gabbyl27
We have been here several times. Great place for kids to see some history and then run on the grounds
BillS668
As other have said, house is surprisingly small. Still it is kind of interesting, made moreso by a very knowledgable and informative docent in period costume. The view of the Hudson used to be spectacular, I'm sure, but is now a bit less so due to the Metro North running next to it. Still, the whole thing is definitely worth ten bucks (senior price) and an hour or two of your time if it's a nice day.
CSJNewYork
I had gone to Sunnyside in the spring, and returned for their Halloween attraction called "Legend Behind the Legend". It was great to see the house, and the beautiful grounds during the 2 most colorful seasons. The "Legend" also comes with a house tour, which I didn't notice when I bought my ticket online. I was a bit late getting there because of traffic through Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown, but they were still letting people into the house in groups of ten as long as you're within that window of time. They had a shadow puppet theater depicting an abridged version of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". The ticket also included a Spooky Walk, which our guide readily acknowledged wasn't spooky at all. But it was still a nice walk, and it was good to hear another Washington Irving story.
Grecat22
visited here on a lovely fall day. Lovely grounds to wander with views of the Hudson River. Lots of activities for Halloween--spooky walk, grave yard, shadow puppet show about the headless horseman. We enjoyed learning about Washington Irving and visiting his estate. Staff were quite friendly and very helpful.
alphonsed2013
We wanted to see Washington Irvings home the "spooky tour" was part of the deal . Son't miss seeing this great persons home but skip the very lame "spooky tour"
bcp49
This was my 2nd tour of this lovely home of America's great writer. The tour is guided by a period dressed historian. The beautiful Hudson River runs next to Sunnyside with only railroad tracks/trains to interfere with its tranquility. Must see/do!
C0neeN
The home of America's first internationally famous author sits along the Hudson River in Tarrytown. Rooms are furnished with period pieces from the family. It started out as a small stone cottage, but Irving added to the home and grounds over the years. The guides are knowledgeable about the home and Irving. If you are a fan of his stories, you will not want to miss seeing this charming home.
mymonkeybug
We are a homeschool family who loves literature and after studying Washington Irving last year, we decided we had to visit Sunnyside last week on a trip to visit family in Salem, MA. We loved the location and the house but sadly, we wound up there on a day when a school field trip was also there. We were rushed from the museum store/ticket purchasing location down to the house with a slightly larger than I think they would prefer crowd simply to get those of us there for a tour ahead of the school kids. As a result, we were packed into the house like sardines and that made the entire experience inside the house less than ideal. It didn't help either that someone was within our tour group claiming to be related to the Van Tassel's and thought he knew everything there was to know about Irving and the Van Tassel's and he practically dominated the tour asking questions or rather putting his own spin on what the very elderly tour guide was trying to inform us of while touring the home and grounds. I do wish we had had a different guide as our guide, as mentioned above, was quite elderly and you could barely hear her and she rarely spoke to us but rather spoke to the floor. Quite quickly the group of school kids were on our heals which meant we had to walk out of the house and wait to re-enter to finish the tour in the kitchen. It was drizzling so we were glad when it was done as my children and I remained behind the group and toured the grounds outside the home and took many photographs.In general, I would highly recommend going for the rich history but would strongly advise to call ahead to ask if there are any school tours planned and meaning no disrespect, also inquiring as to the age and voice capabilities of the guides on duty for the day.
Chevy1806
I enjoyed my tour of this home. The staff being in costume is a nice added touch. The property itself is lovely and gives nice views of the Hudson.
villaguys
Our tour guide was in costume and very knowledgeable about Washington Irving. Highly recommend a visit to Sunnyside.
denisef306
The house and grounds were lovely. Learned much about WI and life on the Hudson during those years. Too bad about the railroad! Very nice gift shop and knowledgable guides.
VirginiaN183
We went on a beautiful sunny afternoon. The tour guide was very knowledgable and the home is beautiful. A must see!
Allansha
WASHINGTON IRVINGS OLD HOME IS A LOVELY PLACE TO VISIT. IT IS CLASSICALLY LAID OUT AND HAS WONDERFUL GARDENS AND OUT BUILDINGS. There are numerous events happening all day and the visitor is emersed in life at Irvings"s time. It is very educational and enjoyable and makes for a wonderful day.
hopeforlife123
we arrived about 2:30 in the afternoon and were very disappointted to be told they were fully booked for the balance of the day. looks amazing - we will go back but will book our tickets early.
Kay_from_NYC
I was going to skip this site... I'm really glad I didn't. My tour was great, the costumed guide (Brenna ?) was clearly very informed about the subject and was able to quote amusing excerts of Washington Irving's letters from memory. I visit a lot of historical homes, and I fee like the tours often follow a similar narrative (look at the nice old stuff!). This was one a bit unique, and I felt I learned a bit about both early American literature, and about Irving's personality.