Our Very own Downton Abbey

Hyde Park’s historic Vanderbilt Mansion is a majestic, must-see experience.

By Renee Jermaine

Abiographer once described businessman Frederick Vanderbilt as “a thoroughly good fellow, entirely devoid of any snobbishness of nonsense.” True, by all accounts, the grandson of famed shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt was modest, generous and publicity-shy. But let’s face it: he was a Vanderbilt, a member of the richest and most powerful dynasty in late 1800s America—with a fabulous lifestyle to back it up. Vanderbilt owned multiple yachts, hobnobbed with fellow bluebloods of the day, gave piles of money to Yale University and other lo y institutions—and in 1895, along with his wife Louise, purchased the ultimate exemplar of wealth, the Vanderbilt Mansion (or “Hyde Park” as it was then known for the town its located in), a Gilded Age country palace.

Situated on a blu with killer sunsets that overlook the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, the Beaux-Arts mansion is the expansive estate to which the Vanderbilts repaired (with the aid of 18 servants) in the spring and summer months, when not yachting or hanging out in their Manhattan digs (or, for that matter, one of their pads in Newport, Bel Harbor and the Adirondacks).

If you’re in any way curious about the history, architecture, décor, art or social mores of early 20th century elites, there’s not a more beautiful spot in our neck of the woods to catch an insider’s glimpse. Set on hundreds of acres, the mansion’s 50-plus rooms have been le , since the Vanderbilts’ heyday, in impeccably preserved condition, its ttings and furnishings, some of which Vanderbilt acquired in France from Napoleon’s nal home, Château de Malmaison, virtually unchanged.

Visiting the grounds and gardens of Vanderbilt Mansion is free and it’s an ideal day trip, particularly in the warmer months. You can wander the lovely gardens, take in the famed collections of native and exotic trees, picnic at Bard Rock (to-die-for views) or hike one of the numerous trails that dot the property. But a guided tour of the home in all its ostentatious splendor is the piece de resistance here—and a bargain at $10 a pop (but book ahead—tickets sell out quickly). We dare you not to be blown away by the intricate ceilings and wall designs, gorgeous wood paneling, rich tapestries and abundant paintings and antiques from the 17th and 18th centuries.

maison magnifique Set on hundreds of acres, the mansion’s 50-plus rooms have been le , since the Vanderbilts’ heyday, in impeccably preserved condition, its ttings and furnishings, some of which Vanderbilt acquired in France from Napoleon’s nal home, Château de Malmaison, virtually unchanged.

A er Vanderbilt’s death at Hyde Park in 1938, he bequeathed the estate to his wife’s niece, Margaret Van Alen who, for reasons di cult to fathom, had little interest in moving in. It might have been sold to the highest bidder were it not for her neighbor, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who stepped in and persuaded Van Alen to donate the house and a sizable chunk of land to the federal government. The following year—luckily for future day-trippers like us—Vanderbilt Mansion o cially became a National Historic Site. And its majesty awaits your presence.