Overview
Sleepy Hollow is a village in Westchester County in the state of New York. It was one of the settings for Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow".
6 sights · 8 things to do · 4 places to eat · 2 bars & cafés
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Sleepy Hollow
Union Church of Pocantico Hills
The stained glass windows by Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall were commissioned by members of the Rockefeller family. The rose window was the last work by Matisse before his death. Self guided and guided tours.
Old Dutch Church and Burying Ground
The church has been in continuous use since around 1690, except for a few years during the American Revolution. Free guided tours of the burying ground from Memorial Day Weekend through the end of October, Sundays at 2PM…
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Pay a visit to Washington Irving, Andrew Carnegie, Walter Chrysler, William Rockefeller, and Elizabeth Arden in their final abodes. The style of architecture ranges from Victorian rural at the cemetery's south end to gra…
Philipsburg Manor Upper Mills
Historic Dutch manor and mill restored to its appearance in the late 17th/early 18th century. In "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", Ichabod Crane saunters beside the manor's millpond with the "country damsels" of the neighbo…
Rockefeller Estate
Guided tours of the main house, Kykuit, and its gardens and art galleries, are available through Historic Hudson Valley. All Kykuit tours depart from Philipsburg Manor, 381 N Broadway.
Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture
Formerly part of the Rockefeller estate, promotes regional agriculture through its educational programs and its demonstration gardens and greenhouses, Pocantico Hills (Sleepy Hollow).
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 82°F; winter lows dip to about 21°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Sep and Mar. (climate data from nearby Briarcliff Manor)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- HPN Westchester County Airport, White Plains — 8 mi away. Directions
- TEB Teterboro Airport, Teterboro — 20 mi away. Directions
- LGA LaGuardia Airport, New York — 22 mi away (major hub). Directions
Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Old Dutch Church and Burying Ground, Rockefeller Estate, Philipsburg Manor Upper Mills
- Lunch Chuchok Thai
- Afternoon Sleepy Hollow Cemetery walking tours, Horseman's Hollow
- Dinner Hollywood North Pizza
- Evening J. P. Doyle's
Day 2
- Morning Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Follow Ichabod Crane's route
- Lunch Ambar Restaurant
- Afternoon Hike, horseback ride, fish, or go birding, Haunted Hayride
- Dinner Blue Hill at Stone Barns
- Evening Bridge View Tavern
Day 3
- Morning Union Church of Pocantico Hills, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture
- Afternoon Old Croton Aqueduct, Reading of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Founded as an agricultural center in Dutch New Netherland by Frederick Philipse. Philipse switched allegiance to England when the British evicted the Dutch, but his heirs were less astute in their political affiliations: 3rd generation Philipses continued allegiance to England during the American Revolution and were forced to forfeit their vast land holdings. After the war, the small hamlet around the Philipse's mill was renamed Beekmantown after a prominent patriot family. By 1874 the hamlet had grown into a village and incorporated as North Tarrytown. In 1996 residents of the village voted to change its name from North Tarrytown to Sleepy Hollow to distinguish it from the adjacent village of Tarrytown. Sleepy Hollow shares a zip code and a school system with Tarrytown, but the two villages are separate municipalities.
Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is set here and in Tarrytown. In the story, "Sleepy Hollow" is the valley of the Pocantico River, now largely occupied by Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and Rockefeller State Park Preserve.
Sleepy Hollow Chamber of Commerce provides tourist information and descriptions of seasonal events on its web site and in its storefront window: 1 Neperan Rd, Tarrytown, +1 914 631-1705.
Get in
By plane
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Newark, New Jersey, John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and LaGuardia Airport: The three major international airports in the New York City area offer service to just about anywhere. Westchester-based taxi and livery cars offer regular service to and from the three internationals from most areas of the county. New York City yellow cabs will take to you Westchester in a pinch, but the fares can be exorbitant. Ask if your hotel offers shuttle service.
By car
- Sleepy Hollow is easily accessible from the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada via interstate highways such as the New England and New Jersey Turnpikes (I-95) and the New York State Thruway system. The I-87 portion of the Thruway connecting Albany and New York City crosses the Hudson River in adjacent Tarrytown on the Tappan Zee bridge as does I-287, which connects with I-95 to the east. The Saw Mill River Parkway, which runs along the village's eastern flank, connects with the Taconic State Parkway to the north (to Albany and the I-90 east-west portion of the Thruway system) and the Henry Hudson Parkway into New York City. Route 9 connects Sleepy Hollow to the major highways in Tarrytown.
By train
- Metro-North Railroad - Hudson line. Downtown Sleepy Hollow is just about equidistant from the Tarrytown and Philipse Manor (Sleepy Hollow) stations. Express service between Tarrytown station and New York City's Grand Central Terminal is about 35 minutes, about 39 minutes to Philipse Manor station. Local rail service is available between other Metro-North commuter stations. Taxis swarm the Tarrytown station at the arrival of nearly every train, but Philipse Manor does not get the same attention. On all Metro-North trains on-board fares are subject to a stiff surcharge, so buy your tickets at the station or at the vending machines located on the southbound (to New York) platform at the Tarrytown station. Metro-North's "One-Day Getaways" discount package is available to Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate. Enterprise has a car rental office for Metro-North stations.
- Amtrak. Long distance connections are available in New York City's Penn Station and at Metro-North's Croton-Harmon station. Amtrak connections available to VIA Rail Canada.
By boat
Place NY Waterway
Runs seasonal, weekend trips from Manhattan to Sleepy Hollow. Packages deals are available to Historic Hudson Valley properties Philipsburg Manor and Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate.
By bus
- Bee Line System. Westchester County's bus service provides access to White Plains and other locations in the county. Schedules and route maps are available on-line and at the Tarrytown and Philipse Manor (Sleepy Hollow) train stations.
Get around
If arriving by train from New York City and planning only a day trip within the central business district, you can get about on foot or by local taxi. NY Waterway tours have their own bus transportation between destinations. If you stay in local hotels or motels, a car becomes something of a necessity. Broadway (aka Route 9) is the main north to south route through the village.
See
The main attraction is Sleepy Hollow's association with Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", so visit the old churchyard where the Headless Horseman purportedly rests. If you look hard you might find the headstone of Catriena Ecker Van Tessel whose anglicized name, Katrina Van Tassel, appears in Irving's story.
See Old Dutch Church and Burying Ground
The church has been in continuous use since around 1690, except for a few years during the American Revolution. Free guided tours of the burying ground from Memorial Day Weekend through the end of October, Sundays at 2PM. Self-guided tour book Tales of the Old Dutch Burying Ground is sold at the Philipsburg Manor museum shop. This is the spot where Ichabod Crane sought sanctuary from the Headless Horseman. If you happen to be here after dark, keep in mind that ".the Headless Horseman. it was said, tethered his horse nightly among the graves in the churchyard." Park inside adjacent Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
See Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Pay a visit to Washington Irving, Andrew Carnegie, Walter Chrysler, William Rockefeller, and Elizabeth Arden in their final abodes. The style of architecture ranges from Victorian rural at the cemetery's south end to grand neo-classical mausoleums at the north end. Free maps are available in literature boxes at the cemetery office and at the cemetery's south gate.
See Philipsburg Manor Upper Mills
Historic Dutch manor and mill restored to its appearance in the late 17th/early 18th century. In "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", Ichabod Crane saunters beside the manor's millpond with the "country damsels" of the neighborhood. This is also the departure point for tours of Kykuit.
See Rockefeller Estate
Guided tours of the main house, Kykuit, and its gardens and art galleries, are available through Historic Hudson Valley. All Kykuit tours depart from Philipsburg Manor, 381 N Broadway.
See Union Church of Pocantico Hills
The stained glass windows by Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall were commissioned by members of the Rockefeller family. The rose window was the last work by Matisse before his death. Self guided and guided tours.
Do
Do Follow Ichabod Crane's route
Fans of Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" can follow the route of Ichabod Crane from the center of adjacent Tarrytown north into Sleepy Hollow. But don't expect to find the "Western Woods" or anything else from the 1999 movie Sleepy Hollow. Tim Burton's production is only loosely based on Irving's story and was filmed largely in Hertfordshire, England. The original bridge is long gone, but there's a rustic bridge inside Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
Do Old Croton Aqueduct
Go hiking or bicycling on the aqueduct's trailway. The original water supply to New York City is now a walking trail that runs from Croton-on-Hudson in the north to Yonkers in the south. Notably, the trail passes through the Lyndhurst estate in the south end of Tarrytown, and very near Washington Irving's Sunnyside. Over the 180 years since it was built, portions have disappeared from the downtown areas of several river towns, including Sleepy Hollow (part of Sleepy Hollow High School is built on top of the aqueduct, forcing a detour behind the school).
Do Hike, horseback ride, fish, or go birding
At Rockefeller State Park Preserve. Equestrians can park horse trailers at the park's main entrance (in case you wish to make your own horseback ride through Sleepy Hollow). Trail maps are available at the park visitor center on Route 117, one mile east of Route 9. There is a parking fee at the main entrance, but no fee if you enter trails from Old Sleepy Hollow Road (see online map) or the Rockwood Hall portion of the park located west of Route 9. The park includes portions of the valley of the Pocantico River, which is what Irving dubbed Sleepy Hollow in his famous tale.
- Take a guided kayak tour on the Hudson River. Hudson River Recreation, +1-888-321-HUDSON. Tours depart from Kingsland Point Park, Palmer Ave. Seasonal.
Annual events
The weekends prior to Halloween are filled with events that tie in to "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". If possible, make advanced reservations as most events fill quickly. Adjacent Tarrytown, setting for portions of the legend, is also home to numerous October events. To avoid disappointment, call in advance to confirm dates and times. Most events require reservations or advance tickets.
Do Reading of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
There's no better place to hear the story than in the very churchyard it made famous. Reserve tickets through The Reformed Church of Tarrytown.
Buy
The central business district, encompassing Beekman Avenue and the adjacent portions of Broadway (Route 9), offers restaurants and shops.
Eat
Budget
Eat Ambar Restaurant
A hole-in-the wall Dominican-American that offers good food at reasonable prices. 10AM-7PM daily, closed Tuesdays. Formerly the Cuban-American Corona's Lunch.
Eat Chuchok Thai
Excellent authentic Thai food, the best in the area by far. As of Dec 2021, it is open for pick-up only due to pandemic. A small, family operation, it’s so popular you should call in your order well in advance. They also accept orders by email before 3PM.
Splurge
Eat Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Blue Hill is an upscale restaurant located at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, a model farm adjacent to Rockefeller State Park Preserve. Appropriate attire required. Prix fixe three-course dinner $65, prix fixe four-course dinner $75.
Drink
Alcohol
Drink J. P. Doyle's
Irish pub in Sleepy Hollow’s business district. Dinner daily 5-11PM, lunch F-Su 11:30AM-3PM.
Drink Bridge View Tavern
18 varieties of beer on tap.
Sleep
There are no places to sleep in the town, but nearby Tarrytown has some options.
Stay safe
Dial 911 from any telephone for emergency police, medical, and fire services.
Go next
In adjacent Tarrytown, visit sites related to the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and browse the numerous antique shops.
Nearby
Tarrytown
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Elmsford
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Briarcliff Manor
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Piermont
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