I've toured 8 historic Gilded Age mansions. Here are the most extravagant displays of wealth I've seen.

Gavin Ashworth — The Preservation Society of Newport County

• I've toured eight Gilded Age mansions in Newport, Rhode Island, and the Hudson Valley, New York.
• The mansions feature incredible displays of wealth such as walls covered in gold and silver.
• The homes also feature priceless art collections with ancient Greek urns and Venetian paintings.

The opulent mansions of the Gilded Age's wealthiest families once required exclusive invitations to visit.