Lyndhurst is a beautiful castle overlooking the Hudson River. It's a three-floor museum that's very…read morewell maintained and preserved. I visited during the flower show, and it made the experience even more special. So many talented floral designers decorated every corner of the mansion, turning the castle into a truly stunning display.

Wow! The Gilded is alive and well at Lyndhurst! Just WOW! The grounds and home are somply…read morestunning. I spent a few hours on the grounds and had a fantastic tour with Charlie. He was most knowledgable about the home having been a docent for 24years. The faux painting is exquisite and makes wood look like marble. The gallery was lovely and learning that the dining room is where they shot the Gilded Age. The grounds are stunningly kept and maintained.

While I love history and learning new things, I'll be honest and admit that I'm not generally a fan…read moreof touring historic homes, it just doesn't do much for me, but even with that said, of the 4 old estates I toured this weekend, Kykuit was the least noteworthy. Though the guide's knowledge was great, the house itself... Meh. Age and apathy seem to have settled the house down into a state not quite approaching disrepair but not far off either. What once may have been grandiose is now just old, jaded, faded, and big, but not fancy, while the conservation service running the show seems disinclined to keep up with the grounds on any level other than blowing leaves away from the walkways. Even the cars in the museum have half flat tires. Waste of time and money.

Great experience at the Kykuit Highlights Tour…read more This tour is about 1.5 hours and covers the first floor of the estate and outside. There are other (longer) tours that include more of the estate if you like. All tours leave from the Visitor's Center. There is a large parking lot there...but there is also some overflow parking around the corner ii needed. The overflow lot is a short walk to the Visitor's Center. The center has a large shop with lots of gifts and souvenirs. There are also some snacks and bakery-items (coffee, tea, pastries) available for purchase. There are bathrooms and the ticketing area. You check in at the ticketing area and are given a hand band. A bus (very nice and comfy) will take the tour guests from the visitor's center to the estate...the ride is about 10 minutes. The tour guide will also be on the bus offering some information throughout the ride, including information on the structures and facilities within the larger estate as you pass those by. The tour itself was great...but I can see some may want to visit the other floors of the estate, which is only included in the longer tours. Lots of information throughout the tour. They do keep the schedule pretty tight though as I noticed our tour guide checking the schedule regularly to determine how much time to spend at each room. I understand this is crucial in order to accommodate the various timed tours but it does leave little room for asking questions and some of it felt a little rushed. Photography is ONLY permitted outside of the estate. You cannot take photos inside the estate. You are taken back to the visitor's center when the tour it completed. Overall I had a great visit. I would love to return to view some of the other offerings...such as the Philipsburg Manor. All staff I encountered were friendly and helpful.

*** 5,500th review ***…read more I don't know what took me so long to check out the Hudson River Museum. The views, alone, would be reason enough to visit. I was initially drawn to the impressive dollhouse, but there are also so many other cool paintings, sculptures, and photographs here. The museum building itself is very bright and welcoming. Check out the courtyard, too, where there were some lawn games over the summer. We also explored the education center, which seems to have an ongoing activities for kids. Next time I visit, I'll check out the planetarium!

Mark Twain called the late 19th century the "Gilded Age." It saw the creation of a modern…read moreindustrial economy, a national transportation and communication network. In the HBO drama "The Gilded Age," the characters are keenly aware that they live in interesting times, and this establishment was featured as Mrs. Astor's home. Built for millionaire banker John Bond Trevor and his family, Glenview Mansion has been painstakingly restored by the Hudson River Museum, which is a hidden gem located in Yonkers. Guided tours are offered to six fully restored rooms (Great Hall, Sitting Room, Parlor, Dining Room, Ebony Library, and Billiard Room), which my partner and I had the pleasure of today at $20 per adult and can be purchased on their website. Since his primary residence was in NYC, this 19th-century seasonal home was used from April to December each year and sits on a 23-acre estate. The owner commuted into his office on Wall Street in New York City, about 23 miles away. Upon entering the mansion, it showcases late Victorian with the colorful tiles on the floor, the high ceilings, and the furniture and fixtures such as the Tiffany and Co. grandfather clock, a Victorian recliner chair, or the storybook tiles over the fireplace in the Great Hallway. The original home featured a wraparound balcony that could be accessed through the Sitting Room, but it was later removed in order to lower maintenance costs. Besides the mansion, the museum is a complex of galleries that present changing art exhibitions, a permanent Hudson River School collection, a planetarium, an amphitheater, and educational spaces for all ages. The staff was friendly. The interior was very well kept and organized. With great views of the Hudson River, this is a relatively short day trip, which we can recommend.

I wish this place was open. However, even with it being closed, you can still get a few good…read morepictures of the place as well as the stone relief of the headless horseman chasing Mr. Crane. Also, the site is directly across from the Old Dutch Church and a large sculpture of the headless horseman. Enjoy!

Philipsburg manor is not ADA compliant and not wheelchair accessible despite my confirming and…read morereceiving assurance from the information desk. I was informed that the pathways were navigatable and just a little "pebbly". In reality these are rock and sand pathways that are impossible for a wheelchair. The woman's bathroom was also non compliant as there wasnt a stall large enough to enter with the chair. I would have appreciated an honest assessment before I put my mother's safety as risk. After paying more than 50$, we were barely able to make it past the first foot bridge. Shameful.

This is my new favorite Hudson Valley historic site! The house was extremely beautiful. The history…read moreof the house and its restoration was fascinating! Forensic architecture, I never knew of that before! The guide was so knowledgeable, he was able to answer every question I posed, and I'm a curious person. Definitely would go back!

My daughter and I visited the Octagon House this past weekend and we loved it! Rachel, our tour…read moreguide was a wealth of knowledge and clearly loves her job. Her knowledge and enthusiasm were incredible. The grounds are beautiful and the house itself is just a wonder. Definitely will go back.

Always a great place for breakfast and lunch. Decent Bloody Mary drinks and friendly service.read more

We did quite a few old home tours while up in the area and this was easily one of my favorites…read more Guides in period garb explained various portions of the home and answered questions as well. The pace was never hurried or rushed and there was plenty of time for photo opportunities. Unfortunately our day was besieged by high winds, so we didn't explore the grounds much, but the buildings were really fascinating.

I visited for a special exhibit. The parking was far away…read morefrom the event. The permanent collection is worth the trip. It is pretty good for a small scale college museum.

A small underrated museum in the middle of SUNY Purchase college. The place almost empty when we…read morewere there. They housed some contemporary art pieces from reknown artists like deKooning, Pollock, Robert Indiana, etc and also temporary exhibits. Free admission, free parking ( west 1 parking lot ), cold AC, first class art, quiet not crowded museum. What's not to love?

Such a fun and engaging tour with Jean! I learned so much--not just about the lighthouse itself,…read morebut also the rich history of the Tarrytown area. Highly recommend if you're looking for something both informative and enjoyable.

What a beautiful sight this newly refurbished light house is. I'm only sad that it's not yet open…read moreto the public. The sign on the gate says it'll be open by the end of 2024. The River walk behind it is nice but there's a TON of construction going on around it that maybe is timed for end of 2024 as well. One can hope!

This is a hidden gem. PepsiCo headquarters are surrounded by a beautiful sculpture garden that is…read moreopen to public on weekends and is free. This is a great way to spend 1-1.5 hrs walking around meticulously landscaped garden with some nice sculptures. About half the sculptures are modern art which i don't care about. But plenty are actually pleasant to look at. Totems were great looking. Some sculptures are funny like Personage ( aka ET with erection) Overall very enjoyable afternoon here

The sculpture gardens are free and open to the public. When you arrive at the PepsiCo campus, you…read morehave to give your name and phone number to security and then they direct you to the parking area, which is also free. There was a food truck in the parking lot with Pepsi themed dishes. They closed at 2pm on a Saturday, so we didn't try anything. The grounds are well maintained and easy to walk. The main path through the sculpture gardens has gravel. We had no issues pushing a stroller. The grass is lush and immaculately mowed. It's perfect for laying out a blanket. The sculptures are unique and eye catching. The printed map doesn't have much detail about the art beyond the name of each piece and the sculptor. There are no placards with information either, so it's not very educational. Some of the trees and plants are labeled, so you get a bit of a botanical gardens experience as well. There were a few benches along the path, but most were not shaded. Great place for a stroll. You can easily get through it in an hour.

People do not go on a graveyard tour in Sleepy Hollow in October to be told the difference between…read moregranite & marble. I expected something at least a little spooky, but other than 5 minutes at a crypt that was in Dark Shadows (the tour guide gave false information; she obviously never saw an episode), and Washington Irving's grave, the entire tour was a tutorial on types of internments. Great tour for someone studying mortuary science, which I am not. At the end, the guide asked if anyone wanted to keep going or take the short cut back, everyone yelled "shortcut". Honestly, if it was a daytime tour, we would have just left the tour. We were at least expecting to be taken to the grave of the Hessian soldier. A scary story or two.

We just did the regular night time lantern tour and although our guide was well informed and…read moreanswered all questions the delivery was a little dry. I felt the group size was also too large. The guide would often be speaking as we walked and the people in the back of the line had a hard time hearing. Would definitely give one of the other tours like the murder and mayhem tour a shot but this one left me feeling just meh.