[imagesource: Historic Hudson Valley]

Kykuit (pronounced “kai-kit”), a 40-room Classical Revival-style villa in Sleepy Hollow, New York, was the idyllic seasonal oasis of one of the world’s richest men.

Built in 1913, Kykuit belonged to four generations of the Rockefeller family.

Then, after his death in 1977, former New York governor and US Vice President Nelson A. Rockefeller left it to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, according to the Hudson River Valley Institute.

John D. Rockefeller was the world’s first billionaire, with a net worth of $1.4 billion in 1937 (around $29.5 billion today), and the richest individual in the world at the time, according to Harvard Business School. His Standard Oil fortune comprised 1.5% of the gross domestic product of the US at the height of his success, according to the Library of Congress.

Now the estate he built north of New York City is open to the public. Through the Historic Hudson Valley, visitors can tour the home and its lush gardens overlooking the Hudson River, learning about the generations of the Rockefeller family who called the estate home, from John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his wife Abby Aldrich Rockefeller to Governor Nelson Rockefeller, as well as their unique contributions to the art collections and landscape.

The tours, available from May through November, range from $25 to $75 depending on length.

Save on flights and have a look at some of the photos below.

The garden:

The sitting room:

The office:

The music room:

The dining room:

The China room:

An alcove:

The library/ family room:

The art gallery:

Kykuit is operated and maintained by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund as a centre for its philanthropic programmes.

[source:businessinsider]