10 Best Sights in Tarrytown, Hudson Valley

On a hill surrounded by gardens, stone terraces, and fountains sits the stunning classical-revival mansion that was home to four generations of Rockefellers, one of America's most famous families. From its regal position, Kykuit (pronounced "kie-cut"), which means "lookout" in Dutch, has breathtaking views of the Hudson River. Antiques, ceramics, and famous artworks fill the house, which was finished in 1913; sculptures by Alexander Calder, Constantin Brancusi, Louise Nevelson, and Pablo Picasso adorn the grounds, which encompass 87 acres. You must take a tour to see the estate, which is accessible only by shuttle bus from the visitor center at Philipsburg Manor.

Founded by David Rockefeller in honor of his late wife, Peggy, Stone Barns is a groundbreaking nonprofit educational center that aims to promote sustainable, community-based agriculture. The 80-acre working farm encompasses Norman-style barn buildings, a restaurant and café, a greenhouse, and livestock, including sheep and swine. Garden tours, greenhouse workshops, and introductions to local environmentalists, winemakers, and organic farmers are among the programs. Self-guided tours are free; guided tours are $15. The dinner-only restaurant, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, is an outpost of Manhattan's famed Blue Hill. The Blue Hill Café serves light fare and sandwiches until 4:30.

The nondenominational stone church built in 1922 on land donated by John D. Rockefeller is loosely based on early English Gothic buildings but deliberately devoid of sectarian detailing. The real stars of the site, however, are the stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall and Henri Matisse, also gifts of the Rockefeller family.

Noted architect Alexander Jackson Davis designed this magnificent marble mansion overlooking the Hudson River. Built in 1838, Lyndhurst is widely considered the premier Gothic Revival home in the United States. You may tour the mansion's elaborate interior and stroll the 67 landscaped acres, which include a conservatory and a rose garden. The estate also includes a turn-of-the-20th-century bowling alley and an original child's playhouse. Kids can walk outside the perimeter of the playhouse and admire it, but are not allowed to enter it. During summer weekends, visitors can pay $5 to roam around the grounds, and then apply that fee to the guided tour price if they wish to learn more about the house.

Built in 1685, the oldest church in New York State is surrounded by a 3 acre burial ground that's mentioned in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Made of stone and hand-hewn lumber, the church is in a style typical of the northern Netherlands.

On the bank of the Pocantico River sits this 18th-century farm and provisioning plant owned by Frederick Philipse III, whose Dutch family owned most of the land in the region. Guides in period costume conduct tours of the Dutch stone house filled with 17th- and 18th-century antiques. The museum focuses, however, on the lives and stories of the 23 enslaved Africans who lived here and on slavery in the colonial north. Check out the water-powered gristmill, 18th-century New World Dutch barn, slave garden, and reconstructed tenant house.

Surrounding the Old Dutch Church is the famous Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. It was featured in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow as the site of the Headless Horseman's hauntings; some of the book's characters come from names on the gravestones. The cemetery is open daily 8:30–4:30.

Great views of the Hudson River and the Tappan Zee Bridge can be seen from this 65-foot-tall all-metal beacon built in 1883.

A guide in period costume escorts you through the 1830s home of Washington Irving, whose writings include classics like The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle. The eclectic building, one of the nation's earliest examples of romantic architecture, includes stepped gables that recall Dutch architecture and a curved roof modeled after that of a Spanish monastery. Sunnyside was often called America's Home, because it appeared in many landscape illustrations of the period. Irving's book-lined study is a highlight.

At this living-history museum, costumed guides are strategically placed throughout the estate, which includes an 18th-century stone manor house and an 18th-century tavern. The house includes some of its original Georgian and Federal furnishings. Spinning, weaving, and other demonstrations are held in a tenant house adjacent to the tavern. Admission is by timed tour only.