HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena, as catalogued
The Dutch-style Hudson River cottage where Washington Irving died in 1859, operated by Historic Hudson Valley as a house museum — and where Irving himself once wrote that if he were to return as a ghost, it would be to haunt 'his beloved Sunnyside.'
3 West Sunnyside Lane, Irvington, NY 10533
Research updated September 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Standard tours (through early September): Adults $18, Seniors/Young Adults $15, Children 3–17 $13. Legendary Tours (September–November): Adults $20, Seniors/Young Adults $18, Children $16. Children under 3 free. Members free.
Access
Limited Access
Hudson River estate grounds with unpaved paths; cottage interior with period floors and narrow passages
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1835 · Home of Washington Irving 1835–1859; site of his death November 28, 1859 · Irving invented the Headless Horseman and Rip Van Winkle legends set in this region · Considered one of the most-visited private homes in America within Irving's lifetime · Operated by Historic Hudson Valley as a museum site
Washington Irving purchased a neglected riverside cottage on the east bank of the Hudson River in 1835, drawn to the area he had made famous through 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' (1820) and 'Rip Van Winkle' (1819). The property required constant repair and expansion; Irving spent more than two decades reshaping it into a comfortable home in the Dutch and Spanish style, giving it the name Sunnyside in 1841.
Sunnyside became one of the most celebrated private homes in antebellum America. Irving entertained regularly and drew a steady stream of literary visitors. Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. noted in 1859 that the cottage had become 'next to Mount Vernon, the best known and most cherished of all the dwellings in our land' — a statement reflecting how thoroughly Irving's fiction had made Tarrytown and its surroundings into a landmark of the American literary imagination.
Irving died on November 28, 1859, at age 76, of a heart attack in his bedroom at Sunnyside. He had completed his five-volume biography of George Washington just before his death. His funeral drew crowds so large that the floors of the local church were feared to give way. He was buried at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery on December 1, 1859, with a notably plain gravestone bearing only his name and dates.
Historic Hudson Valley, the nonprofit that manages four historic sites in the region, has operated Sunnyside as a house museum for decades. The organization offers guided tours with costumed educators and a separate autumn Legendary Tours program tied to the Sleepy Hollow country ghost season.
Sources
The haunting lore at Sunnyside derives its particular texture from a remark Irving made during his lifetime: that if he were to return as a ghost, he would be drawn back to his beloved Sunnyside. The line has been widely cited in ghost tourism accounts of the property and creates an unusual situation where the alleged haunting was effectively pre-authorized by the subject.
The most documented specific incident is a photograph taken on June 26, 2010, by Rachel Lambert, a 14-year-old visitor from Rotterdam, New York. Lambert and her family described seeing a figure in an upstairs window that appeared to show the head and upper body of a ghost holding a quill pen. The photograph was reported in local press at the time. Local ghost enthusiast Donna Davies of Haunted Hudson Valley cited the coincidence of the Lamberts having discussed Irving's writing legacy with the tour guide moments before the photograph was taken.
Author and ghost investigator Linda Zimmermann's book Ghost Investigator: Hauntings of the Hudson Valley, Volume 1 documents reports of Irving's spirit walking the halls and rooms of Sunnyside and favoring the tower known as the Pagoda. Former tour guides at the site have described hearing voices and noticing unexplained sounds near the north side of the house.
Historic Hudson Valley spokesperson Rob Schweitzer stated in 2010 that he was 'unaware' of any ghosts at the estate, offering the official position. The ghost accounts are folk-level rather than institutionally endorsed — consistent with Irving's status as one of the most-documented writers of American supernatural fiction.
Notable Entities
Historic Hudson Valley's costumed educators lead visitors through Irving's cottage, covering his literary legacy, the creation of Rip Van Winkle and the Headless Horseman, and the years he spent entertaining at Sunnyside until his death in 1859 in his own bedroom. The cottage became one of the most-visited private homes in America within Irving's lifetime.
Seasonal evening and daytime programming through September and November that leans into the Sleepy Hollow country ghost lore. Includes Sunnyside's paranormal reputation and its context within the broader Headless Horseman landscape.
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