Gold Coast Mansions at Christmas: Long Island Holiday House Tours 2026

Long Island’s North Shore “Gold Coast” is dotted with Gilded Age estates, and several of them dress up for the holidays. Touring a decorated mansion is one of the most elegant ways to celebrate Christmas outside the city, and most are within an hour of Manhattan.

Westbury House at Old Westbury Gardens

The best-known holiday house on Long Island, with decorated rooms, Santa, cookies and concerts on December weekends. Read our full Christmas at Westbury House guide.

Coe Hall at Planting Fields (Oyster Bay)

Planting Fields Foundation decorates the Tudor Revival Coe Hall and hosts holiday programs, which in past years have included a tree lighting at the Camellia House, holiday concerts and Santa visits. Address: 1395 Planting Fields Road, Oyster Bay. Check plantingfields.org for the 2026 schedule.

Bayard Cutting Arboretum (Great River)

This South Shore state park arboretum holds a tree lighting with Santa outside its Victorian mansion in early December.

Sagamore Hill (Oyster Bay)

Theodore Roosevelt’s home is a National Historic Site; check the National Park Service for any holiday programming and tour availability in December.

Tips

• Most estates have limited weekend hours in winter; check before driving out.
• Combine two estates in a day: Old Westbury Gardens and Planting Fields are about 20 minutes apart.

About the Gold Coast

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, America’s wealthiest families built hundreds of grand country estates along Long Island’s North Shore, the setting that inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Several surviving estates are now museums, gardens and state parks, and their decorated rooms and halls are a highlight of the holiday season.

Tips

• Check each estate’s December schedule; holiday programs often run only on weekends.
• Book timed tickets where required.
• Dress warmly for walks between buildings and gardens.
• Combine two estates in one day; Old Westbury Gardens and Planting Fields are about 20 minutes apart.

More on Long Island

See our Christmas on Long Island guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Long Island mansions decorate for Christmas?

Westbury House at Old Westbury Gardens and Coe Hall at Planting Fields are the best known, and Bayard Cutting Arboretum holds a tree lighting outside its mansion.