Near the shores of the Hudson River, in The Shadow of The Tappan Zee Bridge lies a small village in the state of New York. “Named Sleepy Hollow in The olden days as it was very quiet and made people sleepy”.
In 1820 Washington Irving immortalized this town when he wrote “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. In modern times this quiet little village wakes in October to celebrate The Headless Horseman and the Havoc he wreaked on the imaginations of the townsfolk and Ichabod Crane.
When my cousin pointed out the town to me on a recent road trip, I thought what a perfect place to visit for Halloween. And I was not disappointed.
Every street lamp, store front
and street celebrates this haunting season,
even the fire department gets into “the spirit”.
There is a huge haunted house on the property of Philipsburg Manor, that turns into the Horseman’s Hallow for the month of October.
This very spooky haunted house is not for the faint of heart as you never know what might jump out at you around each corner.
The Sleepy Hollow Cemetery hosts several tours.
We took the evening lantern tour on Halloween night.
Our host Sandy fascinated us with tales of many of the residence who have chosen Sleepy Hollow as their final resting place.
This beautiful garden cemetery is now eternal home to the remains of Andrew Carnegie,
Frances Church
The Rockefeller’s
and of course Washington Irving.
I was surprised at how peaceful and beautiful this cemetery was.
From the “high rent districts”
where the opulent mausoleum’s line up like homes in a cull de sac
to the simple graves
memorializing loved ones taken too soon,
whose lives touched others and will always be loved and remembered.
And a touch of macabre where Barnabas Collins from dark show gets a nod, because after all, this is Sleepy Hollow.
But there was no sign of the Headless Horseman on that Halloween Night
nor did we have any Ichabod Crane sightings, not even a faint whisper of one of the church psalms he would sing when frightened.
The simple Grave of Washington Irving is appropriately decorated by lit pumpkin that reminds us of the spooky, spirited tale that made this location famous.
If your interested in a permanent home here (when the time comes) this is a “living” active cemetery where one can still find a plot for your final rest.
There is so much to see in Sleepy Hollow and neighboring Tarrytown that three days hardly seemed sufficient.
Because we were there during the week many places were closed.
The Bridge that Ichabod Crane ran for his life to still stands in town
out side the Sleepy Hollow Cemetary, do not slip as you cross lest you become victim to the Headless Horseman.
The magnificent Lyndhurst Castle on the banks of The Hudson
was closed for tours
but we were able to drive around the grounds
and see the ghosts
scarecrows
And witches
That were still playing on the grounds, even after Halloween had passed.
The Philipsburg Manor when not be used as a haunted house, sits peacefully on the water as a beautiful memory of times when Sleepy Hollow was sleepy.
The Rockefeller State Preserve is just out of town and offers 55 miles of paths to hike.
The Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse was closed when we visited.
There is new construction in the surrounding area
but we were able to get close enough to take a few pictures.
Patriot Park stands in the middle of Tarrytown and is a place to take a peaceful walk or picnic.
Near Ossinger there is a river walk where you can stroll down the banks of The Hudson and watch the sunset.
Lots to do and see in the quaint little area as we drove away. How will we ever out do this Halloween? Hmmmm 2018 Salem perhaps?
Pink Hat Gypsy 