Historic Hudson Valley is thrilled to announce its highly anticipated spring tour season will begin on Friday, May 3, with tours of Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate, Philipsburg Manor, Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, and Union Church of Pocantico Hills, all National Historic Landmarks. On Saturday, May 25, the return of The Pinkster Festival will add to a full spring lineup of activities.
A new tour experience at Philipsburg Manor allows visitors to explore this former provisioning plantation at their own pace. Visitors can step into the working gristmill, walk through the manor house with period artifacts, and learn about the 23 enslaved individuals of African descent who lived and labored on the plantation. Museum guides throughout the site provide information and answer questions as visitors explore the grounds. At Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, visitors tour the author’s cottage and the bucolic grounds, which were designed by Irving himself, and learn about America’s Founding Father of Literature. Picnic tables are available at both sites and light snacks, as well as souvenirs and local finds, are available to purchase in the museum shops. Visitors to Union Church of Pocantico Hills view spectacular stained-glass windows by European masters, including the last commissioned work by Henri Matisse and nine windows by Marc Chagall, and learn the inspiration behind each one.
At Kykuit, the estate’s modern and classical art collection, architecture, and expansive gardens make it one of the top-rated cultural attractions in the lower Hudson Valley. Visitors to Kykuit learn the story of the Rockefellers, beginning with John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil, whose business acumen made him the richest man in America in his day. He later became the country’s first significant philanthropist and by his death in 1937, he had given away more than half his fortune through various philanthropic programs.
Kykuit visitors can choose from three tours: Classic, Grand, and Selected Highlights.
The Pinkster Festival, New York’s oldest African American holiday, will be celebrated on May 25 at Philipsburg Manor with a day filled with art, poetry, live music, dance, and storytelling. Visitors will hear spoken word performances, dance to the beat of African kora and djembe, listen to African folk tales, and try hands-on crafts such as making flower crowns and mini drums. The Pinkster Festival is supported by Insperity.
Capacity is limited for all the historic site tours and events, and visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets online in advance at hudsonvalley.org. Same-day admission prices are subject to a $2 surcharge.
In 1750, Philipsburg Manor was home to 23 enslaved individuals known to have lived and labored there. It is the country’s first living history museum to focus on the history of northern slavery.
The site will be open Friday-Sunday: May 3 – Sep 30, Nov 8 – Dec 1; Wednesday-Monday: Oct 2 – Nov 3; and Saturday-Sunday: Dec 7 – Dec 22, plus Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day/Indigenous People’s Day, and Veteran’s Day. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and young adults, and $13 for children. Tickets are free for Historic Hudson Valley members.
Philipsburg Manor is at 381 North Broadway (Route 9) in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., two miles north of the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.
America’s “Founding Father of Literature” created a romantic, picturesque estate nestled along the Hudson riverbank. The house and the furnishings, many of which are original to Irving, have been restored to their 1850s character.
The site will be open for guided tours Friday-Sunday: May 3 – Sep 30, Nov 8 – Dec 1; Wednesday-Monday: Oct 2 – Nov 3; Saturday-Sunday: Dec 7 – Dec 22, plus Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day/Indigenous People’s Day, and Veteran’s Day. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and young adults, and $13 for children. Tours are free for Historic Hudson Valley members.
Washington Irving’s Sunnyside is at 3 W Sunnyside Lane, Irvington, one mile south of the Tappan Zee Bridge.
UNION CHURCH OF POCANTICO HILLS
Union Church was organized as a non-denominational Protestant church in 1915, with John D. Rockefeller among the founders. Over the years, the Rockefeller family commissioned stained-glass windows by European masters Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall to adorn the unassuming country church.
The site will be open for tours Wednesday-Sunday, May 3-Dec 22, plus Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day/Indigenous People’s Day, and Veteran’s Day. Tickets are $10. Tours are free for Historic Hudson Valley members.
Union Church of Pocantico Hills is at 555 Bedford Road, Tarrytown.
KYKUIT, THE ROCKEFELLER ESTATE
Built between 1906 and 1913, Kykuit was home to four generations of the Rockefeller family, beginning with John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil. Later, his grandson Nelson Rockefeller, the former governor of New York and vice president of the United States, lived there with his family.
The site will be open for guided tours Friday-Sunday: May 3 – Sep 30, Nov 8 – Nov 10; Wednesday-Monday: Oct 2 – Nov 3, plus Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day/Indigenous People’s Day.
Kykuit, a historic site of the National Trust, is operated and maintained by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund as a center for its philanthropic programs. Historic Hudson Valley operates the public visitation program.
All visits to Kykuit start at the Kykuit and Philipsburg Manor Visitor Center, located at 381 North Broadway (Route 9) in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. Tickets start at $25 for adults, $23 for seniors, and $20 for youth (10-17) young adults (18-25). Westchester County residents receive a $5 discount on the adult ticket price for the Selected Highlights tour. National Trust for Historic Preservation members receive a 50% discount on all tours and Historic Hudson Valley members receive a 15% discount.
Pinkster has been celebrated in New York since the 1700s and is the region’s oldest African American holiday. Visitors will be able to tour the historic site and take in live performances throughout the day. Featured performers include Malik Work, spoken word artist and founder of The Real Live Show, master kora player Yacouba Sissoko, DJ GoodWill, artist Nichole Washington, and storyteller April Armstrong.
Tickets are $14 for adults; $12 for young adults and seniors; and free for children under 17 and Historic Hudson Valley members.
The Pinkster Festival takes place at Philipsburg Manor, 381 North Broadway (Route 9) in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.
The Pinkster Festival is supported by Insperity.
