Kykuit above, and Union Church below. Photos by Jaime Martorano
Historic Hudson Valley is pleased to announce that tours of Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate, Philipsburg Manor, Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, and Union Church of Pocantico Hills will begin on Friday, May 12. Several popular events will also highlight the spring and summer season, including Celebrate Pinkster on Saturday, May 27 and Vote Like a Girl on Saturday, June 10.
At Philipsburg Manor visitors tour the gristmill, walk through the manor house with period artifacts, and learn about the 23 enslaved individuals of African descent who lived and labored on the plantation. At Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, visitors explore the author’s cottage and the bucolic grounds, which were designed by Irving himself, and learn about America’s Founding Father of Literature. Picnic tables are available at both sites and light snacks, as well as souvenirs and local finds, are available to purchase in the museum shops. Visitors to Union Church of Pocantico Hills view spectacular stained-glass windows by European masters, including the last commissioned work by Henri Matisse and nine windows by Marc Chagall, and learn the inspiration behind each one.
At Kykuit, the estate’s modern and classical art collection, architecture, and expansive gardens make it one of the top-rated cultural attractions in the lower Hudson Valley. Visitors to Kykuit learn the story of the Rockefellers, beginning with John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil, whose business acumen made him the richest man in America in his day. He later became the country’s first significant philanthropist and by his death in 1937, he had given away more than half his fortune through various philanthropic programs.
Kykuit visitors can choose from three tours: Classic, Grand, and Selected Highlights.
Celebrate Pinkster, New York’s oldest African American holiday, will be commemorated on May 27 at Philipsburg Manor with a day filled with art, poetry, live music, dance, and storytelling. Visitors will hear spoken word performances, dance to the beat of African drums, listen to a jazz band, participate in a call-and-response song, and more.
Vote Like a Girl at Washington Irving’s Sunnyside on June 10 will explore the exciting lives of women past and present. Activities include a live suffrage debate, photo-ops with suffragette sashes and 19th-century clothing, and STEAM activities and experiments.
Visit www.hudsonvalley.org for more information.
