Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

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.

What a dream! This home is a beautiful masterpiece of the gilded era. Our tour guide was enthusiastic and very knowledgeable but not over bearing. She gave us plenty of time to wander around through the rooms on several floors throughout the home. I was fascinated with the details and the history. Highly recommend you take a tour yourself.

Great tour, our volunteer tour guide was very knowledgeable, and did a great job! Beautiful location with stunning views. Gorgeous mansion!

Stately, elegant, and full of history. The Vanderbilt Mansion is a stunning example of Gilded Age architecture, with beautifully preserved interiors and expansive gardens. Walking the grounds feels like stepping back in time — perfect for history buffs, architecture lovers, or anyone who appreciates classic grandeur. Well worth a visit.

The Vanderbilt family built and owned numerous mansions and I've been fortunate to visit the Marble House and The Breakers in Newport, RI. When I saw the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site was in the area of where I was visiting, I knew I had to make this a stop. Entrance to the Vanderbilt Mansion is by a guided tour only and tickets can only be purchased in-person at the Pavilion Visitor Center. Tickets are $15.00 per person. I arrived Saturday morning about 10:30am and there is a good sized parking lot. The signs are very helpful. After walking into the Pavilion Visitor Center, the park ranger informed us that the next available tour is at 12:00pm and we could explore the formal gardens till our tour time. The Formal Gardens is located approximately 750 feet south of the Vanderbilt Mansion. It was beautiful to walk around and many volunteers were spotted working hard to maintain the garden. There was a reflecting pool, terraces, pergola and loggia with 3 levels of annuals, perennials and roses. At 12:00pm, the park ranger introduced himself in front of the Pavilion Visitor Center and walked us over to the mansion. We explored the first floor rooms (the Entrance Hall, Living Room, Dining Room, Reception Room, Office). It was very cool to listen to how the space was used and to imagine it. The park ranger told us that guests would enter into The Entrance Hall and then following dinner, men would remain in the dining room for cigars, while the ladies would retire to the Living Room for coffee and liquors. The men would join them later for games of cards, charades, and music. We then went up the Grand Staircase to the second floor rooms (Mrs. Vanderbilt's Room, Mr. Vanderbilt's Room, Boudoir, Red Rooms for guests, and the Blue Room for single guests and their chaperone). Lastly, we went down the stairs to the service basement. We explored the Kitchen and Basement Hall. The tour lasted about an hour and the park ranger was very knowledgeable about the history. The Formal Gardens and the Vanderbilt Mansion were a great place to visit and I really enjoyed it. It is also very nice that people can visit the Formal Gardens at no charge and walk around the grounds.

We patiently waited for the government to open up so we could visit some of the historical homes and mansions of the Hyde Park area before winter kicked in. Here we are, five (5) weeks later, on Saturday, 15th November, 2025, we (and thousands more) were finally able to make the trip to beautiful Hyde Park. Apparently everyone had the same idea today, and 'tis a Saturday. Who knew?!! Tickets were sold out by noon. Thus, we were only allowed a mere walkabout of the spectacular grounds of the estate. Oh, well... No worries, we will return. Most likely during warmer temps next Spring. At least we had the pleasure to view the remaining autumn foliage of the vast estate gardens and the outdoor grandeur of the dear Vanderbilt mansion. Until next time... 4 stars - Thank you government.

One of a few Vanderbilt mansions open to the public for tours, this mansion and its grounds, located in Hyde Park, NY, is a great example of an opulent summer home built by a third generation scion of the proud Vanderbilt family. My wife and I took the 50 minute guided tour and really enjoyed it. The Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site is part of the National Park Service, thus the annual 'America the Beautiful' pass gets you in, otherwise it's $15 per visitor. The home can only be viewed via a guided tour, lasting about 50 minutes. Our guide was Ranger Ryan, who was very informative . We purchased tickets when we got there, and was able to join the 11 am tour, consisting of about 20 visitors, including us. We started from the visitor center (originally the guest house, free to enter and has itself a lot of valuable information to share, Air conditioned, bathrooms, and a hydrations station), walking outside to the entrance of the home. Our ranger gave us four rules and a suggestion before we entered the home: Don't touch anything except railings; Stay with the guide, not wandering off; no flash photography; no food or drink (except water). The suggestion was to ask questions: which we did and got some really good and interesting answers. My question was around maintenance. Ryan answered that the admission fee doesn't cover the cost of operations, and that maintenance is part of the Department of Interior's budget which doesn't increase with inflation (and might be cut). We started at the main foyer. The common theme was that most rooms were cordoned off, but were open for viewing. Twenty seemed to be a good number: not too crowded giving opportunity to view what you wanted without having to wait too long. We walked up the stairs to the second floor where the main bedrooms were. It had 5 guest rooms, and two master bedrooms (his/her) modeled on how European royalty lived. The home was built just when electricity was becoming available, so the wiring could be reused to light the house. Coal furnaces were used for the cold winters and forced air vents were available on the first floor. However, the mansion is not air conditioned, and large fans were strategically placed throughout for air circulation. We finished the tour by walking down to the basement (there is a small retrofitted elevator available as well), where there were 8 male servant quarters. We then walked upstairs through the cellar doors, back outside. Dozens of Vanderbilt mansions were built by this generation. While most of them were torn down, many of them are still around and some available for public tours. The most famous one is the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC (owned by the Biltmore Company, whose leadership are Vanderbilt descendants). Many others are owned by non-profit local preservation societies with the mansion in Hyde Park being the only public There seems to be a renewed interest in the Gilded Age (1870 - 1900), a term coined by Mark Twain to tweak the time as being superficial, with little substance underneath. A new mini-series by HBO highlights this period, and was available on our Delta flight. Visiting the Vanderbilt Mansion is another hands-on way to learn more about the period. We did just that, and enjoyed the experience. Note: The founder of the family was 'Commodore' Cornelius Vanderbilt, railroad industrialist/robber baron, founder of Vanderbilt University. His son, William Henry, doubled the family's fortunes by continuing his father's practices. It was his children that proceeded to spend down this fortune, with these mansions being a remnant of this practice. This mansion in Hyde Park was the product of his son, Fredrick William, the only one who died with more worth than when he inherited. He had no children, thus passed it down to his wife's niece, who donated it to the US Government. The famous Biltmore Estate was done by his brother, George Washington, and the current owners (Biltmore Company) is run by the great-grandson of George. Finally, the most famous Vanderbilt alive today (Anderson Cooper), family tree is tied to his great-grandfather (Cornelius II), the brother of Frederick. Thus his third-cousin is the one running the Biltmore Company (main revenue source being the Biltmore estate itself).

Free to the public for strolling, lounging in the sun on a blanket, photoshoots and enjoying the scenery/property. Parking is ample. The property is massive and so so beautiful. Tours can be booked for a small fee for those who would like to explore the Mansion's interior and learn a lil bit.

Sunday afternoon tour 1pm already sold out so we purchased tickets for the 2pm tour. Tour guide very knowledgeable about the Vanderbilt Mansion with 20 years experience hosting tours. You get a glimpse of the Gilded Age glamour during this tour. Your takes about 1 hour stairs are a plenty walking up to second level and down into the cellar. There is a small elevator if you need it. It is extremely hot inside the mansion during the summer months so be prepared and bring water or a fan. It was a worthwhile experience.

The Vanderbilt mansion is excellence of yesteryear. My wife and I toured this mansion in upstate that's right NY . Every floor was a new view. And the grounds were simply amazing. Definitely a trip worth taking.

The rangers who do the tours are very knowledgeable and should be paid more than they are for the amount of information they know. Our tour group was large but they managed it well. Make sure to arrive early to purchase tickets as they sell out quickly and can only be bought at the site.

**Disclaimer: We didn't take the mansion tour, so the review is for the grounds only.** Plenty of parking spots, and the mansion tour is available for $15 and lasts a little over 1 hour. Tickets can only be purchased in person. The grounds are available for you to explore, with a garden area that I expect would be in full bloom in a month!

Honestly? It is free, it is convenient, it is peaceful. Is it an absolute must visit? Probably not, but if you happen to be around it is worthing checking out. Spent 1 hour there and it was enough to explore most things. If you want to enter into the mansion building itself you'll have to book a tour, we skipped it and preferred to explore the outside.

Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site A Masterpiece of American Design. Built by of one of the first families of wealth in America and designed by one of the nation's preeminent architects (McKim, Mead & White). The Vanderbilt Mansion is a home built expressly for the aristocratic lifestyle. Opulence is the main attraction at this Gilded-Age mansion. The Beaux Arts country retreat belonged to the grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Inside Hyde Park, you stroll through 54 rooms of gorgeous woodwork, painted Venetian ceilings, and furnishings worthy of a brawl between Christie's and Sotheby's. The site sits on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River and from that height you have a spectacular view of the river and the Catskills. It's about 90 miles north of New York City, the estate was near to the New York Central Railroad, where Frederick was the Director. Friends thought of Frederick as modest and unassuming--although you wouldn't guess it after seeing his house. The 55,000-square-foot mansion boasts 10 guest rooms and 14 bathrooms. Downstairs, Frederick and his wife entertained at a 30-person dining table. An antique carved ceiling determined the dining room's exact size. Many of the original furnishings remain. There are 15th-century Flemish tapestries, Louis XVI tables, and Ming vases. Sixteenth-century fireplaces were brought from Italy. One bears the Medici family crest.

A very enjoyable trip back into the Gilded Age here. Incredible opulence that rivals the old money estates of Europe. ...and this was just a seasonal home for entertaining guests of society. The National Park Service does a great job preserving and maintaining the property while giving visitors an educational tour. It's sad that lack of funding prevents full access to areas of the home though, like the 3rd floor and portions of the basement (servant quarters). Definitely worth visiting still.

Definitely checkout if you are wanting to do a mansion tour. This is not the first Vanderbilt mansion I'm visiting since I have been to the one in Newport and Carolinas. So this one in upstate is not as big as the one in Newport, RI. However, the maintenance need to be appreciated. They are currently renovating some parts of the mansion so those areas were restricted in the tour. The tour took about an hour and it cannot be self guided. There is a guide who will walk through all the areas of the mansion and explain how the living was back in those days. The lawn outside is very well maintained as it still have those trees planted years ago during the Vanderbilt period.

Visited the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site in Hyde Park, NY. Nice "Summer Cottage" Vanderbilt Mansion National Historical Site Hyde Park, NY 8/23 Nikon D750 Built by of one of the first families of wealth in America. Designed by one of the nation's preeminent architects. The Vanderbilt Mansion is a home built expressly for the aristocratic lifestyle. It's a beautiful location and a wonderful addition to the national park service. The NPS Rangers are knowledgeable and super friendly. Be sure to get your national park pass (America the beautiful card), which could be used for the tours.

I love taking walks on the grounds at the mansion and bringing the pups. Oh and summer concerts are great and FREE!!!! The gardens are beautiful. Shout out to all the volunteers that care for them. They are a dedicated bunch! I've been know to sit by the fountain and paint. I should be clear...try to paint because I'm not that good. But who cares right? I'm having fun. My favorite place is the long walk from the mansion down to Bard Rock and scrambling a bit to get close to the river. My grown kids and I love to sit there and chat while my husband is worrying that I'm going to fall in. Then taking the dirt road over to the carriage house and back up to the mansion. There's the road back but there's also a dirt path on the left that takes you to the gardens. Someone once told me that whole loop is 3 miles but I'm not sure. Go and relax there. There's a spot by the exit that has a bench with an incredible view...you must stop and snap a pic.

In all of these years, I finally made a stop here with a large party, with a beautiful property and lots of scenery to observe. A big field is spotted just as soon as you enter, with a big parking lot and a smaller one. Along the way, a lovely view across the Hudson River is well-seen plus on a clear day, the Catskills. The highlight of the journey is walking toward the river, which is called Bard Rock still within the property of Vanderbilt. A lot of opportunities to take photos and take in nature for sure. There are picnic tables provided throughout the park. The Mansion will be for another visit, which looks pretty awesome.

When I attended Vassar College this was my hideaway to study - on a good day there is nothing better than the gardens!

Beautiful grounds and our tour guide was superior!! We highly recommend this and try staying a bit so you can enjoy the grounds

Such a lovely place, my husband and I go here frequently. The rose garden is a beautiful picture spot.

I love going for walks around the grounds And flower gardens. There are paved trails that take you all the way down to the river. There are also wooded trails. 100% dog friendly.

History. Art. The biggest names and most elite of them all: right at the Vanderbilt Mansion! What a gem of a place! I'm so happy we got to come out here with one of our favorite locals that has been coming to this place since around 40 years ago. Came out here on a beautiful Sunday Funday to walk around the property and get a tour of the infamous Vanderbilt Mansion. Unfortunately, due to covid all the spots were filled up and reservations are now done online. We felt we didn't want to come aaaall the way out here on a different day so we decided to hang tight and find a different way. We persisted, stayed and got to sneak in with the next tour group and wow. What an AMAZING history lesson and time travel. It was so mind blowing to come here and enjoy some of the oldest pieces ever, seeing history breathe in person! The best part? Admission is free! Masks are 100% required regardless of your vaccination status. I would always call or check out their website as things do change on a weekly basis with them with everything going on. Definitely a spot to NOT miss! Also, make sure you take a niiiice walk around the property. The most GORGEOUS views of our HUDSON VALLEY

Beautiful historic house and ground property. Worth stopping by when in the area. Make sure to bring an earplug to attached with your phone as the mansion has a digital tour. The self guided tour for the first floor only costs $10. Second floor is closed to the guests. The tour consists of 7 stops and can do anyways wanted. There was a 20 minutes informational talk by the guide at the back of the house after. Well kept and maintained mansion. Manicured lawn. Beautiful architecture. Rich history. Classic furnitures and priced arts . Magnificent location. Relaxing view of the Hudson River.

Mike gave us a fabulous tour and the extravagance of the mansion cannot be described. It was over the top amazing. Highly recommend.

The Vanderbilt Mansion was a quick stop for us. We couldn't go inside because we had the dog with us. So we just walked around outside of the mansion which was beautiful!! Not really much else for us to do. We did get there pretty early during a weekend morning and not a lot of people were there so it was nice to get some pictures without people in it. I bet the inside was really fun but I'm not super disappointed I didn't get to go inside. It was nice for a quick 15-20 min stop to walk around. Plus the pup wasn't too upset about no dogs allowed (check pics!)

Very pretty estate with trails and gardens on site. Nice views of the Hudson. When I visited, only the first floor was available, due to carpet restoration on the second floor. The first floor had plenty to appreciate, with tons of photo ops, but it was an audio tour. In addition, social distancing wasn't great, though they tried their best. Some nice architecture here, but the Hudson valley offers so much more. Best seen in conjunction with FDR home and presidential library and exploring Hyde Park.

We just wanted take a walk without crowds, so we drove to the Vanderbilt. While there were plenty of people, most were respectful of social distancing mandates. It was a beautiful day with great views of the river and the grounds. Lots of benches scattered around to sit and just relax. While the buildings were not open, it is still worth a visit.

Great knowledgeable guide who was fun and interesting. He knew a lot about the history and the families staying at the mansion as well as their daily routines and activities.

Vanderbilt, at this day of age, when you hear the name it is in a way synonymous to wealth, aristocracy, lavish lifestyle, mansions with exquisite architecture. My wife and I had a chance to visit this Vanderbilt mansion at Poughkeepsie, NY, a remarkable work of art with so much history. I enjoyed the question and answer part that was held at the back of the mansion during our visit, very informational and factual. I enjoyed the virtual tour inside the mansion. Visitors were just allowed at the first floor of the mansion, not on the upper levels. Preservation and maintenance of the site may probably be the reason for that. This is one of the things to do at Poughkeepsie and I was glad to be able to visit this Mansion.

Sneaky cool NPS site. Beautiful grounds and building. Site is well maintained with a lot of original furnishings. Tour is really informative about the customs of the period when the house was built. Good junior ranger program. Site worth checking out.

The grounds here have beautiful garden. It's a nice place to take a walk. They have walking trails inside. Definitely worth visiting.

We decided to visit Vanderbilt in part because you can't help but feel like you grew up with the Vanderbilts what with Gloria Vanderbilt jeans and then Anderson Cooper. The other part is due to the beaux arts architecture the mansion is supposed to adhere to. Our tour guide focused extensively on the Vanderbilts (but not Gloria or Anderson), how they used the property, and how it came to be part of the NPS. Disappointingly to me, there was not one word about the architecture. We did get a couple tidbits about functional items such as electricity and indoor plumbing. We were there on a day after a 97F hot day and the interior was still on the stuffy side. They had a couple fans going but they don't open any doors or windows and do not use the original ventilation system that used convection to pull cool air in and let hot air escape through vents on the roof. So they were worried people would faint. All in all, an enjoyable visit imagining what life may have been like a century ago.

Enjoyable tour that gives a good sense of the house, the family who lived there and the time period. Energetic, knowledgeable and fun guide. All good.

A nice way to spend a couple of hours. The grounds have a beautiful garden, and the $10 tour of the mansion itself is well worth it. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly, and we learned a great deal about the Vanderbilts and this property. Restrooms in the visitors' center, and a small exhibit to look through while waiting for tour to start. The views of the Hudson are amazing!

Great place to visit and enjoy the history of the Vanderbilt family especially Cornelius Vanderbilt

Worth the visit. Beautiful home. Guided tours are great. I visit grounds often to walk and enjoy the Hudson River views and sunsets.

Excellent place to visit and relax in the grounds outside. In the fall the view was spectacular.

I've been coming to Vanderbilt all of my life. I've only been in the mansion itself a couple of times, which I enjoyed, but I usually just go for the grounds. There are many places to perch and picnic, and there's a long trail that runs from the mansion down to the river, through the woods, past the gardens, and back up. It's a perfect place to visit all year round!

A beautiful place to visit great history being learned right as you're touching it or staring at it wanting to touch it. The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly if they didn't know something they would let you know -they're opening up more spots in the future so if you're able to get a family or friends together and have a nice lunch and walk the grounds afterwards this is an amazing family trip be prepared to take lots of pictures so bring a charger.

There is just so much to do in the Hudson valley , and this is one of the places you must visit. Tour is schedule every hour to go inside the mansion. I haven't been to that many mansion, but this one is the most extravagant one so far. From exterior decoration to the inner ornament, these people knew the luxury way of life. The ground is open to public until 8pm but the main office closes at 5pm. There are other Vanderbilt mansions I plan to visit in the future.

Nice historical property. Good for walking, views and the rose garden is absolutely beautiful in the spring

Very nice grounds and interesting to see the gilded age. This is ran by the National Park Service so make sure you bring your America's Park card if you have one. It was very busy but we were able to get the next tour. Only other issue is that the tour groups are a little too large.

Our tour guide, Demetri, was absolutely terrific! Very engaging and blew us away with his extensive knowledge of his subject matter (and adjacent subject matters as well). Made the tour very interesting and we appreciated him answering our questions afterward as well!!

My boyfriend and I came here on a Saturday afternoon in October. We got our passes at the visitor center and were able to get in on the next tour. Tours are done every hour and last about an hour. The tour passes are $10 per adult. Our tour guide, Kevin, was exceptional in giving a tour to a group of 30! He was a wealth of knowledge and very enthusiastic. I never once felt bored on this tour. Kevin also allowed us as much time as we needed inside the mansion for pictures before moving on to the next room. I can't recommend this tour enough, and if you can get Kevin, you'll have totally lucked out.

Beautiful home and estate of the once powerful Vanderbilt family. This property was sold to the Nationa Park Service for $1. This is a must stop for anyone interested in Amercan history. The family and I enjoyed the guided tour of the house and wandering around the ground. Fee for the guided tour was $10 per person and must be purchased on site. Free for anyone with a yearly or senior citizen life time pass, including up to 3 addtional family members. No self guild tour allow. Slots for house tour fill up fast on weekends. We had a grand time.

Visited the Vanderbilt Estate today and walked the beautiful grounds and English Gardens .We didn't tour the mansion instead just decided to stroll around and take in the gorgeous surroundings ! To tour the mansion you can purchase a ticket for a mere $10 at the Visitors Center .

Went to tour the mansion and it was FREE for earth day so that was awesome! Will was an awesome tour guide and had so much information to share, overall great tour.

The Vanderbilt Mansion is a great place to tour when visiting the Roosevelt Home/Presidential Library and historical Hyde Park area attractions. While not as elaborate as other Vanderbilt family homes such as The Breakers in Newport, RI or The Biltmore in Asheville, NC, it served it's purpose as a seasonal family getaway within close proximity to their home in New York City. Admission to the home is by tour only, and costs $10 for adults. The property is run by the National Parks Service, so parks passes can be used as well. The grounds are free to visit and contain a section of gardens and parts of the grounds allow for some nice views of the Hudson River.

Easy ten minute walk down to the river, if you don't mind the walk back up the hill. The gardens are beautiful when in bloom. Big spacious fields to hang out on, you can bring a picnic or your dog or whatever. There's a beautiful loop through the woods that spans the estate, it's about 2 miles and an easy walk - I wouldn't call it a hike. I haven't been IN the mansion since I was a kid on a field trip. It's also free to use the grounds!

Perfect for small walking trails or longer if preferred. Our dogs love it and it's always a nice exercise alone with a beautiful view.

Super informative, affordable and a lot of fun. Our family had a great time. If you're in the area this has to be on your list.