Vanderbilt Mansion Group Tour

Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site Tours

Established as a monument to an era, this estate illustrates a way of life modeled on the English country house. For nearly two centuries, this place was home to socially prominent New Yorkers. A superb example of its type, Vanderbilt Mansion represents the domestic ideal of the elite class in the late nineteenth-century America. It provides a glimpse of estate life, the social stratification of the period, and the world of the American millionaire during the era historians refer to as The Gilded Age. 

The National Park Service preserves over 200 acres of the original property, including historic buildings, original furnishings, manicured landscapes, natural woodlands, formal gardens and associated documents. The centerpiece of the estate is the mansion, a masterpiece of American Beaux-Arts design by the distinguished architectural firm McKim, Mead & White.

Select a date to see a list of times

Need to Know

• Reservations

  Advance reservations are available ONLY for commercial groups and public groups of 10 or more people.  

  Individual tickets are available first-come, first-served at the site. Please see the public times listed.

• Visitation Guidelines
  • Open seven days a week, closed only Thanksgiving, Christmas Day & New Years Day. Weather closures are common, please check website for more information.
  • Tour times are subject to change.
  • Should unexpected high visitation occur, guided tours will switch to self-guided tours.
  • Tour guides & bus drivers must be counted in the group in order to enter. We do not comp them.
  • Maximum of 50 people per group. If you go over the 50, they will be denied entry or placed on a later tour.
  • Every person requires a ticket. This includes children.
  • If you arrive late, your tour is forfeited with no refunds. If we are able to provide a tour for your group later in the day, you will be charged a second time.
  • Refunds are available, minus the reservation fee, until 24 hours before the tour. No exceptions.

• When is the best time to visit?

  Late June and September are good times to visit and the weather is still nice. High visitation often occurs on weekends, holidays and during the month of October. Crowds are smaller in May and November.

  November – April

  Tours are offered at 10:00, 12:00, 2:00 and 4:00*

  *last tour is at 3 pm during daylight savings, November thru January.

  May - October

  Public Tours are offered throughout the day at: 9:15, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00.

  Reservation times are 10:30, 11:30*, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30. *June - October

• Do I need to go on a guided tour?

  Access to Vanderbilt Mansion is by tour only. When unexpected high visitation occurs, the guided tours may switch to self guided tours.

• Can Photos be taken inside the homes?

  No flash photography.

• Is this a walking tour?

  Yes, this tour involves a .25 mile walk to the mansion and back. The tour takes places indoors and outdoors. Please dress according to the weather. Tours operate during high tempertatures, low tempatures, snow and rain.

Photo Gallery