Sleepy Hollow, NY Travel Guide

Sleepy Hollow was honestly the perfect getaway from NYC, it is only about an hour up the Hudson River by Metro North (you can actually see NYC from the water!) but is a green, quiet, beautiful oasis. We went before the whole area became Halloweentown but it was just as nice and we did see some of the earlier haunts and happenings!

Where We Ate:

When we first hopped off the Metro North in Tarrytown, we headed straight to the Bridge View Tavern and had the most delicious lunch- I ordered the fish and chips and pear cider and Clark got fig and goat cheese pizza with an ale (we had very different palates that day). For dinner, we had a delicious Italian meal at Mima Vinotecca in Irvington. I had the risotto balls and clark opted for a burrata and squash dish. And then we split a pumpkin crème brûlée that absolutely decadent.

Also in Irvington, we had light fare and coffee at both The Black Cat Cafe and BRRZAAR which were both adorable and yummy! I will say, the food was all much more expensive than I thought with it being a small town and all, it was all pretty on par with what you would spend in NYC.

What We Did:

So, just going to throw out there if you do not like literature or history you will find Sleepy Hollow VERY boring. Lucky for everyone, those are my two favorite things so I personally had a blast. If I could go to Colonial Williamsburg and just walk around the old buildings I would be one happy lady. Sleepy Hollow has a good number of old homes that have been turned into museums including Washington Irving's Sunnyside, Lyndhurst Manor, and The Rockefeller Estate. We opted to only do Washington Irving's house, since he is the whole reason that this town is on the map and the others did not seem worth the price. But we absolutely loved Sunnyside!

Like we were ready to move in, the grounds were so beautiful and our tour guide was so knowledgeable and seemed really passionate about the history she was keeping alive. We had a small group, so it made the whole experience so much better. I really was not expecting to learn as much as I did, but I definitely respect and admire Irving even more than I already did. We also went to the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery which is HUGE and actually very confusing, but it was nice to walk around and see the mixture of gravestones ranging from the 19th century to modern day. It's also located right by the Sleepy Hollow bridge featured in the short story.

If you are not that into the historical or literary aspect of Sleepy Hollow, it is super easy to get to a few nearby apple orchards, we chose Dr. Davies and loved every second there! It's not that big and was located on the base of some gorgeous mountains. Plus, the apples were delicious and everyone was super nice!

Halloween Activities:

If you're planning on going there for more of a Halloween experience, they have so many awesome events including The Great Lack-o-lantern Blaze, Haunted Hayrides, and a nighttime tour of the cemetery. Honestly, Sleepy Hollow is worth spending the weekend at anytime of year, because as I've said a million times since leaving... it's just literally gorgeous.