“Sleepy Hollow”, a name that is firmly implanted in American narrative consciousness, gained notoriety in 1820 when Washington Irving’s short story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, was published. Since then, Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman have had a variety of on-screen incarnations, all the way back from Will Rogers’ silent film version of Crane, up until Johnny Depp in the 1999 film Sleepy Hollow and the currently running Sleepy Hollow TV series.
The real-life Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, in Sleepy Hollow, Westchester County, New York, is a registered National Historic Landmark and is the final resting place of Andrew Carnegie, Elizabeth Arden, Walter Chrysler, Samuel Gompers, the Helmsleys, William Rockefeller, and Washington Irving himself. With the spectacular mausoleums and graves of major captains of industry, there is more to see than just lines of typical headstones. Adjacent to the cemetery is the Old Dutch Church & Burial Ground, which dates back to the congregation’s founding in 1697, with approximately 1,700 internments from the mid-18th through late 19th century. While striking year-round, the cemetery’s beautiful foliage produces a fall effect that shouldn’t be missed.
If you’re in town between October and November, you can head up to Croton-on-Hudson for some more modern delights at The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor. Every year, tens of thousands of visitors see the assortment of more than 5,000 illuminated pumpkins that have been carved in a variety of shapes. While consistently crowded, those interested in the pumpkin carving arts will find the wait worth it. 2013’s Blaze includes a dragon, dinosaurs, and spiders, all made of our favorite orange gourd. In 2013, more than 20 new works from professional artists were featured at the on-site MoPA (Museum of Pumpkin Art), which highlights art inspired by (but not made of) pumpkins.
For more pictures, check out my “Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze” Flickr set.
Walking around Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is free, with walking tours available $9.99 for one-hour and $19.99 for two-hour tours. Two-hour tours can be a challenging walk for some, due to the terrain. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is located off of Route 9 and can be accessed via the Metro-North Railroad’s Hudson Line, through either the Tarrytown or Philipse Manor stations. The cemetery is only a half-mile walk from the latter. (540 North Broadway Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591)
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is handicap-accessible and kid-friendly. 2013 Blaze prices: Adults, $16; Children 3-17, $12 (Saturdays $20, $16). The Blaze takes place at Van Cortlandt Manor, which is located on South Riverside Avenue off Route 9 in the village of Croton-on-Hudson (525 S Riverside Avenue. Croton-On-Hudson, NY 10520)
For more information, visit sleepyhollowcemetery.org and hudsonvalley.org/events/blaze. To find out more about Westchester County events and activities, go to visitwestchesterny.com. To book a flight to NYC, visit CheapOair.com for great deals on flights.