Philipsburg Manor

Today’s villages of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown are descendants of Philipsburg Manor, a colonial-era farming, milling, and trading center. In 1653, Frederick Philipse came to the Dutch colony of New Netherland as a carpenter for the Dutch West India Company. Through canny business skill, an astute sense of politics, and two very advantageous marriages, Philipse came to control 52,000 acres of what is now Westchester County.

When the British evicted the Dutch and renamed the colony New York, Philipse switched his allegiance to the British crown and business continued as usual. His heirs were less fortunate in reading the winds of change: they sided with the British during the American Revolution and lost everything in the aftermath.

Philipse’s trading center has been restored to its appearance in 1750, when it was a provisioning hub run by an enslaved community of 23 people of African descent, who milled grain, tended livestock, and loaded the sloops that carried goods down the Hudson. A visit today centers their lives and labor — including Caesar, the enslaved miller whose expertise built the Philipse family’s wealth, and Dina, Massey, and Sue, three of the enslaved women who ran a commercial dairy in the Manor House cellar. Programs and events also show how Dutch, African, and Native American cultures became entwined at this colonial outpost.

The church Philipse built for the occupants of this part of his estate also survives. Both the Old Dutch Church, still owned and used by the congregation, and Philipsburg Manor make appearances in Washington Irving’s short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Of Ichabod Crane, Irving wrote that he was “peculiarly happy in the smiles of all the country damsels,” sauntering “along the banks of the adjacent mill-pond” — the very millpond visitors cross today.

Philipsburg Manor is owned and operated by Historic Hudson Valley, which also runs Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, Union Church of Pocantico Hills, and Van Cortlandt Manor.

How to Visit Philipsburg Manor

Location: 381 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591. hudsonvalley.org · 914-366-6900

Parking: Main lot at 381 North Broadway; overflow lot at 100 Continental Street. The scenic path from the overflow lot to the visitor center offers good views of the mill.

2026 Season (May–December):

• Friday–Sunday: May 8 – September 27, and November 1 – November 29
• Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: October 5 – October 29
• Saturday–Sunday: December 5 – December 20
• Also open Memorial Day, Juneteenth, and Labor Day

Admission (2026): Adult $18, senior (65+) and young adult (18–25) $15, child (3–17) $13; children under 3 and Historic Hudson Valley members free. Buying ahead saves money — same-day tickets cost $2 more — and timed tickets can be exchanged for another available date up to 5 pm the day before, for a small fee. Book at tickets.hudsonvalley.org.

Visitor Experience: Guided tours are led by costumed educators through the mill, manor house, activity center, and barn, with hands-on demonstrations in most spaces. Guided tours run about 1 hour and 45 minutes and include walking indoors and out, with stairs. During self-guided tours and Summer Saturdays, visitors explore at their own pace and linger over the hands-on activities as long as they like.

Visiting Without a Car

Philipsburg Manor is one of the more transit-friendly historic sites in the area. Take Metro-North’s Hudson Line to the Philipse Manor station in Sleepy Hollow, which is under a mile away; from Tarrytown station (an express stop, about 35 minutes from Grand Central) it’s a bit over a mile, so many visitors take a short taxi or rideshare. If you’re attending one of the after-dark autumn events below, arrange your return ride in advance. For full details, see Sleepy Hollow Without a Car: Visiting by Train.

Autumn at Philipsburg Manor

Each October, Philipsburg Manor transforms into the beating heart of Sleepy Hollow’s Halloween season, hosting three of Historic Hudson Valley’s signature events. All three run Fridays through Sundays throughout October, and tickets must be purchased in advance — these events sell out and are not sold at the door.

The Headless Horseman Files (daytime, ages 8+). A 45-minute interactive, live-action 18th-century whodunit staged along the manor grounds. Follow your guide and question a cast of suspicious townsfolk — fiery Hans Van Ripper, charming Katrina Van Tassel, spectral Hulda the Witch, and bold Brom Bones — then decide for yourself what really happened to Ichabod Crane. Offered Fridays–Sundays, roughly 10:00 am to 4:15 pm.

The Spirits of Sleepy Hollow Country (evening, ages 10+). A roughly 50-minute theatrical magic show in which master illusionists Mark Clearview and Nick Wallace conjure the spirits of local legend — Hulda, Major André, and the Headless Horseman himself. Reserved seating; premium seats include a complimentary beer or wine and a snack. It sells out every year.

Twilight Village at Sleepy Hollow (evening, all ages). An immersive after-dark experience across the manor grounds, with live storytellers, fire performers, a roving brass band, fortune tellers, a pop-up Halloween market, and food-truck bites with cocktails and mocktails. The Headless Horseman makes a dramatic appearance in a sound-and-light recreation of his midnight ride.

For the full slate of area Halloween programming — including the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze and Irving’s “Legend” at Sunnyside — see Halloween in Sleepy Hollow Country.

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Directions: 381 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591