Where was The Gilded Age filmed? Explore the stunning New York and Newport mansions and historic streets behind HBO’s lavish period drama.
HBO’s The Gilded Age is a lavish historical drama created by Downton Abbey mastermind Julian Fellowes, following the explosive clash between old money and new money in 1880s New York City.
The series stars Carrie Coon as ruthless social climber Bertha Russell, Morgan Spector as railroad tycoon George Russell, Christine Baranski as old-money queen Agnes van Rhijn, Cynthia Nixon as Ada Brook, Louisa Jacobson as Marian Brook, and Denée Benton as ambitious writer Peggy Scott.
The show’s fictional social warfare draws heavily from real Gilded Age rivalries, particularly the battle between Alva Vanderbilt and Mrs. Astor. Naturally, recreating that world required somewhere with more marble, chandeliers, and intimidating staircases than an ordinary television set could possibly provide.
Enter historic New York and Rhode Island, where actual Gilded Age architecture was ready for its close-up. The series was filmed primarily across New York State and Newport, Rhode Island, with historic streets, grand estates, and carefully preserved mansions standing in for 1880s Manhattan.
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✨ The Gilded Age Filming Locations
From Troy’s remarkably intact Victorian streets to Newport‘s gloriously over-the-top mansions, The Gilded Age found locations that barely needed Hollywood magic.
Let’s step inside the places where old money, new money, and truly spectacular wallpaper came together.
🏛️ Troy, New York
Troy, New York, was one of The Gilded Age‘s most important locations for recreating 1880s Manhattan. Its historic downtown streets, cast-iron architecture, and Victorian-era buildings gave the production a convincing period backdrop.
Production transformed parts of the city into Gilded Age New York, with streets and storefronts dressed to resemble Manhattan during the Russell and van Rhijn era.
What was filmed here:
- Downtown Troy: Victorian Manhattan street scenes.
- Monument Square: Gilded Age urban establishing shots.
- Rensselaer County streets: Carefully dressed Manhattan exteriors.
What to see & do here:
- Monument Square: Admire Troy’s historic architecture.
- Downtown Troy: Explore Victorian commercial buildings.
- Hart-Cluett Museum: Learn Troy’s fascinating local history.
🏙️ New York City & Lower Manhattan
Although The Gilded Age transports viewers to 1880s Manhattan, filming in modern New York City required considerable cinematic ingenuity.
Lower Manhattan and regional locations helped ground the series in the city where its fictional social wars unfold. New York City remains essential to the show’s identity, even when historic doubles elsewhere provide the most convincing nineteenth-century streets and buildings.
What was filmed here:
- New York City: On-location urban period sequences.
- Lower Manhattan: Carefully controlled historical street scenes.
- Regional New York: Supporting city exteriors and interiors.
What to see & do here:
- Fifth Avenue: Imagine Gilded Age society battles.
- Central Park: Explore New York’s nineteenth-century landmark.
- Museum Mile: Discover art, architecture, and history.
- Historic Lower Manhattan: Walk through layered city history.
Book a guided tour:
- NYC: Gilded Age Mansions Guided Tour
- New York in the Gilded Age Private Tour
- Gilded Age New York: Fortune, Architecture, and Excess
- New York City: Gilded Age Forgotten City Walking Tour
- NYC: Fifth Ave Gilded Age Mansions Guided Walking Tour
- New York City: Gilded Age Midtown with Asian Food Tasting
🏰 Lyndhurst Mansion, Tarrytown
The Hudson Valley supplied The Gilded Age with the kind of grand estates that make modern luxury homes look positively underdressed. Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown brought authentic grandeur to the series with its dramatic Gothic Revival architecture and sprawling Hudson River grounds.
Its elegant grounds and exteriors doubled as the Morris estate and high-society gathering spots. Once owned by financier Jay Gould, the mansion also echoes the ruthless railroad ambitions of fictional tycoon George Russell.
What was filmed here:
- Lyndhurst Mansion: Morris estate exterior setting.
- Lyndhurst grounds: Sweeping society strolls and gatherings.
What to see & do here:
- Lyndhurst Mansion: Take an indoor mansion tour.
- Tarrytown: Visit charming Hudson River landmarks.
- Hudson Line: High Line to Hudson Yards.
🏡 Glenview Mansion, Yonkers
Glenview Mansion, located at the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, provided the series with interiors suited to society’s most intimidating gatekeepers.
Its dark woodwork, Victorian finishes, and formal rooms perfectly suited the conservative elegance of Mrs. Astor’s Manhattan home, where social approval was notoriously hard to win.
Built in 1877 for financier John Bond Trevor, Glenview Mansion was itself a product of the wealth and taste the series explores, making its connection to The Gilded Age wonderfully appropriate.
What was filmed here:
- Glenview Mansion: Mrs. Astor’s Manhattan house.
What to see & do here:
- Glenview Mansion: Tour restored Victorian rooms.
- Hudson River Museum: Explore art exhibitions.
- Planetarium: Catch an astronomical presentation.
- Yonkers waterfront: Enjoy Hudson River views.
🏖️ Newport, Rhode Island
Newport was The Gilded Age‘s ultimate luxury department, supplying an extraordinary collection of real Gilded Age mansions for the series. Scenes were filmed at The Breakers, Marble House, The Elms, Rosecliff, Chateau-sur-Mer, Kingscote, and Hunter House across the show’s seasons.
Newport‘s mansions were originally built as extravagant summer homes for America’s wealthiest families, which means the show essentially arrived, turned on the cameras, and said, “Yes, somehow we need even more chandeliers.”
What was filmed here:
- Newport Mansions: Authentic Gilded Age interiors.
- Bellevue Avenue estates: Society’s extravagant summer world.
Book a guided tour:
- Newport, RI: Newport Mansions Ticket
- Newport: Helicopter Tour Over Mansions
- Private Newport Gilded Age Tour
- From Boston: Newport Mansions Full-Day Trip
- Boston: Breakers, Marble House, & Downtown Newport
- Newport, Rhode Island: Cliff Walk Gilded Age Audio Tour
- Providence: Christmas at the Newport Rhode Island Mansions
- Ultimate Newport Self-Guided Audio Tour Bundle
💎 The Breakers, Newport
The Breakers in Newport is one of the most recognizable filming locations in The Gilded Age, and its interiors became some of the most lavish spaces in the Russell universe. The mansion’s grandeur makes it one of the most essential real-life connections to the show’s fictional world.
Built for Cornelius Vanderbilt II on a famously extravagant scale, the mansion was a perfect setting for Bertha Russell’s social ambitions. Its Billiard Room became the Russells‘ billiard room, while the Music Room hosted the climactic ballroom sequence in the Season 1 finale.
What was filmed here:
- The Breakers Music Room: Russell ballroom finale sequence.
- The Breakers Billiard Room: Russell mansion billiards scenes.
- The Breakers interiors: Elite family social spaces.
Book a tour:
- Newport, RI: Newport Mansions Ticket
- Private Newport Gilded Age Tour
- Newport Gilded Age Trolley Tour w/ Breakers Ticket
- 3-Hr Newport Scenic Luxury Van Tour with Breakers
- Boston: Breakers, Marble House, & Downtown Newport
- Providence: Christmas at the Newport Rhode Island Mansions
- Ultimate Newport Self-Guided Audio Tour Bundle
🥂 The Elms, Newport
The Elms in Newport blends French château grandeur with Beaux-Arts precision, creating an opulent yet remarkably balanced Gilded Age masterpiece. It served as the Russell family’s cottage and multiple spaces for their New York household.
The mansion’s kitchen was frequently used as the Russells‘ kitchen, while Mrs. Berwind’s bedroom became Gladys Russell’s bedroom. The Elms also continued to play an important role in later seasons, with Season 3 using its grounds, kitchen, ballroom, library, bedrooms, terraces, and other interiors.
What was filmed here:
- The Elms Kitchen: Russell household servant scenes.
- The Elms Ballroom: Grand Newport society sequences.
- The Elms grounds: Russell family outdoor scenes.
- Mrs. Berwind’s Bedroom: Gladys Russell’s bedroom.
Book a guided tour:
- Newport, RI: Newport Mansions Ticket
- Private Newport Gilded Age Tour
- Ultimate Newport Self-Guided Audio Tour Bundle
🪞 Marble House, Newport
Marble House in Newport supplied the kind of interior decoration that makes the phrase “subtle luxury” immediately leave the room.
The mansion’s rooms were used for important Russell household sequences, including George Russell’s bedroom and the grand dining spaces. The Consuelo Vanderbilt bedroom became George’s bedroom and its dining room was used for Bertha’s dinner involving the Duke of Buckingham.
Built for William K. and Alva Vanderbilt, Marble House also provides a powerful historical parallel to the ambitious social climbing that defines Bertha Russell’s character.
What was filmed here:
- Consuelo Vanderbilt’s Bedroom: George Russell’s bedroom.
- Marble House Dining Room: Bertha’s Duke dinner.
Book a tour:
- Historic Scenic Tour With Marble House Admission
- Newport, RI: Newport Mansions Ticket
- Private Newport Gilded Age Tour
- From Boston: Newport Mansions Full-Day Trip
- Newport: Helicopter Tour Over Mansions
- Boston: Breakers, Marble House, & Downtown Newport
- Providence: Christmas at the Newport Rhode Island Mansions
- Ultimate Newport Self-Guided Audio Tour Bundle
🎩 Chateau-sur-Mer, Newport
Chateau-sur-Mer in Newport was perfectly suited to the show’s established old-money world because the mansion predates Newport‘s later Vanderbilt palaces and carries a more deeply rooted Victorian character.
Its exterior served as Mrs. Astor’s Newport home, while its interiors appeared in several fictional residences, including Mamie Fish’s house, Oscar van Rhijn’s apartment, and bedrooms associated with the van Rhijn and Morris households.
What was filmed here:
- Chateau-sur-Mer exterior: Mrs. Astor’s Newport cottage.
- Great Hall & Dining Room: Mamie Fish’s New York house.
- Marble Hall: Union Hotel Duke sequence.
Book a tour:
🌹 Rosecliff, Newport
Rosecliff in Newport made a memorable contribution to The Gilded Age as the exterior of Mrs. Chamberlain’s Manhattan home in Season 1.
The mansion’s striking white façade gave the fictional residence an unmistakably grand presence, which is useful when a character’s home needs to announce, “Yes, there are secrets in here, and they are extremely well upholstered.”
Rosecliff remains one of Newport‘s most visually impressive mansions, making it an excellent stop for fans exploring the show’s architectural world.
What was filmed here:
- Rosecliff façade: Mrs. Chamberlain’s Manhattan residence.
Book a guided tour:
- Newport, RI: Newport Mansions Ticket
- Newport: Helicopter Tour Over Mansions
- Private Newport Gilded Age Tour
- Ultimate Newport Self-Guided Audio Tour Bundle
🗝️ Kingscote, Newport
Kingscote‘s historic architecture gave the storyline of The Gilded Age a suitably secluded and elegant backdrop as the home of Mrs. Blane, the wealthy widow with whom Larry Russell begins an affair.
What was filmed here:
- Kingscote: Mrs. Blane’s Newport residence.
Book a guided tour:
🏠 Hunter House, Newport
The Northeast Parlor of the historic Hunter House in Newport appeared in Season 1, Episode 1, “Never the New,” of The Gilded Age as the lawyer’s office where Marian Brook meets Tom Raikes. It provided a different, more refreshing architectural flavor from the later, more extravagant summer palaces used during Season 1 .
What was filmed here:
- Hunter House: Lawyer’s office where Marian Brook meets Tom Raikes.
What to see & do here:
- Hunter House: Check seasonal tour availability.
- Newport waterfront: Go sailing or take a boat ride.
- Fort Adams: Hidden tunnels and granite walls.
🤔 The Gilded Age FAQs
Here are the answers to the biggest Gilded Age questions, from filming locations and cast details to real-life history and future seasons.
Where was The Gilded Age Season 1 filmed?
The Gilded Age Season 1 was filmed extensively in Troy and other New York locations, as well as at Newport properties including The Breakers, The Elms, Marble House, Chateau-sur-Mer, Rosecliff, and Hunter House.
Where was The Gilded Age Season 2 filmed?
The Gilded Age Season 2 returned to Newport, where filming took place at The Elms, Marble House, Chateau-sur-Mer, and Kingscote.
Where was The Gilded Age Season 3 filmed?
The Gilded Age Season 3 again used Newport, with filming at The Elms, Marble House, Chateau-sur-Mer, and The Breakers, alongside New York-based production locations.
Where was the Russell ballroom filmed?
The Russell ballroom’s famous Season 1 finale sequence was filmed in the Music Room at The Breakers.
Where was The Gilded Age filmed in Troy, NY?
Troy‘s historic downtown streets and Victorian architecture were extensively used to recreate exterior views of 1880s Manhattan.
Where was The Gilded Age filmed in Newport?
The Gilded Age series filmed at several Newport Mansions, including The Breakers, The Elms, Marble House,Chateau-sur-Mer, Rosecliff, Kingscote, and Hunter House.
Where was The Gilded Age filmed in Rhode Island?
Most Rhode Island filming took place in Newport, where preserved Gilded Age mansions supplied authentic interiors, ballrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, gardens, and exteriors.
Where was the Russell kitchen filmed?
The Russells‘ kitchen was filmed at The Elms, where the mansion’s real kitchen and service areas were used for the show’s below-stairs scenes.
Where was Mrs. Astor’s house filmed?
Glenview Mansion in Yonkers was used for Mrs. Astor’s Manhattan interiors, while Chateau-sur-Mer was used as the exterior of her Newport summer home.
Where was the Duke of Buckingham dinner filmed?
Bertha Russell’s grand dinner for the Duke was filmed in the dining room of Marble House.
When and what was the Gilded Age?
The Gilded Age was a period of rapid industrial growth and extreme wealth in the United States, roughly from the 1870s to around 1900, marked by enormous fortunes alongside deep inequality.
Is The Gilded Age based on a book?
No. The series is an original television drama created by Julian Fellowes, although its characters and conflicts were inspired by real people, social rivalries, and events from the era.
Is the Russell family based on real people?
The Russells are fictional, but George Russell reflects the era’s powerful railroad and industrial tycoons, while Bertha’s social ambitions have clear parallels with figures such as Alva Vanderbilt.
What happened in the real Vanderbilt and Astor social feud?
Alva Vanderbilt famously used a grand ball and a strategic snub involving Carrie Astor to pressure Mrs. Astor into formally acknowledging the Vanderbilt family, inspiring the show’s social warfare.
How did the show change the real story?
The Gilded Age series shifts the historical rivalry into the fictional conflict between Bertha Russell and Mrs. Astor, compressing events and adding dramatic face-to-face confrontations that did not happen exactly that way in real life.
What are the Opera House Wars in The Gilded Age?
The Gilded Age Season 2 centers on Bertha’s support for the Metropolitan Opera and Mrs. Astor’s defense of the Academy of Music, turning opening night into an all-out battle for social supremacy.
What happens after the Opera War?
The Gilded Age Season 3 explores the consequences of Bertha’s victory, including the personal cost of her social ambitions and major tensions within the Russell family.
Who’s in the cast of The Gilded Age?
- Carrie Coon: Bertha Russell
- Morgan Spector: George Russell
- Christine Baranski: Agnes van Rhijn
- Cynthia Nixon: Ada Brook
- Louisa Jacobson: Marian Brook
- Denée Benton: Peggy Scott
- Taissa Farmiga: Gladys Russell
- Harry Richardson: Larry Russell
- Blake Ritson: Oscar van Rhijn
- Simon Jones: Bannister
- Nathan Lane: Ward McAllister
- Audra McDonald: Dorothy Scott
- Donna Murphy: Mrs. Astor
What are some movies and shows like The Gilded Age?
- Downton Abbey (2010): Aristocrats, servants, romance, scandal, inheritance.
- Bridgerton (2020): Romance, scandal, gossip, lavish costumes.
- Belgravia (2020): Secrets, society, inheritance, class, romance.
- The Buccaneers (2023): American heiresses disrupt British aristocracy.
- The Age of Innocence (1993): Love collides with rigid society.
- The Forsyte Saga (2002): Family fortunes, marriage, class, conflict.
- Vanity Fair (2018): Ambition, class, scandal, social climbing.
Will there be The Gilded Age Season 4?
Yes. As of August 25, 2026, The Gilded Age Season 4 has been announced to premiere on November 1, 2026, with eight episodes.
Where is The Gilded Age filming today?
The Gilded Age is currently filming Season 4 across New York City and upstate New York, with recent production activity reported in Manhattan, Harlem, Staten Island, Albany, Troy, and Schenectady.
📺 Where to Watch The Gilded Age
Where is The Gilded Age streaming? Here’s where to find this lavish historical drama.
Whether you visit Troy‘s historic streets or Newport‘s spectacular mansions, these filming locations offer the closest thing to stepping directly into Bertha Russell’s glittering, ruthless, and extremely expensive world.
Disclaimer: This fan-created article is provided for entertainment purposes only. We don’t guarantee the accuracy of any of these facts and don’t recommend making important life decisions based on them. All referenced titles, names, and related intellectual property are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.
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