Dive into Westchester’s rich history like never before with extended tour hours of four iconic historic sites in Westchester. Due to a high visitor demand, Historic Hudson Valley now offers an expanded, in-depth tour to four National Historic Landmarks.
The landmarks, admired by locals and tourists alike, include Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, Philipsburg Manor, Union Church at Pocantico Hills, and Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate.
The grounds are open to visitors from Thursdays through Sundays. The spring season started on Friday, May 3, and the sites will be open on Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Indigenous People’s Day, and Veteran’s Day. Tours are free for Historic Hudson Valley members.
In addition to seasonal tours, Historic Hudson Valley hosts the Pinkster Festival at Philipsburg Manor on May 25. Pinkster is the region’s oldest African American holiday and has been celebrated in New York since the 1700s. There will be performances by Malik Work, a spoken word artist and founder of The Real Live Show, master kora player Yacouba Sissoko, DJ GoodWill, artist Nichole Washington, and storyteller April Armstrong.
Tickets for the Pinkster Festival are $14 for adults, $12 for young adults (18-25) and seniors, and free for children under 17 and Historic Hudson Valley members.
Washington Irving’s Sunnyside
3 W Sunnyside Lane, Irvington
Visitors who tour Washington Irving’s Sunnyside get to appreciate the romantic estate that America’s “Founding Father of Literature” created in the 1850s. The estate is located along the Hudson riverbank, offering visitors picturesque views of the river. While most of the structure and furnishings are original to Irving, some elements have been restored to embody the property’s original character.
The grounds will be open for guided tours on Fridays to Sundays through September 30 and November 8 to December 8, Wednesdays to Mondays from October 2 to November 3, and Saturdays to Sundays during December 7-22. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and young adults, and $13 for children.
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Philipsburg Manor
381 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow
Philipsburg Manor dates back to the 1750s, when it was home to 23 enslaved individuals. The manor is the first living history museum to focus on the history of northern slavery. Visitors can step into the working gristmill and walk through the manor house with period artifacts.
Guests can tour the grounds Fridays to Sundays from May 3 to September 30 and November 8 to December 1, Wednesdays to Mondays from October 2 to November 3, and Saturdays to Sundays during December 7-22. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and young adults, and $13 for children.
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Union Church of Pocantico Hills
555 Bedford Road, Pocantico Hills
Tours of the Union Church showcase the stained-glass windows done by European masters Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall. The church itself was organized as a non-denominational Protestant church back in 1915, with John D. Rockefeller being one of its founders. The historic landmark will be open for guided tours from Thursdays to Sundays until November 12.
The site will be open for tours Wednesday to Sunday through December 22. Tickets are $10.
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Kykuit, The Rockefeller Estate
381 North Broadway (Route 9), Sleepy Hollow
The Kykuit home has seen four generations of Rockefellers come through its doors, including John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil, and Nelson Rockefeller, the former governor of New York and Vice President of the United States. The home was built between 1906 and 1913. Today, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund aids in operating and maintaining Kykuit while Historic Hudson Valley operates the tours. Visitors can choose from three tours: Classic, Grand, and Selected Highlights.
The grounds are open for guided tours from Fridays to Sundays through September 30 and November 8-10 and Wednesdays to Mondays from October 2 to November 3. Tickets to visit this historic landmark start at $25 for adults, $23 for seniors, $20 for those ages 10-25.
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