiful light display. Worth the money and the trip.
Wonderful. Helpful and friendly staff. Also the handheld audio tour was perfect for my husband because he is hearing impaired. He could take out his hearing aids and use the ear buds. That way he could adjust the volume and not be distracted with echoes or other sounds.
Cute shows for kids on Fridays. Lovely grounds with beautiful gardens.
I enjoyed myself at this property. The only reason my experience is lacking is because we were unable to actually tour the mansion due to social distancing restrictions
The grounds were beautifully landscaped. I saw new things, like the growth of bamboo. The Sequoia trees were impressive. The floral growths were deliberately placed by skilled horticulturalists. Very pretty.
I understand that many events are held at Blithewold. It's a beautiful venue. It is a lovely place to host a tea or a wedding. Actually, more than one event could be held at a time. I understand that concerts are held there, too.
It is also just relaxing to sit and feel the serenity of the place as you look at the Narragansett.
I hope to return.
I
Absolutely a beautiful and peaceful experience. This is a place you come for a peaceful stroll, smell the salt air and feel the breeze off the bay. Bring a picnic, a book and your camera. Sit on the open field or under a tree. A great place to get away from it all and just be. The mansion wasn't open when I came but I like this place enough to buy a membership. I will be back.
Excellent place to visit and take a walk, fantastic views and varied fauna to enjoy
One of the best we've seen. Phenomenal tour, nice property, awesome gardens.
Great afternoon touring the gardens and mansion. We enjoy the grounds here more than The Breakers. Loved it
Wow this place is incredible. The mansion itself was sadly closed but I'm not sure it could have impressed me as much as the property and gardens - and that was in late April, so we got to see an astounding number of daffodils but still early for lots of (most?) other blooms. Honestly, it'd probably be a neat visit even in December, but it was so awesome to see the variety and incredible display of flowers and trees and other plants.
Very nicely decorated for Christmas. Nice gardens too.
A family favorite: Ocean views, beautiful gardens. Daffodil Days in the spring is a must see!
Awesome house , property & heritage of this great country.
Beautiful place to walk and enjoy the gorgeous gardens and magnificent landscapes. A must see if you enjoy nature and beauty!
Beautiful views and gardens! Scones and tea were yummy!
I have a personal fascination with the time period these mansions were constructed. The lavish lifestyle is hard to comprehend. From the small beach area and beach house to the vibrant and rare species of plants on the grounds, the entire estate is astounding. Highly recommend, and I will be back once the interior space is opened.
Great place for a walk. The gardens change seasonally.
Great gardens and arboretum. We sat and read for hours.
Blithewold who is somehow affiliated w/Blackstone took my daughters deposit for her wedding and were not able to hold the event due to Covid. They have offered to host in 2022!!! That's apparently the only available date.? My daughter is already married now (we hosted a small family gathering) and moved on with their new lives together far away from Bristol, RI. They went to grad school, worked saved and planned for 2 years for the wedding that did not happen and now Blithewold will not refund their money. Services were not rendered so not sure why they feel they should keep the money? Have tied to negotiate and understand it has been a difficult time for everyone. This is however Very "grinch like" to take a bunch of money from 2 kids and not provide anything in return!
They get no wedding and get fleeced for over 12k by Blithewold and Blackstone
Fabulous gardens,house is much the same from the early 20th centry,a must see if you are in town
Beautiful place. To me gardens are the highlight. We were there for the daffodil days. Spectacular! We were so impressed we became members.
Went for Christmas. Fantastic house with a lot of history.
Absolutely incredible place. We took our "save the date" pics there. Awesome!
Lovely Garden , Serene environment over looking the Bay , wonderful staff, Beautiful historical mansion
I took my elderly mother in her wheelchair to one of their spring teas. The staff and even the other guests were so kind to us, and the tea and scones, sandwiches, etc. were fresh and marvelous. The grounds were beautiful, even on a grey day when spring had not quite emerged. I too wanted to be a part of the Summer Place Era!
blithewold.org