van cortlandt manor

Check it out during the Great Jack O'lantern Blaze every fall. It it nestled in the middle of the carved pumpkin patch display. Fun for the entire family.

Same Old Same Old from year to year. A big money grab. Vast majority of pumpkins are fake. Not much fun when it is cold out. Least they could do is change up the displays and have gas heaters every 20 feet in the line. Go to the bathroom before you go, only restrooms are pitch dark porta-sans. Really!!, don't waste your time, be creative with carving your own pumpkin. At least you will have a choice of your own background music. Plan on going some place afterwards if you are hungry, not much offered in the way of food/drink.

After a few years of hearing how beautiful this was, and two years in a row trying to get tickets.... sold out always in the first few weeks... this was worth the wait... our show time was at 10:00 pm. very well organized, all done by volunteers.. the art work is exquisite.. the grounds are beautiful.. the gift shop covered everything and anything for fall, halloween and the blaze event. I would definitely go back.. Its a worthwhile event for sure !!

Visited for the first season last year. Beautiful and worth the price. I am not going to describe it here. The web site does a good job of that, so please take these suggestions into consideration. (Many of these suggestions would apply to the the Great Jack o’ Lantern Blaze as well.) Buy tickets early. They sell out fast, especially for Saturdays. They cancel only under severe conditions. When an October hurricane rolled though the area two years ago our tickets for the Blaze were allowed for an alternate day. Otherwise, plan on going even if it rains. We are prepared with disposable ponchos and very small umbrellas that can fit in pockets if the weather is uncertain. They have lots of free parking. Plan to get there fifteen minutes to a half hour before your ticket time. There may be a line of cars waiting to enter the lot and there may be a long line to enter the attraction itself. Be ready to show your tickets before entering the parking lot. If you get there at your ticket time you may be entering the attraction about a half hour later. You should be there earlier than your ticket time but they may not let you in the lot (or the line for the attraction) more than a half hour before your ticket (not exactly sure of the details of this policy). Remember where you parked your car. It is a grassy/soil field and your car may be hard to find if you don’t make some kind of mental note (once I had to set off the car alarm to find our spot after a Blaze visit). One year they sent overflow Blaze cars into the strip mall parking lot next door. That was actually a little more convenient. It can be dark. You and your child might want to carry a glow stick or something like that in case you are momentarily separated. A very similar review has been written for The Great Jack o’ Lantern Blaze. In the past they have sold snacks and treats. Only portable toilets near the entrance, I don't think there are any in the attraction, so go before you enter.

We went to the blaze tonight, it was well worth visiting once. Bravo to all the staff and volunteers that put all the hard work into this awesome event! We really enjoyed everything we saw. Parking for the event was well organized. Of course there are something's that are cons. The lines get clogged up at places, due to people trying to get the best photo they can of each scene. Which is expected, with all the sights and the amount of people. Overall definitely a sight to see if you are in the area. If you choose to come be sure to watch online when tickets are available for purchase, this event sells out very quickly.

This was the most impressive and interesting Jack O'Lantern display that I have ever seen!! I LOVED it!!! Absolutely amazing!! There was so much to see!

We've visited Sunnyside and Phillipsburg Manor, but had never been to Van Cortland Manor. The train ride from NYC is lovely, better to get an express, though, but even with all the local stops the ride is only about one hour. You should make on-line reservations for a tour, as they do fill up. It is possible to walk to the Manor from the train station, although you are walking on a highway (we did this on the way back, and it took about 10 minutes.) The taxi ride was fine, only $7 for two people. We took a picnic lunch and ate at the picnic tables by the water, which was great.The tour was terrific, about an hour long. The docent takes you through the Manor and to the Ferry house as well. Some areas could use just a touch more light, and be aware that you do go up and down some slightly steep steps. Overall, a great way to spend a Saturday!

After driving almost an hour to Lightscapes, we left very disappointed. The biggest complaint we have is that the music/sound effects, had NOTHING whatsoever to do with what you were looking at. Creepy music, felt more like a bad acid trip than a springtime celebration. My daughter was scared by it, and so were some other kids near us. Why not have twinkly music? Happy music? Birds chirping? It was clear that many of the decorations were from the Halloween celebration, (a hall of mirrors? Really?) as was the fog machine and the creepy music. If I paid $5 to get in, I would shrug it off, but this is touted as some really big deal, and it just isn't. Not to mention, a peagravel path is the least stroller-friendly surface there is, and this is supposed to be a kids event. Wouldn't ever go back, wouldn't ever recommend it.

I didn't know what to expect. I had in my mind that it would be similar to a Christmas display with wire lights, etc. I was SO wrong. Upon entering under this arching rainbow and seeing the beautiful multi-color field of tulips made out of recycled plastic bottles.. I was in awe. There was a giant turtle made out of a recycled jungle gym. As we walked through the paths we came up to themed areas - like the Fairy Garden, a lady bug garden and the giant Praying Mantis. The fact that it was recycled material and crafted artwork made it even more impressive.

I just went to Lightscapes and found it to be absolutely amazing! It was well worth the trip. The things that they were able to do were just incredible! I took three teenagers who were all equally impressed .

Van Cortlandt Manor is featuring the Lightscapes exhibition weekends in May. I went with my husband and another couple. We had dinner first at Croton Tavern and did the 9:30 showing. Tickets were 16.00 and we spent about an hour and a half walking through the displays. We really enjoyed it. I was very impressed with the thousands of multi colored flowers, mushrooms, fairies and giant bugs. I love that the sculptures are all made with recycled materials like milk containers. We were lucky to have good weather but there was rain the night before so there were a few muddy areas and it was kind of crowded. The pathways can be a little narrow in spots so wear practical shoes. All and all what a cool and different thing to do on a Saturday night. I will definitely do this again.

They have great programs and are staffed with caring welcoming people. It is great to see the early history reflected in this wonderful museum.

I think this historic site is open throughout the year, but I have only visited for the Great Jack O’ Lantern Blaze in Autumn and the new for 2014 Lightscapes Springtime light display. Both are amazing and mostly worth the roughly $10 to $20 ticket price as well as the drive from NJ. I have gone more than once during a single season. Check their website for details (http://www.hudsonvalley.org/), but you will walk around a path to view beautifully designed lighted sculptures at night. Neither display is scary for children. If you stop to take pictures and admire the beauty it may take about an hour or so to get through. If you are using a simple point-and-shoot camera or phone, I recommend taking lots of photos with no flash (hold camera steady and increase contrast during editing to reduce any blur) and very slow moving video while you are there. Timed tickets should be purchased in advance as they and sell out relatively quickly for earlier time slots. Tickets can be purchased at the location when you visit, but your choice of times may be very limited. Parking is vast and free on an unpaved lot. Sections of the path can get backed-up and crowded. They open rain or shine with no refunds, but close with a refund under extreme weather conditions. You may face traffic upon arriving and need to wait in line as tickets are scanned, so it may be best to arrive at least fifteen minutes to a half hour before your ticket time. They seem not to let people in early, but will let you in when you arrive if you are late. Very friendly, polite, and helpful staff. Snacks are available but noting substantial to substitute for a meal if you didn’t have time to eat beforehand. Moderate to overpriced gift shop. Portable toilets but not inside the display that I know of, so use the bathroom before you enter or make a stop before you get there. You may face more traffic while leaving the parking lot when your visit is over.

Still amazed! We will be back every year for sure! Words simply can't explain how jaw dropping the display is. We have never seen anything like it and the hundreds of pictures I took does it no justice!

The Pumpkin Blaze was nice but a little overrated. We went on a weekday and had tickets for the first showing, so parking and crowds were not a problem. I feel the admission was too high for what they offered especially if you brought kids. But the displays were pretty and it was fun to walk through. I am glad I went but feel not need to go back