Karen Flippo

Conducts private tours of the Breakers for individuals or small groups.

• Explains the story of Cornelius Vanderbilt and the railroad empire he build to become the wealthiest person in the United States in the 1800s.
• Provide e background of his grandson, Cornelius Vanderbilt II, who built the Breakers. Offers details of when and how his family used the "cottage" as a home and for social events.
• Provides information on artwork, interior design, furniture and grounds.

Conducts walking and site tours covering these attractions/topics in Newport, Rhode Island.

• Colony House
• Holiday Lantern Tour
• Rum to Revolution
• Religious Tolerance
• Golden to Gilded
• Discover Colonial Newport
• Rhode to Independence

Ensures guest safety through route planning. Ensure that Historical Society content is fully addressed while also responding to the individual questions and interests of customers.

• Enhances visitor experience by providing engaging and informative tours to passengers arriving on cruise ships.
• Coordinates with port crew and bus drivers for loading passengers and adhering to timelines.
• Presents Newport's colonial history from the colonization in 1639; its economic and social transformation until the Revolutionary War; the rise of the Gilded Age from the 1850's to the early 1900's. Offers insights regarding Newport's former position as "the Yachting Capital of the World", the US naval presence and characteristics of the people who currently summer in Newport or the "new Gilded Age."
• Directs bus drivers for scenic tours around the city, including the Historic City Center, Bellevue Avenue (avenue of the Mansions), and Ocean Drive.
• Assures customer satisfaction through attentive listening and personalized tour adjustments based on group interests.
• Ensures group safety by vigilantly monitoring tour participants and implementing strict adherence to safety guidelines.
• Facilitates memorable experiences for diverse groups by tailoring presentations to cater to different age groups, cultural backgrounds, and language abilities.

Provides engaging and historically accurate information of the Touro Synagogue, the oldest existing synagogue building in the United States (1763), including stories of the Jewish people who came to Newport in the 1600's to escape religious persecution.

Describes the architectural features of the building known as the Peter Harrison's masterpiece (the esteemed architect of the colonial period).

Conducts walking tours of the neighborhoods where colonial Jewish people lived and worked.