Washington Irving immortalized the picturesque village of Sleepy Hollow with his short story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Visit sites that fired up his imagination and were featured in the ghostly tale.
If you are a fan of the short story, go to the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow where the hero Ichabod Crane sought refuge from the villainous Headless Horseman. Built in 1685, this is the oldest church in New York. Keep an eye out for the headstone of Catriena Ecker Van Tessel, who was the inspiration for Irving’s heroine Katrina Van Tassel.
Next door is the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery where Washington Irving is buried. Many other notable Americans are also interred in this stately memorial park, including Elizabeth Arden, Andrew Carnegie and Walter Chrysler.
Discover more history in some of the village’s impressive buildings. Step back to the 18th century at Philipsburg Manor. This historic Dutch house and mill used to be a successful farm and textile production business. Tour the 300-year-old house and participate in authentic mill activities, such as threshing wheat.
Tour John D. Rockefeller’s grandiose estate, Kykuit, a 40-room mansion with an impressive art collection. Union Church of Pocantico Hills is one of the village’s most attractive buildings for its stained-glass windows, designed by famous French artists Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall. Matisse’s brilliant rose window was his last work of art before his death in 1954.
In addition to touring old buildings, get out and explore the surrounding scenery by hiking or biking along the Hudson River and the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. This follows the route taken by an old aqueduct that used to carry water to New York City.
Sleepy Hollow lies just 30 miles (48.3 kilometres) to the north of New York City. Drive here in under an hour or come via the Metro-North line and see sights that inspired a literary masterpiece.
