Metropolitan Museum

Metropolitan Museum · Tour

Gilded Age Mansions Tour: Fifth Avenue's Millionaire Houses, Inside and Out

4.8 1,417 reviews 4.8 stars out of 5, 1,417 reviews

Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor

New York City
Gilded Age Mansions Tour: Fifth Avenue's Millionaire Houses, Inside and Out (1/12)
Gilded Age Mansions Tour: Fifth Avenue's Millionaire Houses, Inside and Out (2/12)
Gilded Age Mansions Tour: Fifth Avenue's Millionaire Houses, Inside and Out (3/12)
Gilded Age Mansions Tour: Fifth Avenue's Millionaire Houses, Inside and Out (4/12)
Gilded Age Mansions Tour: Fifth Avenue's Millionaire Houses, Inside and Out (5/12)
Gilded Age Mansions Tour: Fifth Avenue's Millionaire Houses, Inside and Out (6/12)
Gilded Age Mansions Tour: Fifth Avenue's Millionaire Houses, Inside and Out (7/12)
Gilded Age Mansions Tour: Fifth Avenue's Millionaire Houses, Inside and Out (8/12)
Gilded Age Mansions Tour: Fifth Avenue's Millionaire Houses, Inside and Out (9/12)
Gilded Age Mansions Tour: Fifth Avenue's Millionaire Houses, Inside and Out (10/12)
Gilded Age Mansions Tour: Fifth Avenue's Millionaire Houses, Inside and Out (11/12)
Gilded Age Mansions Tour: Fifth Avenue's Millionaire Houses, Inside and Out (12/12)

When Central Park was new, America's first generation of millionaires raced each other up Fifth Avenue, each hiring architects to copy a European palace and outdo the house next door. A few of those mansions are still standing between 78th and 91st Streets, and this two-hour walk goes past them and, at some stops, through the front door. The stories are the good part. Scandal, a murder, bad marriages and big donations, told building by building: who paid for it, who designed it, and how some of these houses were saved when the wrecking ball came for their neighbors. It all happens against a country that was getting very rich, very fast. Viewers of HBO's The Gilded Age will recognize a lot of the names. The route starts at 1 East 78th Street and ends at 1109 Fifth Avenue. Partway along, the group stops at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to talk about the Met Gala and the museum's own ties to Gilded Age money. Admission to the Met is not part of the price, and that stop is listed as an extra cost. Keep in mind the museum is closed on Wednesdays. Access to the mansions on the route is included. Snacks are not, and there is no transport: this is on foot, at an easy pace, and suitable for all fitness levels.

What's included

  • Access to mansions

Itinerary

The map could not be loaded. Please try again in a moment.

  1. 1 E 78th St, New York

    Meet on the steps of the building at 1 East 78th Street, on 78th Street just off Fifth Avenue.

  2. Our first mansion we view from the outside

    The first mansion, seen from the street: its owner, its architects, and a quick introduction to the Gilded Age and New York Society.

  3. We go inside the mansion and hear a scandalous story about…

    Inside this mansion, the guide tells a scandalous story about its architect.

  4. We learn about how the ex-wife of a former owner was a…

    How the ex-wife of a former owner became a pioneer for American women.

  5. We learn why one of the former owners went to prison for…

    A former owner jailed over one of the biggest scandals in American history, two reclusive residents with a link to a famous early New Yorker, and how the building escaped demolition.

  6. We discover a surprise about the size of this mansion and…

    A surprise about the size of this house, and a former owner's gift that still pays full scholarships at a leading American university.

  7. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

    A stop at the Met to hear about the Met Gala and the museum's link to Gilded Age glamour. Museum admission is extra.

    Costo extra

  8. We learn how a famous former resident helped save one of…

    How a famous former resident helped save one of the best-loved Gilded Age buildings from demolition.

  9. Neue Galerie

    The Vanderbilt connection to this building, and how the Vanderbilts became America's richest and one of its most influential families.

    Costo extra

  10. We discover how the owner of this mansion was a pioneer in…

    The owner of this mansion was an early American philanthropist who funded science education, the arts and peace.

  11. We learn how the owner of this building has a surprising…

    This building's owner has a surprising connection to Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and the Jonas Brothers.

  12. We hear how the owner of this building was warned not to…

    The owner was told not to build here, ignored New York society, and built it anyway.

  13. 1109 5th Ave, New York

Not included

  • Snacks
  • This is a walking tour

Good to know

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
Show 6 more
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Up to 10 travelers per booking.
  • Mobile or paper ticket accepted
  • Guiding available in: en.

Reviews

Loading reviews…

    Keep exploring

    More experiences in Fifth Avenue mansions and the Gilded Age, New York

    Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor

    From

    € 35.87

    Book now