If it’s Halloween, then Historic Hudson Valley’s Philipsburg Manor and Van Cortlandt Manor are the places to be.
At Philipsburg Manor – an 18th century gristmill and farm – the spirit of Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” rides on in the haunted attraction “Horseman’s Hollow.” Be prepared to be Ichabod Craned as more than a few things go bump in the night.
On a serious note, this is not for you if you are younger than age 10 or have a heart or neurological condition. And while it is handicapped accessible, the ground is shadowy and uneven.
A gentler bet is “The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze” at 18th-century Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson. With more than 7,000 illuminated pumpkins transformed into sea monsters, dinosaurs and circus trains, to name a few, this is fun for the whole family.
And don’t forget that you can savor master storyteller Jonathan Kruk’s presentation of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” across the street from Philipsburg Manor at the Old Dutch Church or make a daytime pilgrimage to author Irving’s charming “snuggery” of a home, Sunnyside, in neighboring Tarrytown.
As you might expect, tickets to these events are limited this weekend.
For more, visit http://www.hudsonvalley.org/events/legend-behind-legend. And for a different take on Philipsburg Manor, which was operated by enslaved Africans during the colonial period, look for WAG’s November “Passion for Work” issue. – Georgette Gouveia
