Sure, Long Island isn’t exactly medieval England but if you’ve got a craving for castles, turrets, and Gatsby-level grandeur, you’re in luck. From Cold Spring Harbor to Oyster Bay, the Island is dotted with sprawling estates and Gold Coast mansions that look like they were plucked straight out of a European fairy tale.
You can also watch a video about the history of Gold Coast Mansions below.
In the heyday of the Gold Coast—from the 1890s through the Roaring Twenties—the North Shore of Long Island became America’s ultimate playground for the ultra-rich. Millionaires from New York City commissioned top-tier architects and landscape designers to create lavish country estates just a quick ride from Manhattan. Price tags? Not a concern. Oheka Castle, Planting Fields, and Old Westbury Gardens are just a few of the jaw-dropping results. Some of these homes barely lasted a generation in the same family, but several still stand tall—and now, you can tour the grandeur for yourself. Here’s how Gilded Age excess meets modern-day museum.
Photo: Oheka Castle Website.
OHEKA Castle – Cold Spring Harbor (Huntington)
-
Built on the highest point on Long Island, literally
-
Originally sat on a massive 443-acre estate
-
Construction wrapped in 1919 and cost a cool $11 million back then (roughly $158 million today)
-
Built for financier Otto Hermann Kahn, it now functions as a luxury hotel and event venue
-
You can book guided tours to explore the lavish halls
Location: 135 West Gate Drive, Huntington, oheka.com
Photo: sandspointpreserveconservancy.org.
Hempstead House – Sands Point Preserve
-
Once part of the Guggenheim family’s summer playground
-
Embodies the opulence of Long Island’s Gold Coast era
-
The estate is considered part of the inspiration for “East Egg” in The Great Gatsby
-
One of several castle-like buildings on the grounds of Sands Point Preserve
-
Public tours available through the preserve
Location: 27 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point, Hempstead House
Photo: sandspointpreserveconservancy.org.
Castle Gould – Sands Point Preserve
-
Just across the way from Hempstead House, also on the Sands Point estate
-
Built in 1904, this 100,000-square-foot structure was modeled after Kilkenny Castle in Ireland
-
Don’t let the name fool you, it was actually intended as the stable and carriage house
Location: 27 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point, Castle Gould
Photo: Sands Point Preserve Conservancy Facebook page.
Falaise – Sands Point Preserve
-
Also located on the Sands Point Preserve grounds
-
Designed to mimic a 13th-century Norman manor house, think stone walls and medieval vibes
-
One of the rare historic homes on the North Shore still largely intact
Location: 27 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point, Falaise
Photo: Gryffindor, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Westbury House – Old Westbury Gardens
-
Built in 1906 in the style of England’s Charles II-era manors
-
Surrounded by over 200 acres of perfectly manicured gardens, ponds, woodlands, and lakes
-
Originally the home of John S. Phipps, heir to a U.S. Steel fortune
Location: 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury, Westbury House
Photo: Mill Neck Manor Facebook page.
Mill Neck Manor – Mill Neck
-
Originally known as Sefton Manor
-
Designed in 1922 for cosmetics heiress Lillian Sefton Dodge
-
Its 60,000 square feet were inspired by St. Catherine’s Court in Somerset, England
-
Today it serves as a school for the deaf and hosts events open to the public
Location: 40 Frost Mill Road, Mill Neck, millneck.org
Photo: Dmadeo, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.
Eagle’s Nest – Vanderbilt Museum, Centerport
-
Started in 1910 as a modest English-style cottage, expanded over time into a 24-room Spanish Revival mansion
-
Built as a summer getaway for William K. Vanderbilt II, yes, that Vanderbilt
-
Now part of the Vanderbilt Museum, complete with a planetarium and marine exhibits
Location: 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport, Eagle’s Nest
Photo: Ryssby at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5>, via Wikimedia Commons.
Coe Hall – Planting Fields Arboretum
-
A 65-room Tudor Revival mansion meant to resemble a centuries-old English country house
-
Built in the early 1900s, it now anchors the Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park
-
Surrounded by lush gardens and greenhouses
Location: 1395 Planting Fields Road, Oyster Bay, plantingfields.org
Photo: CoindreHall Facebook page.
Coindre Hall – Huntington
-
Designed in 1912 to look like a medieval French château
-
Originally known as West Neck Farm
-
The 80,000-square-foot mansion has 40 rooms and now serves as a venue for weddings and community events
-
Owned and maintained by Suffolk County
Location: 101 Browns Road, Huntington, Coindre Hall
You don’t need a time machine or a flight to Europe, just a full tank of gas and a love for stone staircases. These Long Island castles are steeped in Gold Coast history, dripping with old money elegance, and open for your next royal adventure.
Cover Photo: Jkingny, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
