Washington Irving's Sunnyside — Attraction in Town of Greenburgh

Very beautiful place, but the staff was definitely giving me racist vibes. First, the person who welcomed us looked very perplexed to see my family there. She even made a weird comment about how we’d terrify her if we ever showed up to her front door (it was Halloween and no, our costumes weren’t scary). We disregarded and decided to stay and enjoy the rest of the tour. Before we even entered, I saw staff that was staring at my family and I up and down and when I shot them a smile, they just looked away very annoyed. The tour is divided per room and there’s a different tour guide for each room. We go in to meet the second person of our tour, and she condescendingly asks us if “we’re even” familiar with Washington Irving. Why would we be there if we didn’t know and why be so condescending anyway? We move on to the next person, and he magically decides (and announces) that he’s going on break and someone else will take over. After all 2 minutes of that portion, we move on to the kitchen where the woman apparently had no knowledge of anything? We asked several questions to which she answered that she didn’t know and that we should ask our next tour guide because she’ll get mad if she doesn’t give us the right answer. Weird. We finally get to this next and final tour guide, and she’s taking her very sweet time with the family in-front of us. She looked at me like I was bothering her for just standing there patiently waiting for her to be done. She made no attempt to say “hey guys, be right with you” or anything. In fact, she looked like she didn’t want to get to us at all. She literally left (the laundry room) and went outside to talk MORE with the previous family privately! We waited so long and ended up just leaving. She watched us leave and didn’t say anything at all. Just stared at us while she continued her conversation. I can’t help but think that this is because my family is Black. I watched closely how the staff interacted with the rest of the white families that were there and they definitely didn’t get treated like we did. The tour guides were very enthusiastic about helping everyone else and answering their questions. I’d go just to see the house and surrounding area that is very beautiful, but don’t expect much if you’re a person of color. We were very nice and willing to forgive any mishaps but I can’t forget this lady’s face as we walked away. That left a very disgusting taste in my mouth.

The people at the gift shop were just as awful. One of them kept asking my cashier if she rung me up while looking frazzled like we were going to steal something. While the lady ringing me up gave me my total ($79 something) and she asked “if that okay with you” with a worried face as if I couldn’t afford it. I regret every penny spent.

Update: Now I’m really mad because I see other reviews saying their tour lasted an hour when we were out in 20 minutes and 10 of those minutes were us waiting for that last tour...

Sunnyside: The Washington Irving Estate is a breathtaking attraction to sightsee and visit and is a major cultural and historical destination of Westchester County, New York.

In celebrating Halloween of 2022, I brought and treated my wife and myself for the “Home Of The Legend,” an annual fall event held at Sunnyside.

At the “Home Of The Legend” my wife and I came across many charming Halloween themed decorations that were placed throughout the estate, and we were able to view and tour inside the historic home of Washington Irving. Several docents who were each dressed in 19th Century attire, provided us with a rich and detailed history of both Irving and Sunnyside.

During our tour, we learned that Washington Irving was one of America’s most famous and most successful author, biographer and historian and is largely credited for developing American based literature and for introducing the American short story. His most notable historical works were biographies on George Washington and Muhammad and his well-known short stories were Rip Van Winkle & The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow. Other noteworthy tidbits on Washington Irving was that he was the first American to derive his income solely from his works and was said to have coined the phrase, “the almighty dollar.”

In addition to learning about Irving, our docents explained the history of Sunnyside. We learned it was acquired by Washington Irving in 1835 and served as his principal residence until 1859, the year of his death. Irving was known for his deep admiration and his emotional attachment of Sunnyside and in a letter to his brother, Peter, he described his estate as “a beautiful spot, capable of being made a little paradise.” Many of his notable works, including his biography on George Washington were written at Sunnyside.

Both my wife and I found Irving’s home to be quite beautiful and we definitely liked its wisteria covered entrance and the stair-step facade featured on both ends of the house. We also liked the house’s riverside coastal setting because we were able to view and enjoy gorgeous scenic views of Hudson River and nearby forests and woodlands.

Inside the home, my wife and I were able to see and examine an extensive collection of Irving’s original furnishings, and learned about the occupants that either lived or worked there during Irving’s lifetime.

Due to its rich heritage and cultural prominence, Sunnyside: The Washington Estate is listed on our National Register Of Historic Places and has been recognized as a National Historic Landmark.

Both my wife and I would love to thank the Historic Hudson Valley for its efforts on preserving and celebrating this wonderful historic destination and for providing us with an enlightening tour experience!!!

We recommend for everyone to visit this gorgeous landmark when traveling through...

Washington Irving's Sunnyside is the epitome of romantic, European-esque architecture and design. What makes Sunnyside so special is its intentionality; everything seems to melt together. Washington Irving was, and continues to be, an important cultural figure through his writing and it was surreal to experience what he must have felt looking out onto the Hudson (the house is basically neighbors with the river, so definitely worth it for the view of the Hudson alone!).

The home itself is modest and very lived in compared to some more extravagant historic houses, but I am so glad that I visited. You can tell this was the home of an artist and writer, someone who is worldly and thinks about the details. I absolutely loved the natural landscape of the estate, and the blooming wisteria on the front of the property.

I participated in the 45-min guided tour which included stops outside and inside of the property. I was told by my amazing tour guide (who did a phenomenal job by the way facilitating discussion and relaying information) that this season would be the first time visitors were allowed to take picture inside so I hope these photos inspire you to take a tour!

I purchased tickets ahead of time, which I highly recommend. The tour started promptly. There is a restroom in the gift shop center, and parking is free on the premises. If you decide not to do a tour, then I recommend you circle around the house in it's entirety; in the back you can see an old ice cellar, and old outhouse toilets!

Overall, I loved visiting and Irving's home left an impression on me, reminding me to slow down...