Fascinating Revolutionary War fort that affords an easy walk along a foot path to all the key…read morelocations. Along the way the interpretive kiosks tell the story of the 1779 Battle of Stony Point, a midnight raid that was conducted so expertly by Continental forces, led by "Mad Anthony" Wayne, that it would make SAS Commandos envious. Due to some construction the museum was not open on the day my wife and I visited, and there were no reenactors around but it was still well worth a visit. Much of that had to do with Eric, one of the site's docents. Eric was very informative, educational and just an all around great guy to talk to. I knew a bit about the battle but Eric's detailed information was illuminating. And it wasn't just history of the battle we learned about. He told us about everything from the 19th century lighthouse to the ancient glacial fjord that formed the Hudson to the Eastern Cicada-Killers! Thanks, Eric! All in all, Stony Point Historic Site is well worth a visit. You could probably cover most of it in an hour or two but if you're history freaks like us you'll want to plan for three to four.

PROS: this place was very neat. Loads of hiking trails, scenic roadway to the parking lot…read more CONS: no museum, historic signs, or anything that would teach you about the battle OVERALL: for hiking and scenic roads this place is good, especially since there's free parking, but it isn't the best for history

A nice find in Peekskill. The tour guides were great - they brought the history of Peekskill to…read morelife. They highlighted its beginnings in the 1600's, its revolutionary war significance, life in the 1800s, and showed off all their artifacts including a giant ball of string. Well priced and a good way to spend an hour or so.

If you are in Peekskill and have an hour or two, stop by the Peekskill Museum! The town has a rich…read morehistory and wonderful exhibits to show it. We were given a tour by one of the docents, totally unexpected!! Where do you get that kind of attention?? Peekskill! If you're a history buff or have an interest in iron stoves, go there. And also check out that old cookie!

A ghostly night for families…read more Tickets go on sale online a month or two in advance and most nights get sold out quickly. Tickets must be purchased in advance. $15.00 per adult. We arrived on a Sunday night for a 7:00 ticket (the event goes all evening, but your ticket is for a specific time) and arrived a little early, 6:20-6:30pm. We followed a stream of cars to the huge back parking lot overlooking the Hudson. A walking path led from the parking lot to Philipsburg Manor. The walking path is dirt and natural mulch lit by lanterns with candlelight overlooking distant barns, the manor house, a pond and dam. The mood was authentic, natural, old Sleepy Hallow. Once you reach the manor, there is a large souvenier shop - fun and festive with many different gifts and trinkets to purchase. A little further you reach the ticket gates, where your tickets are scanned and you are allowed to enter. Again, there is another walking path lite the same as you are now walking around the other side of the pond. Soon you reach the event grounds. There are ghosts that walk the property, an awesome storyteller with a stage, camp fires and colorful, eery lighting of the trees, barns and manor house. Each barn has been artistically staged. Further there is a wooden fence set up overlooking a field where you wait for the Headless Horseman to appear! There are other scenes set up with actors and singers. Also, a small booth filling the air with the aroma of fresh popcorn and hot apple cider among other treats and drinks. A wonderful family event for a cool October night.

tarrytown is just adorable and becomes more so in fall. (think gilmore girls). upon entering there…read moreis a long path of pumpkin lanterns, which sets the mood of the season. and although there really isn't one cohesive theme to the event, there is everything from spooky storytelling, bonfires, amazing magicians (man, was he the coolest!, to hilarious pirates and of course, the headless horsemen! for $15, it was quite a treat!

I have visited and toured this historical house several times, and it's always an enlightening,…read morecultural, and fun experience. The docents know their subjects, and contribute much to. The visit.

While the St. Paul's Church National Historic Site (NHS) may not be as popular as other National…read moreParks in the North Atlantic Region (it's hard to compete with the Statue of Liberty!), it's a small but mighty national park site. We wanted to support the national parks given the current cuts happening to the federal government. We booked the 45-minute tour on Recreation.gov (very reasonable $1 fee) and arrived about 15 minutes early. The tour guide was dressed in a colonial outfit and was super knowledgeable about the history of the church and stable house. Some highlights of the tour: * We were allowed to ring the 260-year-old bell. The bell was made by Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London, the same company that made the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. * The church features one of the oldest functioning pipe organs in the entire country. It was crafted by Henry Erben (1800-1884) whose father Peter Erben (1771-1863) was the organist at Trinity Church in Manhattan (where Alexander Hamilton is buried). * Dr. Charles Sabin Taft was a physician who was attending a show at the Ford's Theatre in Washington DC on April 14, 1865. He was a bystander during Abraham Lincoln's assassination and one of the first responders to treat President Lincoln. Dr. Taft is buried in this church's cemetery! * This National Historic Landmark is open during many federal holidays like President's Day, Memorial Day, and Juneteenth and it's a great way for people to learn about history via historical re-enactments and guided tours. Don't forget to collect your National Parks passport stamp! There's also a Junior Rangers program for kids, which is pretty challenging compared to other National Parks sites that we've visited. Ask for the program guide before the tour because some of the questions ask about very specific dates and names of people that come up during the tour.

Site is currently open with covid-19 protocols in place which means reservations are required at…read moreRecreation.gov for tours. The visitor's center is also closed and if you need a NPS passport stamp, they will bring it outside for you to stamp after your tour. We came on a Thursday morning and were the only ones that showed up for the tour. We basically had a private talk with the guide about the history of this small, one room church. The building itself dates back to the 1700s and has an organ upstairs from the 1800s. Unfortunately due to covid measures we weren't allowed to go upstairs, however, the guide went up himself to play the organ for us. After the tour you're able to walk the grounds on your own which includes a decently sized cemetery with headstones dating from the 1700s to the early 2000s. It was a great experience and best of all, it was FREE!!! You can either drive here or take the 5 train like we did. The church is about 0.7 miles from the subway station although you do have to walk through some pretty sketchy industrial areas that looked like chop shops...

Irvington is a lovely small village in lower Westchester. Their train station, on the Hudson line…read moreof Metro-North Railroad, boasts a few restaurants with stunning views facing west of the Hudson river, plus the Tappan Zee (aka Mario Cuomo) Bridge a bit further north. We try to frequent: Red Hat on the River, Sambal and MP Taverna restaurants. Clothier Eileen Fisher's headquarters and Architectural Minerals & Stones gem shop are neighbors as well. Good luck getting an outdoor table on a warm evening. Let's take a walk, sit back and enjoy the view. There are many who do!

This is a wonderful Westchester village to visit. There are a lot of really nice restaurants in the…read morearea, boasting a variety of cuisine. We love to visit the newly renovated industrial buildings by the water. The views of the Tappan Zee, the water, boats and the beautiful skies are breathtaking. There's a nice sized park nearby so, you could bring the pups and kids, park your car to grab a bite to eat, talk a stroll in the park and take in all of the views in one day. Irvington is a very underrated area o Westchester that you don't hear too much about but is starting to make a little noise, North of the city. It's about a thirty minute drive from the Bronx and I can honestly say that I've enjoyed every restaurant I've visited here; we've only recently started coming to Irvington but I'm positive we'll be making a lot more visits.

Built by the Knapp family, the house was expanded by 1750 to become a tavern providing services to…read moretravelers and eventually troops during the American Revolutionary War. It's an excellent place to gain insight into our country's history, and a must-visit destination for history buffs and Revolutionary War enthusiasts. Tours of the house were closed, so we only toured the outside.

Superb! Not open all the time, but go across to the Bedford Store, headquarters of the Bedford…read moreHistorical Society for more information and a warm welcome from the ebullient Director Lyn Ryan and the ever-cheerful Sofia Bernier.