Temples of unbridled luxury, the opulent Vanderbilt mansions epitomise the soaring wealth of the Gilded Age. Beginning in the late 1870s, the family's scions competed against each other to build the biggest, most lavish homes, with platinum walls, mountains of marble and even parts of New York's original Grand Central Station thrown into the mix.

However, within a couple of generations, all but one of these properties passed out of the family's possession as their fortune dwindled.

Click or scroll through to discover the illustrious dynasty's most magnificent homes and uncover their intriguing secrets.