Lyndhurst Mansion
An American icon of architecture and landscape.
The Lyndhurst mansion and its contents are largely as its last residents left it, a fabulous repository of gilded-age Americana.
The Gothic Revival home was originally designed in 1838 by American architect Alexander Jackson Davis for former New York City mayor William Paulding, Jr. Paulding named his country villa “Knoll.” In 1864 Davis doubled the size of the house for its second owner, George Merritt, who renamed it “Lyndenhurst” after the Linden trees growing on the property.
In 1880 railroad baron Jay Gould purchased the estate, maintaining it as his summer home and country retreat until his death in 1892. The mansion and what is now a 67-acre estate remained in the Gould family until 1961 (it once exceeded 500 acres). The house and grounds are now a property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The grounds and outbuildings are a fine example of 19th century landscape design. Much of the layout was accomplished by master gardener Ferdinand Mangold, whose tenure spanned both Merritt and Gould ownership of the property. Both Mangold and Merritt are buried nearby in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Paulding is in the adjacent churchyard of the Old Dutch Church. Jay Gould is further away in a private mausoleum in Woodlawn Cemetery.
Fans of the 1960s television series Dark Shadows may recall that Lyndhurst in served as the Collinwood estate in the feature-length films House of Dark Shadows (1970) and Night of Dark Shadows (1971). Sleepy Hollow Cemetery’s receiving vault made a cameo in House of Dark Shadows as the Collins family mausoleum.
The house and grounds of Lyndhurst are host to tours, craft fairs and other special events. See www.lyndhurst.org for current ticket prices and tour times. Other rates apply for special events.
Location: Lyndhurst, 635 South Broadway, Tarrytown, NY 10591, 914-631-4481.
Women's Work Exhibition
This groundbreaking exhibition tracks the deep, pervasive, and continuing influence of the historic female domestic craft tradition in the practice of contemporary women artists and invites new investigations into the position of women in the contemporary art world. These historic and contemporary works by women artists will fill the Lyndhurst Mansion and gallery this summer.
You can view Women’s Work in a few ways:
- Visit the exhibition gallery on days that the mansion is open for tours; entrance is included with your ticket for any guided tour at Lyndhurst. The gallery is open from 11 am to 3:30 pm.
- Take the Classic Mansion Tour to hear about the mansion and its history, but also see the exhibition objects that are on display inside the mansion.
- Take the specialized Women’s Work Exhibition Tour which will tour both the exhibition gallery and the mansion and specifically discuss the works on display and the artists who created them.
2022 dates: On View May 26 through September 26, 2022.
For information and tickets: https://lyndhurst.org
Fall Crafts at Lyndhurst Mansion
Fall Crafts at Lyndhurst returns to the grounds of the 67-acre Lyndhurst estate from September 16th through September 18th.
Shop for one-of-a-kind items from 200 craftspeople and makers! Find handmade original fashions, accessories, and jewelry; functional and sculptural works in ceramics, glass, metal, fiber, wood, and mixed media; and fine art painting, printmaking, drawing, and photography. Plus, enjoy gourmet foods, specialties, food trucks, and tastings from local distilleries, wineries, and cider houses. Plus, enjoy family activities and craft demos.
It’s a great day for the entire family at one of America’s most beautiful landmarks. Rain or shine. Timed entry and other COVID restrictions apply.
2022 dates: September 16th through September 18th. Schedule: Friday, September 16, from 10-5. Saturday, September 17, from 10-6. Sunday, September 18, from 10-5.
For information: 845-331-7900, www.artrider.com
Lyndhurst After Dark
You’ve experienced the splendor of the Mansion during the day, but have you seen it draped in candlelight?
Come and experience the history of the Mansion and explore Victorian lore in the glow of an October evening; Lyndhurst After Dark! Timed entry into the Mansion allows visitors to experience the house as it is decorated in the spirit of the season, with special collections and items on display relating to the superstitions of the age.
This is an experience through the Mansion in the evening hours, that will discuss the slightly darker side of history through those who lived at Lyndhurst. Visitors will get a chance to experience the architecture, decor, and collection items on display while listening to performers regale about the traditions of the past.
The event in the mansion lasts about 30 minutes. With check-in at the welcome center and parking, please anticipate the full event lasting 1 hour.
Not suitable for children under 6 years of age.
2022 dates: October 21-23, 27-30, 5 pm tp 3 pm.
For information and tickets: https://lyndhurst.org
The Grimpendium with J. W. Ocker
A special treat for Halloween, Lyndhurst welcomes author J.W. Ocker who will give a special talk on all things grim in our region! Based on his bestselling book, The New York Grimpendium, Ocker will regale visitors with a personalized itinerary of the best grim and spooky sights nearby, including Lyndhurst itself!
Part personal travelogue, part guidebook, this book covers hundreds of macabre sites, attractions, and artifacts, all drawn from the firsthand experiences of J.W. Ocker, who covered 9,000 miles of New York roadway to visit such sites as a 19th-century brain collection to the home of an artist whose muses are serial killers to a ship graveyard, and many other of New York’s creepier parts.
J.W. Ocker is the Lowell Thomas- and Edgar Award-winning author of macabre travelogues, spooky kid’s books, and horror novels. His books include A Season with the Witch, Death, and Douglas, Twelve Nights at Rotter House, and Cursed Objects. His next book is a middle-grade horror novel called The Smashed Man of Dread End. Ocker lives in New Hampshire. Visit him at oddthingsiveseen.com.
2022 date: October 28, 2:30 pm and 5:30 pm.
For information and tickets: https://lyndhurst.org
Victorian Photography Studio
New for this Halloween season is the chance to bring home a piece of photographic history. Victorian Photography Studio from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania will be at the Lyndhurst mansion ready to take your portrait using 19th-century photographic technology, resulting in a one-of-a-kind tintype portrait. Bring home a special memento of your trip to the gothic mansion during the most exciting time of the year. As this is a traveling studio, costumes will not be on site to rent, but visitors are welcome to come dressed for the occasion or in your Halloween best!
2022 date: October 29, 9:30 am to 3:30 pm.
For information and tickets: https://lyndhurst.org