Sleepy Hollow: The Legend Walk
Walk from the creek where a British spy was captured to the graves that give Sleepy Hollow its name.
New York
Things to do in Sleepy Hollow on foot
The walk
Sleepy Hollow on foot
Sleepy Hollow is a village on the Hudson north of New York City, and it is the place Washington Irving chose for "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," published in 1820. The real valley is older than the story: a Dutch colonial manor, a stone church from the 1680s, and a burying ground where Irving himself now lies. Our walk starts at Patriots Park, beside the brook where three militiamen stopped the British spy John André in 1780, and follows the old Albany Post Road north. You stop at Philipsburg Manor, where enslaved Africans ran the Philipse family's mill and one miller's name survived in the records; at the Old Dutch Church, one of the oldest churches in New York; at the Headless Horseman Bridge, where Irving's chase ends; and at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, where Irving is buried. Along the way you hear where the Headless Horseman really came from, and how much of him was already old when Irving borrowed him. The walk is 1.5 miles and takes about 53 minutes with the stories. October is the busiest time of year here, when the whole valley leans into the legend, so come early in the day if you want the churchyard quiet.
Sleepy Hollow: questions people ask
Is Sleepy Hollow a real place?
Yes. Sleepy Hollow is a village on the Hudson in Westchester County, New York. The Old Dutch Church and the burying ground from Irving's story are both on this walk.
Where is Washington Irving buried?
In Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, the last stop on this walk, just up the hill from the Old Dutch Church.
How long is the Sleepy Hollow walk?
It's 1.5 miles from Patriots Park to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and takes about 53 minutes with all five stories.
Is there a self-guided tour of Sleepy Hollow?
Yes. "Sleepy Hollow: The Legend Walk" is on Stories. Unlock it once for your group for $4.99 and play it in your browser; the app plays each story as you arrive.
Every Stories tour plays in your browser, no app needed. How it works
Know someone headed to Sleepy Hollow? Give a walk as a gift, emailed on the day you pick.