Holidays at the Vanderbilt: Dinner in the Mansion, Candlelight Tours, Story Time under the Stars

Experience the Charm and Luxury of Gatsby-Era, Gold-Coast Life with a Tour of William K. Vanderbilt II's Mansion, Decorated and Lighted for the Holidays

November 26 – January 2

You can experience the holidays the way the Vanderbilts and their famous Gold Coast neighbors did. Come visit the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, which has planned a calendar of intriguing public events and programs during November and December.

You can dine in the decorated Vanderbilt Mansion, tour the mansion by candlelight, attend the lighting of the mansion's tree, take your children or grandchildren to "Story Time under the Stars" in the Planetarium, and welcome the year 2011 at a laser-show marathon on New Year's Eve that features the music of The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.

The Vanderbilt Museum invites you to enjoy a progressive dinner in the elegant Gold Coast mansion of William K. Vanderbilt II. You also can take a candlelight tour of the mansion's many rooms filled with fine antique furnishings and centuries-old art, decked in holiday style.

Your visit to the Vanderbilt Mansion in its holiday finery is a time-machine journey to the glamorous heyday of Long Island's North Shore from the 1920s through the 1940s, when the Vanderbilts entertained movie stars and royalty.

The evening, with live music, will begin with wine and hors d'oeuvres in the Memorial Wing of the Vanderbilt Mansion, in the collections galleries. After a brief tour through Mr. Vanderbilt's festively decorated living quarters, guests will be seated for a leisurely dinner in the glass-walled, Northport Dining Room Porch, overlooking the harbor lights. Dessert follows in the Lancaster Room, with a side trip to the Library and the Moroccan Court.

Tickets, at $100 per person, may be purchased by calling the Vanderbilt at 631-854-5579, or on the museum's website: www.vanderbiltmuseum.org. American Express, Master Card and Visa will be accepted. Guests will have a choice of three main courses, and the reservation deadline is December 6. The Vanderbilt will make every effort to accommodate guests and their parties. Early reservations are strongly encouraged.

Vanderbilt Holiday Schedule

• Tours of the decorated Vanderbilt Mansion November 26 – January 2
• Our Night Out: Story Time under the Stars November 21, December 19 at 6:00 p.m.
• Holiday tree lighting December 5 at 5:00 p.m.
• Dinner in the Vanderbilt Mansion December 11 with seatings at 6:00, 8:00
• Candlelight tours of the Vanderbilt Mansion December 26-30, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. (with hot chocolate and cookies)
• New Year's Eve laser-show marathon (Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin) December 31

"Our Night Out: Story Time under the Stars" is a one-hour, interactive, child-friendly program held under the stars of the planetarium dome. Tickets are $6.00. Reservations are highly recommended. To reserve tickets, please call the Vanderbilt at 631-854-5579.