washington irving's sunnyside house

very informative as well as a lovely spot on the hudson. Irving sounds like quite a fascinating thinker

There is a lot of history here and view from the Washington Irving to Hudson is very beautiful. If you are in Westchester you have to visit this beautiful historic landmark. Good for kids of all ages. In Summer they have open air shows with historic and old American dressed personages entertaining the visitors. I forgot what it was called but check out their website with more information.

It's a nice historic place to visit. During the holidays like Halloween and Christmas there are special events.

Washington Irvin can be viewed in two ways. He may not be among the greatest writers in the world, but as the founding father of American literature, he had a huge impact on American literature. Three things are memorable about him. He authored two short stories: Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. He wrote the first history of New York City, pretending it was written by a Dutch historian called Knickerbocker.The cozy house at Sunnyside overlooks the Hudson Valley. Every now and then, a Metro-North train rushed by near the band of the majestic river. Across the river, foliage turned beautiful on Columbus Day. It would get better before long. There were some interesting activities, such as shadow puppet, storytelling on the hill, and old games. The place was bit expensive: one adult, two seniors and one child cost $38. The good thing about this place is that it is close to other mansions on the valley. So you can visit several of them in one day.

While passing through Sleepy Hollow, stopped at The Horseman's for lunch (nice place) and found a little brochure that listed Washington Irving's home. Since he is the author of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"and other well-known stories, and his home was close by, decided to take a look. We got to the house and signed up for a tour which lasts about 50 mins. They take a max of 10 people at a time on the tour since Washington Irving's house is rather small. We had to wait for about a 1/2 hour and were the last 2 signed up for that tour. There is a short movie that you can watch before the tour. Our tour guide, dressed in fashion from 1800, was very knowledgeable and gave us a lot of interesting information about the land surrounding Sunnyside, the house, other buildings, and Washington Irving himself. The home which is located on the Hudson River is very unique, which is exactly what W. Irving wanted. It's surprising to see what upgrades W. Irving made to the house at that time, which included HOT and cold running water and an ice box. This was an excellent tour and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in historic sites from early 1800's.

Like most people, my wife and I were familiar with Washington Irving by virtue of his best known books, but neither one of us realized how little about the man we really did know. This tour of his home went a long way toward remedying that. We enjoyed a brief tape before our tour to give us backgound information, and if nothing else, because it was narrated by Walter Cronkite, who still feels like an old friend.Sunnyside was a quaint cottage located on the banks of the Hudson River in the beginning. But now, after the addition of several family members as residents necessitating the expansion of the cottage, and after selling his right of way to the railroad company, there's a train passing by every 15 - 20 minutes on the tracks located between the cottage and the river. So we don't see it now as Irving did in the early days.Our tour was conducted by a knowledgeable docent in a costume of the period. She was good, but spoke quickly and quietly, making her difficult to hear at times. Keep in mind I'm southern and hearing impaired, so I may not be the best judge of that. You'll learn what seems to be all there is to know about Washington Irving before your tour is concluded.I didn't realize what an internationally renowned author Irving was, but his record in proving that is undeniable. The cottage and many of its contents are authentic, and that in itself is always impressive and interesting to me. The various touches he displayed in the design of the additions to the house were indicative of his intelligence, not just as a writer, but generally speaking.There are some rather steep steps involved in the house tour and I did not see any indication or hear mention of an elevator, so be aware of that if that could be a problem for you.We enjoyed our visit to Sunnyside and are grateful for the broadening experience and knowledge it provided, but it was not a highlight of our trip.

Reminds me of Thomas Kincade pictures of cottages in the woods. Tour guides take you through the house and tell you history of Irving and his life in his time period, Guides are dressed in period clothing. Very informative guides and nice property.

Hal, our guide was terrific. His passion for the home and Washington Irving is contagious. He is a natural story-teller and teacher. We loved the home and grounds and spent an enjoyable hour and a half.

We had a nice tour at Sunnyside--especially the kids. We took the tour specifically billed as being from a child's perspective. Very nice. It takes about an hour and you get to move all around the house. The grounds are nice to walk around a bit as well.

We took the tour, but you can walk the grounds for free. The house tour was really interesting, but unfortunately we couldn't take any photos inside. Outside, there was not much to look at except the house. The grounds were spoiled by modern conveniences -- wires, wires, wires and there was an amtrak/transit train that went by the house every 15 minutes.

This historical tour never fails to please. I've been three times and learn something new with each experience. The guides are charismatic and informative and the house is charming and in a lovely location on the Hudson River. Definitely a worthwhile destination.

Washington Irving was the superstar of Americas literary world.! The Sunnyside tour was very informative and so interesting. The"cottage" was quaint but Irving special touched made it almost magical! Loved this historical tour

This estate should not be missed for the history of an American literary figure who played many roles in our American history. He is revered in Europe, especially Spain, and his home and legend need to be reexamined by everyone.

Very good guide dressed in period costume. Very knowledgeable and interesting. Did not know a lot about the author of Sleepy Hollow but after tour very educated. Nice house and grounds very pretty location. Worth a look indeed.

Imagine that you are successful author/editor/diplomat Washington Irving (1783-1859). In 1835, you’ve purchased a peaceful, quiet 10-acre country property on the shores of the Hudson River. When you’re about halfway through with numerous repairs, additions, and renovations, the Hudson River Railroad forms in 1847 and creates land between yours and the river with landfill, lays down tracks, and starts running trains from New York City to Albany circa 1851. But, despite the distracting train noise and all black smoke, you manage to write “Wolfert's Roost” (1855) and the five-volume biography “The Life of George Washington” (1855-1859). As an English Literature major, my visit to Sunnyside was like a pilgrimage. This attraction is family-friendly. Children and teens will enjoy traveling to Tarrytown to see the home of the author of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle.” The Village of Sleepy Hollow is in nearby Mount Pleasant. Sunnyside is open Wednesday to Sunday from early May to early November. It is also open for the three major Monday holidays during that period. Admission prices are:$12.00 - Adult$10.00 - Seniors - age 65+ $6.00 - Children ages 3 - 17Timed tours are led by costumed docents. Ours was very knowledgeable. The setting for the home is very picturesque. The grounds are beautiful. The house is well maintained. These factors all contribute to my five-star rating.The most striking thing about the house is the different architectural styles that somehow blend together. I found the Spanish / Moorish elements interesting and attractive. My favorite part of the house was his office / work area in a room just off the entryway. The large bookcases held hundreds of his books. The desk was almost in middle of the room. Behind the desk was a long, wide bench with thick cushions that ran the length of the wall. There were two velvet curtains that could be closed. This was an area for him to take a break from writing and to take a nap. If someone came calling, he could go out the door in the enclosed area and come down the hallway. The visitor would have no idea that Mr. Irving had been caught napping in his office.The four-poster in the bedroom was very nice. My friend and I enjoyed our tour of the house and grounds. One can easily spend a couple of days in this area. Other nearby attractions include Van Cortland Manor, Philipsburg Manor, Union Church of Pocantico Hills, the Rockefeller estate named Kykuit, the Old Dutch Church, and Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, resting of many famous people including Washington Irving, cosmetics entrepreneur Elizabeth Arden, business mogul / philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, Harry and Leona Helmsley, and Walter Chrysler, founder of Chrysler Corporation.We plan to return to this area sometime in the future. If you found this review helpful, kindly click YES below.