What a lovely gem outside of NYC! I want to especially highlight that the guides there are super friendly, helpful, and made the tour so much more informative and better. We went with family the day after Thanksgiving and our guide Ashley made the tour so wonderful!

You have to go on the guided tour in order to go inside the Vanderbilt mansion, but the grounds are free to walk around and take pictures. We were able to get in with our national parks pass, which saved quite a lot of money. The inside of the mansion was so beautiful if you’re into the gilded age luxurious aesthetics.

I have always loved visiting here.

From volunteering in the gardens, to running the trails. I have a beautiful picture of the view from the bench during each season and hung all four above my bed. Clearly it has a special place in my heart!

But, after all these years, I finally got across to touring the mansion.

First of all, the young man in the visitor building was so kind and informative… then our tour guide, Eric. He was phenomenal. So passionate and he guided us in a way that was engaging and answered so many questions. I love this place even more.. I feel so lucky to be so close by.

This is my fourth Vanderbilt home tour and though not as extravagant as the Breakers or Marble House in Newport, the way the park ranger told the story of Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt as well as overall Gilded Age living was so animated and compelling, this was my favorite tour thus far.

The home is of course gorgeous (for a “cottage/farmhouse 😂” according to the Vanderbilts) but the storytelling was really first class. Can’t wait to come back to visit when the grounds are in bloom.

Of note, tickets can only be purchased in person and it’s unclear to know when the next tour might be. I arrived at 12:30 and the next tour was at 2 but I drove 15 min to a nearby town to visit a cafe and was back right on time and without issue.

Great national park that allows those of us who are not wealthy to see how the other half used to? live(maybe many still do today). The park has great places to walk and enjoy the views of the Hudson River and you can walk the dog throughout the park. Did not get to go inside the house this time, but it is worth the visit to explore both the park and the mansion. The staff are friendly and informative.

I've liked the guided tour very much: lot of information given orally (but few written descriptions inside about the art pieces).

It's sad though to see the mansion's state as the Federal funding is not enough to ensure its maintenance. The gardens are maintained by local volunteers, just to give you a hint..

In any other countries (like France as an example), maintenance would be done to illustrate this Gilded age of America.