Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

Bard Rock is a picnic area and one of the only places within the park that visitors can gain such proximity to the Hudson River. Historically, it was a river landing with “a large flat rock, which forms a natural wharf” capable of accommodating large sloops. From here, you can observe some of the natural features that make the Hudson River Valley a world famous destination.

The Hudson River School Art Trail connects you with the places in nature that Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School artists made famous in their 19th-century landscape paintings. Cole founded this nation’s first major art movement, now known as the Hudson River School, and advocated for the preservation of the American landscape as a national treasure.

Everything you need to know about access to the Vanderbilt Mansion and how to obtain your tickets. Tour days and times change seasonally, so check here for more information on planning your visit.

It all began here—on the banks of the Hudson River. For centuries, the river sustained the livelihood of Native Americans, European explorers and landowners, African American slaves, and the scions of American industry. These trails traverse time, taking you on a journey from the first waterfront settlements through the Gilded Age of the early twentieth century.

The formal gardens at Hyde Park are typical of late Gilded Age garden design. Wealthy Americans traveling abroad were particularly influenced by British and European gardens in the Italian style, characterized by geometric patterning, axial spatial organization, and reliance on proportion and interconnection of parts by sight lines. The Vanderbilts worked with four noted landscape architects and horticulturists to introduce these Italian design principles.