Coe Hall, located in Oyster Bay in the Planting Fields Arboretum State Park, is another Gold Coast Mansion. I first visited the estate properties back in January when I first returned to Long Island, but that was a 19° winter day. Thus, the mansion was not open for tours and the landscaping was bare (besides inside the greenhouses). Returning with my Mom and sister on a beautiful summer day provided a completely different experience from the first visit.
Coe Hall is the most accessible mansion I have visited, with public access to most areas of the house. Volunteers were stationed in almost every room or hallway of the mansion to provide insight to visitors regarding how the Coe family used the area. Audio tours were also available for guidance of the mansion. I was surprised to learn that, unlike other Gold Coast estates, Coe Hall is not used for special events, such as weddings.
The inside of the house was dark, due to primarily wood and concrete walls and floors. The woodwork, like all the mansions I have toured, was extremely intricate and detailed. As we walked through the house, we kept reminding ourselves "somebody actually lived here." I asked my mom several times, "can you imagine living here?" My sister and I decided that a game of hide and seek could last the entire day, especially if the entire 409 acres of property was fair game.
Coe Hall is the most accessible mansion I have visited, with public access to most areas of the house. Volunteers were stationed in almost every room or hallway of the mansion to provide insight to visitors regarding how the Coe family used the area. Audio tours were also available for guidance of the mansion. I was surprised to learn that, unlike other Gold Coast estates, Coe Hall is not used for special events, such as weddings.
The inside of the house was dark, due to primarily wood and concrete walls and floors. The woodwork, like all the mansions I have toured, was extremely intricate and detailed. As we walked through the house, we kept reminding ourselves "somebody actually lived here." I asked my mom several times, "can you imagine living here?" My sister and I decided that a game of hide and seek could last the entire day, especially if the entire 409 acres of property was fair game.