Historic Environments

Front facing view of the mansion

Have you ever wondered exactly how the filthy rich families of the Gilded Age lived their everyday lives? Perhaps you’re curious about the inner happenings of New York high society circa 1890? Maybe you’re just into cool houses with fancy paintings and marble columns? If you said Yes! to any of these questions, then a visit to the Vanderbilt Mansion is more than worth your time.

Renaissance style art and busts can be found throughout the house

Though you can’t quite see it through the veil of trees, the Vanderbilt Mansion sits off of Route 9, and is just over a 10 mile drive from Vassar’s main campus. The National Historic Site sits on 200 acres of land, and boasts a total of 15,000 square feet, and 54 rooms including a grand entrance, dining room, and study. All of the furniture in the mansion is original to Fredrick and Louise Vanderbilt, and many an Art History major could benefit from studying the renaissance style paintings and sculptures found throughout the house. Construction of the mansion began in 1896 and ended in 1899, three years and $2.25 million later. Just to clarify, a $2.25 million project in the 1890’s would roughly cost about $64 million by today’s standards.

The mansion itself is quite an experience, but the viewshed it protects is arguably even more enjoyable. The Vanderbilt Mansion was donated to the National Park Service in 1940, shortly after the death of Fredrick Vanderbilt. The Lordly Hudson is visible from the main property, and the most scenic viewpoint overlooks both tree covered hills and the Hudson river. A hike down to the Hudson takes around 30 minutes, and the Italian garden on the main grounds is quite lovely. Really, there is no excuse for a Vassar student to not visit the mansion during their time in Poughkeepsie. Be it the grandiose marble architecture, or the scenic viewpoints found throughout the property, Vanderbilt Mansion has something for everyone.

Road-facing view on main grounds