Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Sunnyside Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Sunnyside

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Pic minutes before a 9pm Irving's "Legend" performance at Sunnyside
    Jeannette L.

    This weekend I visited Sunnyside in Irvington, NY. I was there for a 9pm show of Irving's Legend. This was my first time in the Sleepy Hollow and I was excited to check it out during spooky season. The estate is beautiful, and I hope to return this month for a tour of the grounds and more time exploring Sleepy Hollow and this historic area in the Hudson Valley. There's a small parking lot on the property. Keep an eye out for "event parking" signs. There was a person in a reflective vest with a light to help guide people to available spots. You'll see a tent where you can line up. About 20 min to show time, you'll walk down a lit path to the gift shop and waiting area. Close to show time, you'll walk down a hill to an area with seats where it will begin. At night time, watch your steps. I think night time adds a little extra to the performance; would recommend. Just bundle up bc it's gets chilly. You know, fall weather, ghosts, etc. There are bathrooms in the gift shop. The gift shop is flush with Washington Irving and Sleepy Hollow merch. They sell from bottled drinks and potato chips if you need a snack or something. I bought a bookmark and postcard because I'm a sucker for souvenirs. Jonathan Kruk is the master storyteller, and there's a team of puppeteers and a musician composer playing live music and sound effects during the performance. If you have little kids, I think it's tame enough that they won't go freaking out, but it is a scary story so make your best decision on whether to bring them to the late shows when it's really dark outside. Overall, I had fun and want to come back to the estate again for a tour. The area is beautiful too. Recommended!

    Clèm B.

    A very nice location by the Hudson River. Interesting tour inside the house where Washington Irving and his family lived in. We learned a lot about the "founding father" of American literature and his novels outside of "the legend of Sleepy Hollow" They have different events all year and especially during Halloween season

    Room with oddities
    Marina S.

    I loved the tour! If you like the story of Sleepy Hollow, you might enjoy this tour. I've been here twice. The second time, I wasn't able to do the tour since they were sold out. Always book in advance. You get a really good look at what life was like back then. There's a cute shadow puppet movie that they play at the end. Overall, very pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

    Renee R.

    Such a cool experience for the day even though once again covid messed with the experience of getting to go inside his home- closed until next year. But u do get to be a creeper and peel thru the windows. U can see his writing room kitchen living room and hang out on his porch where he enjoyed it most Cool history lesson for our 8 year old. Our storyteller was dressed in era clothes and had a lot of knowledge not just on Washington but history in general.

    Emme K.

    We signed up for the tour here and it was fantastic! The views from the house are amazing and Washington Irving's house was fun to explore. I owe the experience to the excellent guides stationed around the house who were so knowledgeable and engaging! Learning about the history was so much fun for the family and the property is beautiful! Highly recommend.

    Sunnyside
    Richard S.

    Washington Irving's home on overlooking the Hudson River. Unfortunately it was closed when we were there due to Covid 19. Can't wait to return and see it and it's magnificent grounds.

    House
    Aya N.

    Very charming, quaint and humble home but truest unique and enjoyable experience. My boyfriend and I love visiting historical houses and we decided to do Sunnyside and Philipsburg Manor on gorgeous Saturday. I would strongly recommend to book ticket before you go online. Even though you can buy ticket at the place, you may need to wait for next tour if it's already full and you can go inside of the house only if you are part of tour. Also I recommend to become member of historic Hudson if you are around this area and planning to do other houses in this area, it's cheaper I think. What's unique about this house was many things in the house is original because it has been their house or museum so they were able to keep many of original pieces in very good condition. This isn't mansion like kykuit but has very unique feel to it. The guide was very charming and knowledgeable and I can tell he loves history and enjoy his work here. I learned so much about Washington Irving! I would recommend anyone to visit here if you enjoy seeing historical houses.

    Signpost
    Fawn G.

    About two years ago my friend and I took a boat ride to Cold Spring. There was a tour guide on the boat who communicated hot spots along the way. A few of them were gems of Historic Hudson Valley. The 5 that I jotted were: Kykuit, Sunnyside, Van Cortlandt Manor, Philipsburg Manor and Union Church of Pocantico Hills. I've now scratched 2 off this list: I visited the Union Church and it's a must see: the stunning stained glass windows of Matisse and Chagall. Today was Sunnyside: this romantic riverside cottage with its breathtaking view of the Hudson River. Today was a picture perfect balmy September day; the fall foliage is starting to turn the trees into reddish gold hues and with the sun beating on the Hudson, I couldn't ask for better weather. The timed guided tour lasts about an hour. You can buy tickets online or at the gift shop.* Before the tour begins, I viewed a ten minute film that gave an overview of Irving and Sunnyside. The guide gives a nice overview of Washington Irving's life; what he was like before he wrote, losing the love of his life to a deadly disease, the major influences of his life etc. She also explains in depth the architecture of Sunnyside and how all of Irving's extensive European travels played a major part of the decor. The tour includes of course going inside the two story home. We were not allowed to take pictures of interior but guide goes through each room and gives little nuggets like how Ebenezer Scrooge was in charge of Irving's financials, Dickens actually wrote A Christmas Carol here etc. The rooms are as they were when Irving resided here. After the tour, you can roam freely on the property and there are picnic grounds and tables to dine on. There are spectacular vistas to marvel at and I couldn't stop taking pics of his home. I highly recommend coming here. Now some info*: Tickets:$12 can be purchased on Sunnyside web or in Gift Shop. I recommend purchasing on web. The tours are timed and run every hour, last tour is 3:30. Metro: Metronorth to Tarrytown or Irvington. Taxi ride runs @$10. Taxis are near train station. Train ride @35 minutes from Grand Central to Tarrytown. Cab ride @10 minutes. Gift Shop sells some cool stuff and of course good selection of Irvington's books and writings. The entire staff at Sunnyside were friendly and accommodating. They also host special events like weddings. October truly is a great month to visit Sleepy Hollow for real Halloween spookiness. Lastly, all of the gems I mentioned in my first paragraph are situated very close to each other, so it is possible to do Sunnyside and Van Cortlandt Manor in the same day, for example.

    Phil H.

    I'm a bit of a history buff and always try to take in at least one site or tour when away on vacation or at a new spot visiting for the first time. Nothing is more appropriate than an excursion to Washington Irving's home up by Sleepy Hollow / Tarrytown. As the writer of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle, amount countless other books, he was America's first prolific novelist and the among the first to make quite a nice living off of it. Sunnyside is a charming home with splendid grounds overlooking the Hudson River. Irving was not rich by any means, but would have been considered upper middle class by today's standards. His home is a mixture of styles that range from Dutch to Spanish, to romantic. At the forefront of the house there grows the original ivy and wisteria that surrounds the front door and face of the house. The inside of the house features many rooms that have been kept in their 1800's state, some with their original furniture, paintings, and articles, while others have been recreated based on what would have been the standard of the time. You can tell the Historic Hudson Valley society takes great care of this home, and it looks terrific.The surrounding grounds are well kelp and picturesque. The view overlooking the Hudson River is beautiful. They encourage visitors to stay after the tour to explore the grounds and even picnic if desired. Old-style wooden benches are placed here and there in the woodsy part of the grounds offering a relaxing view of the water. It's just a peaceful place. Too bad the railroad had to come through and build a line going right by the house near the shoreline that takes away from Irving's tranquil paradise. The guided tour of Sunnyside is only $12 for an adult ticket, and they keep the groups small as we only had around eight of us when I was there. It also runs for only an hour or so, which is great if you have impatient kids with you that get bored easily. Our tour guide, Joyce, was absolutely delightful and very informative. She was patient and answered any questions we had. The guides dress in period costumes here which offers a fun look to the experience. They even were setting up the grounds for a wedding that evening and she said they are magical here with the landscape views and candlelit pathways. We had a terrific tour guide and a wonderful time. The grounds are kept so nice. The next time we are up here we need to check out the Sleepy Hollow cemetery which is close by, as many famous people are there, including Irving and his family members.

    Sunnyside
    Anton K.

    Sunnyside was the home of Washington Irving. Irving was the author of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle. The house features Dutch and Spanish influences, a picturesque view of the Hudson river and a vast collection of original furniture, paintings and articles from the 1800's. Tour guides are dressed in costumes of the period. Tours last about 45 minutes and are presented by very knowledgeable, pleasant and interesting guides who recount the history of the house and Washington Irving's life. With your $12 admissions and family tour you also receive a travel tote which contains 1) games for children 2) scavenger hunt 3) set of 19th century dominoes and 4) the legend of Sleepy Hollow picture book. Sunnyside is maintained by the Hudson Valley Historic Society which also maintains Kykuit and Lyndhurst. Sleepy Hollow cemetery is nearby and is where Irving, family members and other prominent figures are buried.Check online for the special events calendar.

    Jennifer C.

    Though the main attraction during our weekend getaway to Westchester was Kykuit, The Rockefeller estate, we chanced upon this humble home of Washington Irving, the famed novelist behind The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The name given his estate, Sunnyside, is truly fitting, as it is just so perfectly quaint and delightful. The house itself is of a modest size, but made gorgeous with all the lush greenery that wrap around the home's facade. Additionally, being set on an ideal vantage point, surrounded by the Hudson River, greatly contributes to the estate's charm. We didn't take the tour, in fact, we just paid $5 per adult to take a self-guided tour with the help of a map supplied by the house and strolled around at our own leisure. The grounds aren't exactly massive, but then again, it is certainly large enough to tire you out if you're walking on a hot and humid summer day as we did. Sadly, we were only able to peek inside the home through the windows, and discovered that the home is nicely preserved and the historical details remain unchanged. A tour was being conducted at the time, so it was nice to know that the place wasn't desolate if even the number of visitors pale in comparison to a grand location like Kykuit (again, a must-see if you're in Westchester). Another positive was the garden, which I am not quite sure is part of the Sunnyside estate, but that was a highlight for me. We breached the gate and moseyed on into the charming little garden nook. Most of the flowers were either in bloom or past it's prime, but it was still gorgeous and a great aspect of visiting this place. On the downside, I was really looking forward to seeing the nice pond leading up to the house, but that was unfortunately completely defunct and not at all appealing. Otherwise, there were nice nooks here and there to glimpse over, and there is even a "screening room" where loops an old, yet helpful VHS tape (that's right, VHS) explaining the history behind Sunnyside. Again, extra points for charm, here. Overall, a quaint and peaceful sort of experience, but doesn't quite top the (my) Westchester to-do list, it's more like a respectable 3rd bullet or so.

    Eloise the cat--lives at Sunnyside

    See all

    6 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 10
    Thanks 3
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 0
    Love this 10
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Emme K.
    12
    194
    85

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 25
    Thanks 0
    Love this 22
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Richard S.
    451
    2214
    8929

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Cate O.
    34
    135
    1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dan L.
    1
    36
    0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Phil H.
    4991
    5153
    30108

    14 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Anton K.
    47
    763
    4780

    6 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 2
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of R V.
    33
    106
    47

    16 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of John K.
    101
    1057
    1188

    15 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    20 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kim H.
    13
    340
    617

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Yo Y.
    71
    141
    1

    14 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Sunnyside

    Review Highlights - Sunnyside

    Our guide was in traditional dress and her knowledge of Washington Irving and his home was stellar.

    Mentioned in 20 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Landmarks & Historical Buildings 302 times last month within 5 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Last Stop USA

    Last Stop USA

    5.0(2 reviews)
    2.5 mi

    If you want a thorough history of this cool spot, read the previous review. It's excellent and what…read moreinspired me to come visit. As someone who had a grandfather who survived WWII and a great uncle that did not, it was poignant to see such a nice depiction. I'd recommend it to anyone else who had relatives serve for the same reason.

    For 1.3 million World War II American soldiers, Piermont, NY was their last stop in the country…read morebefore they sailed across the Atlantic to join the war in Europe. They were housed in nearby Camp Shanks, and on the day they left America to join the war, 40,000 men a month walked down the pier, and boarded either a ship to France or a ferry to New York on their way to England. For many, the walk down the Piermont pier was their final walk on American soil. This striking monument features a statue of a helmeted GI in full uniform. He has a hand grenade and a shovel on his belt, and a sash with many pockets for equipment storage. His right hand is raised in a sign of farewell. His left hand is resting on a stone whose plaque bears the following inscription: Last Stop U.S.A. During World War Two, 40,000 U.S. troops per month, including many Piermont residents, passed this spot enroute to the end of Piermont Pier, the largest port of embarkation on the East Coast, where ships were waiting to transport them to military duty in war-torn Europe. Many of these troops landed on the shores of France where the invasion began on June 6, 1944. Thus this area came to be known as "Last Stop U.S.A." After the war came to a victorious conclusion, some 533,869 men returned home to the U.S.A. first setting foot on their homeland at the end of that same Piermont Pier. "Lest We Forget," many of the men who embarked from Piermont never returned. This plaque is dedicated to the honor of those who served and the sacred memory of those who never returned. Dedicated 1994

    Photos
    Last Stop USA
    Last Stop USA - How awesome!

    How awesome!

    Last Stop USA

    See all

    Sunnyside - landmarks - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...