Vanderbilt Mansion, Beaux-Arts mansion in Hyde Park, US
Vanderbilt Mansion is a Beaux-Arts mansion in Hyde Park with limestone facades framed by columns on all four sides. The building contains numerous rooms decorated with classical design and fine furnishings from Europe and the Far East.
Frederick William Vanderbilt purchased the property in 1895 and hired the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White to build it between 1896 and 1899. The house was designed as a private retreat for the family during the height of America's industrial wealth.
The mansion contains the everyday furnishings the Vanderbilt family chose for their retreat, showing how wealthy Americans arranged their homes during the Gilded Age. Walking through the rooms, you see how they displayed objects collected from Europe and Asia, blending different artistic traditions under one roof.
Visits are available Thursday through Monday with guided tours led by trained staff, while the visitor center operates daily. The grounds are easy to navigate, and knowledgeable guides help you understand the house's design and historical context.
The property had its own hydroelectric plant that generated power for electric lighting, an remarkably advanced feature for the 1890s. This independent power source allowed the house to include central heating and other modern systems that were rare in residences of that era.
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