There are galore historical mansions connected Long Island, but only 1 was erstwhile owned by the legendary Vanderbilt family. The 42-acre property of William Kissam Vanderbilt II, which included his summertime "cottage" of Eagle's Nest, is now a depository that's unfastened to the public.
Eagle's Nest was first built successful 1910 arsenic a mini cottage, but arsenic William II spent much clip there, it expanded until 1936, erstwhile a afloat redesign was finished: It had go a 24-room Spanish Revival mansion.
William II spent clip astatine Eagle's Nest until his decease successful 1944. His will stipulated that upon his woman Rosamund's death, the property would beryllium near to Suffolk County and go a museum, which it did aft her decease successful 1947.
The Vanderbilts are 1 of the best-known (and richest) families successful American history — truthful overmuch truthful that Bertha Russell, the main characteristic connected HBO's "The Gilded Age," is based connected Alva Vanderbilt, William II's mother. In fact, a awesome crippled statement successful play 3 is based connected William II's sister, Consuelo Vanderbilt, marrying the Duke of Marlborough successful 1895.
As a instrumentality of "The Gilded Age," I knew I had to cheque retired Eagle's Nest — moreover if Larry Russell isn't really based connected William II, I still needed to spot the existent mansion that his characteristic mightiness unrecorded in, truthful I visited successful July 2025.
The depository is unfastened each time isolated from Monday, and tours of the mansion are offered each day. Tickets for the depository scope from $10 to $15, depending connected the visitor's age, while a guided circuit of the mansion is an further $9.
Here's what it was for illustration to group ft successful the location of a Vanderbilt.
On the North Shore of Long Island, astir 40 miles extracurricular New York City, lies the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum.
Inside the grounds are hiking trails, gardens, and a gift shop.
There's besides the Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium, which holds aggregate shows daily.
The biggest attraction, though, is Eagle's Nest, the 24-room mansion of William K. Vanderbilt II, the great-grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt.
Before I toured the home, I visited the depository grounds.
At the entranceway stood a brace of chromatic eagles, which were taken from Grand Central Terminal. Cornelius Vanderbilt himself commissioned the train station.
One of the first things I did was caput toward the Rose Garden; sadly, astir of the roses had already bloomed.
But the landscaping was still immaculate.
Even if the roses were already gone, the views of the Long Island Sound were worthy it.
Then it was clip to caput complete to Eagle's Nest.
Eagle's Nest was primitively built successful 1910 arsenic a mini cottage. It expanded complete the adjacent 3 decades to go this Spanish Revival-style mansion.
The courtyard was group up for Shakespeare readings, which hap passim the summer.
One broadside of the mansion is simply a earthy history museum.
The different broadside is preserved to beryllium conscionable arsenic the Vanderbilts near it successful the early 1900s.
This was dissimilar immoderate different humanities mansion I've seen connected Long Island, which are usually modeled connected medieval castles aliases Tudor mansions.
These cobblestones were taken from the streets of Greenwich Village successful Manhattan earlier the streets were paved over.
Upon entering the home, the first point you spot is the staircase. It was imported from a Belgian castle.
There are portraits of William II's family successful the entryway. This is his father, William Kissam Vanderbilt. He ran an arena you whitethorn person heard of: Madison Square Garden.
Pictured apical correct is William II's mother, Alva Vanderbilt. She inspired Carrie Coon's character, Bertha Russell, connected "The Gilded Age."
The first room I saw was the eating room.
The ceiling is constructed from Florida cedar, aliases Southern Red cedar.
In the area is simply a beautifully crafted fireplace. The level tiles were imported from Portugal.
Next to the general eating room is the butler's kitchen. At the tallness of William II's entertaining, 36 servants worked astatine Eagle's Nest.
With a position arsenic awesome arsenic Eagle's Nest's, of people there's a screened-in veranda.
Off the veranda is the Portuguese sitting room, named for the ornate fireplace imported from Portugal. It was constructed successful 1494.
Here's 1 of the impermanent rooms unfastened for display. Each impermanent room had its ain closet and bathroom.
Then, it was clip to spell upstairs and position the remainder of the mansion.
One upstairs sitting room was almost wholly covered successful acheronian wood. It besides housed a elephantine organ.
A image of William II's sister Consuelo tin beryllium seen successful this room, successful the bottommost left. She coined the word "heir and a spare," which she utilized to mention to her sons pinch her first husband.
She was joined to Charles Spencer-Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough. If their matrimony didn't nutrient children, his title would've gone to his first cousin, Winston Churchill.
Here's 1 of the impermanent bathrooms astatine Eagle's Nest. Note the marbled walls and tub.
In summation to loving the sea, William II was an avid race-car driver, naturalist, and golfer.
His bed, seen here, was a to-scale replica of the furniture of Napoleon Bonaparte.
These buttons, correct by his bed, were connected to the servant's staircase. He could summon his butler, and fastener aliases unlock the servants' stairwell.
In his bathroom, nods to his emotion of the h2o included a ample vessel connected the floor. He besides had a shower, which was somewhat different for the time.
To get to his wife's quarters, I had to walk done the meal room.
Like the remainder of the home, it had a beautiful position of the water.
William II had 2 wives — this is really the chamber looked erstwhile it was occupied by his 2nd wife, Rosamond Lancaster Warburton.
This is her changing room and bathroom.
Rosamund's tub is made of roseate marble — a motion from William II to his nickname for his wife.
As I near the surviving quarters, I reached 1 of the entrances to the museum. This room is dedicated to William II's son, William K. Vanderbilt III.
Inside were specimens collected by William II's boy connected a 1931 travel to Africa.
The scenes reminded maine of the American Museum of Natural History successful New York City, which made consciousness — the aforesaid designer and taxidermist, William Belanske, did both.
This is simply a image of William III during a safari successful 1931. He died 2 years later successful a car clang astatine 26.
While it was clip to exit this wing, location was still the remainder of the depository to see.
The different half of the mansion is filled pinch specimens the elder William collected connected his trips astir the world.
There's besides a miniature replica of his yacht, Alva. During World War II, he donated it to the US Navy, and it was renamed the USS Plymouth. It was sunk by U-boats successful 1943.
There are aggregate rooms that are filled pinch oversea creatures. William II himself discovered aggregate type during his travels.
Down a last group of stairs was a basement filled pinch much relics from William II's life.
There were besides 2 of his cars parked and awaiting a driver (and astir apt a tune-up).
As I exited the location and crossed the courtyard, I was amazed to study that location was moreover much to see.
I followed a motion for moreover much "habitats."
I don't cognize what I was expecting, but it wasn't a elephantine whale shark hanging from the ceiling.
Another room was dedicated to ample predators. It had a taxidermied lion and a tiger, but my favourite was the polar bear.
The exit brought maine to the backmost of the house. I decided to spell backmost to the cardinal courtyard to spot if I had missed anything.
And I had! There was a mini doorway that led to Eagle's Nest's backyard.
The location was group connected a hill, truthful the gait was multi-level.
First, I walked to the right.
There was a ample reflecting pool.
Then I walked to the near and came crossed different fountain and immoderate well-manicured hedges.
But the main attraction was, erstwhile again, the view.
The section was open, truthful I decided to trek down and spot what building astatine the bottommost was.
To my surprise, it was a filled-in saltwater pool.
They'd moreover near the ladder in.
There were besides changing rooms.
With that, I had seen almost everything the Vanderbilt Museum had to offer, pinch the objection of a fewer hiking trails.
I near the depository pinch a greater knowing of the Vanderbilts — and fresh for play 4 of "The Gilded Age" this fall.
