It was the home of Washington Irving and the topic of his tale The Legend of Sleepy Hollow; it is the final resting place of such American greats as Andrew Carnegie and William Rockefeller; and it was the capture site of conspirator Major John Andre, cohort to the traitor Benedict Arnold. Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, once known as North Tarrytown, are one of the most historically rich areas in the Hudson River Valley.

These towns are bedroom communities for New Yorkers who work in New York City by day and return to a quieter environment when evening falls. Who wouldn't choose the quaint town of trolleys and Victorian mansions, quiet lakes and peaceful preserves over the bustling metropolis of New York City?

The Rockefeller Preserve in Sleepy Hollow is home to countless wildlife, spread throughout wetlands and meadows and the preserve's lake. Adjacent to the preserve is the famous Kykuit, weekend home to three generations of Rockefellers. Public tours of this estate, however, start out from Phillipsburg Manor where hosts dress up and demonstrate life on a Colonial Dutch farm.

At the foot of the sloping streets of Tarrytown sits Washington Irving's old townhouse, Sunnyside, which he referred to as his "little snuggery." A minute away, a rather ostentatious Gothic revival, Lyndhurt, stands in contrast. The mansion and its 67 acres were home to a money monger named Jay Gould, who was indirectly responsible for the tragic events of Black Friday on September 24, 1869.

Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow are among the most interesting sites of the Hudson Valley region. And, they are easily accessible from I-87 south. For more information, look at the sidebar at the left-hand side of this page.