The Gilded Age period in US history in the late 19th century was a time of great economic expansion, European immigration, industrialization, and widespread political corruption. Coined by author Mark Twain, it describes an era of social ills masked by materialist excess, arising only a decade after the formal abolition of slavery in 1865.
Designed by the architecture firm Buchman & Deisler in 1898, this neoclassical townhouse features a limestone facade and original wrought-iron grille, protected from alterations.
The hotel was constructed as a way to attract visitors to the Tampa Bay area, where Plant had expanded a railroad system. Visitors to the hotel arrived directly by rail and could disembark the train and immediately check into the resort once nicknamed the "White Queen on the Gulf."
Ca' d'Zan, a 36,000-square-foot mansion in Sarasota, was built by John Ringling in 1926 and is inspired by Venetian architecture, showcasing Gilded Age luxury.
Alva Vanderbilt Belmont was a prominent Gilded Age socialite who married a Vanderbilt railroad heir, becoming a significant figure in high society and later in the women's suffrage movement.
The museum, located on the former estate of William K. Vanderbilt II, features the 42-acre property with Eagle's Nest, a 24-room Spanish Revival mansion completed in 1936.
The National Park Service now oversees the Vanderbilt Mansion, which was built in the 1890s by Frederick Vanderbilt on a stunning 153-acre estate.
