When many museums closed their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic, some moved online. Cutting-edge imaging technologies used to preserve at-risk heritage resources helped maintain access to these historic homes through virtual tours. Many of these tours are still available, which means you can snoop around these hallowed halls on your own time, and get more up close and personal with details and decor than you would be able to in real life.
The Breakers
Considered the grandest of the famous Newport Mansions, this 70 room Gilded Age “cottage” was built in the mid-1890s as a summer home for Cornelius Vanderbilt II and his family following the destruction of the original home in a fire. The estate is named for the waves of the Atlantic that break on the rocks of the oceanfront property. There are four floors for you to explore with plenty of annotations and closeups of the furnishings featured in the Italian Renaissance style palazzo.
Chateau-sur-Mer
French for “Castle on the Sea”, this “villa” ushered in the age of gilded glamor as one of Newport’s first famous mansions. Built in 1852 in the High Victorian style, the home remained the most palatial residence in Newport until the construction of the Vanderbilt homes towards the end of the century. The chateau was remodeled in the 1870s in the Second Empire French Style, and you can learn more about the furnishings and art via the interactive annotations.
Chepstow
The name Chepstow comes from the Old English “ceap” or “chepe” meaning market place or trading centre, and “stow” which was used to denote a place of significance. The property was named after the town in Wales where the Morris family came from, they purchased the home in 1911 from the original owner and it remained in their family until it was donated to the Newport Mansions Preservation Society in 1986. The home still contains the original Morris-Gallatin furnishings and feels more lived in than the other Newport mansions; overstuffed seating, shell collections, and rooms with matching floral bedspreads, curtains and wallpaper blend 80s New England summer home vibes with Gilded Age Italianate opulence.
The Elms
Inspired by château d’Asnières in France, The Elms is known for its manicured grounds and gardens, and was named for the Elm trees that grew on the property until they were destroyed by Dutch Elm Disease in the 1930s. There are two floors or Gilded Age grandeur to glide through with marble and molding as far as the eye can see. The servants quarters on the top floor, the sub-basement, and the attached coal tunnel are only viewable from above in the “floor plan” or “dollhouse” view, though these areas are also accessible in person on the “Servant Life” tour.
Glessner House
This Chicago Gilded Age home features a unique floorpan built around a large courtyard. Named for it’s first owner John J. Glessner, the uncommon layout brings light into many of the main rooms while providing privacy in an urban environment. The home is architecturally significant as it is in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, named for its architect Henry Hobson Richardson, and takes elements of European architecture from the 11th and 12th centuries.
Hunter House
Built in the mid 1700s, Hunter House has been home for many throughout its long history, including enslaved people that worked in the house and French Soldiers during the Revolutionary War. After the war, the house was purchased by lawyer and statesman William Hunter, the longest private owner and namesake of the home. The house has been restored over the years and features contemporary colonial furnishings that you can read about throughout the virtual tour.
Kingscote
Built in 1839, this Gothic Revival mansion was officially christened “Kingscote” on June 1, 1880, taking its name from the King family who owned the house from 1864 until 1972, and “cote” which means a shelter, coop, or small shed for livestock. One of the first Newport “cottages,” this virtual tour uniquely peels back the grand facade and provides a peek at the less glamorous and more challenging rooms of an old home, including the attic and basement.
Lyndhurst Mansion
Another example of Gothic Revival architecture is Lyndhurst Mansion in New York. Originally named “Knoll” by first owner New York City mayor William Paulding Jr., it was nicknamed “Paulding’s Folly” because of its unusual design. The second owner doubled the size of the house and renamed it “Lyndenhurst” after the linden trees found on the 64 acre estate, with “hurst” meaning hillock, knoll, or mound. The third and last private owner shortened the name to “Lyndhurst.” Tour ten romantic rooms on the first and second floors of this lavish mansion.
Marble House
annotated, interactive tour that lets you learn about items throughout the 19th century https://tourmkr.com/F10sMtqRRp/10086982p&288.06h&70.05t
Monticello
a self-paced, interactive annotated virtual tour of the house and grounds.
Mount Vernon
Tour every major room within the Mount Vernon Mansion including the upper garden, kitchen, the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington, and George Washington’s Gristmill & Distillery. Some of the panoramas picture locations that are not always open to the public, providing unparalleled virtual access.
Vizcaya
While you will still have to visit in person to tour the rest of the grounds, 3D models give interactive and virtual access to Vizcaya’s Barge and Swimming Pool Grotto, restricted areas that cannot be physically entered.
The White House
Though easier than winning an election, setting up a tour of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue can still be difficult. Available on a first come first served basis, public tours must be arranged through a member of congress at least three weeks in advance, and are only available during certain days and times. This 360 degree tour allows a virtual walkthrough of the presidential residence, and lets you explore rooms and objects more closely than you would normally be able to in person. You can also check out the north and south lawns through Google’s Arts and Culture project, as well as select online exhibits.
