Page 13 - Westchester - 2024 Travel & Meeting Guide

200 feet high and was the tallest in the world upon
its completion in 1906. Picnic with the ambient sounds of nature at your back or explore the park’s landmarks, such as the newly repaired spillway — both picture-perfect and breathtaking. While the bridge over the falls makes for a stunning hike, there are also beautiful trails that run along the river; bonus points if you connect to the Old Croton Aqueduct State
Historic Park trail and make your way down the County. INSIDER TIP: Visit during winter, when the park will become your favorite spot for sledding and cross- country skiing.
PLAYLAND
From the silver screen to generations of summer smiles, Playland’s iconic façade serves as the background for lasting memories. Thrilling
the masses since 1928,
this National Historic Landmark’s mix of classic rides and state-of-the-art fun blend together for a unique experience. Ride
the marquee Dragon Coaster — nearly 100 years old! — practice your best Wild-West impression on the Derby Racer (one of two originals left in the country), or cool off on the water
ride affectionally dubbed “The Saw Mill River.” Let the kiddos cut loose with Kiddyland’s pint-sized coasters and engaging story times and singalongs. INSIDER TIP: Meander toward the historic boathouse on Playland Lake to soak up the sun in one of the park’s paddle boats.
STONE BARNS
CENTER FOR FOOD
& AGRICULTURE Westchester’s fine-dining and agricultural sustainability mecca, Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture
is the region’s center for heirloom crops and heritage breeds of livestock. Visitors can roam the grounds and meet the array of sheep, pigs, and other animals raised there, and get a behind-the-scenes glimpse
of a working farm with educational sessions on their innovative farming practices. The barns themselves were commissioned by John D. Rockefeller Jr. in the 1930s, and the property officially became an agricultural center in 2004 at the hands of David Rockefeller. The center is also home to the farm-to-table pioneering
and Michelin-star-winning Blue Hill at Stone Barns, acclaimed as one of the best restaurants in the world. INSIDER TIP: Go for the Blue Hill “Lunch Tray” special (reservations required) that lets you indulge in some of the same dishes you’d see
at a formal dinner, for a fraction of the price.
Left: Playland’s Dragon Coaster; bottom: Kykuit: The Rockefeller Estate
African American Heritage
VisitWestchesterNY.com 11
Historic Hudson Valley
Walk in the shadow of the Hudson Valley’s history at these National Historic Landmarks, running the gamut of Revolutionary War-era structures to mansions in the backdrop of pivotal American literature, to works by some of the finest artists of modern times.
Kykuit: The Rockefeller Estate
A testament to the power of oil magnate John D. Rockefeller, Kykuit — Dutch for “lookout” — is a sprawling, six-story estate with 40 rooms, perched on 250 acres of lush landscape. It houses a stunning collection of antique carriages, cars, and sculptures, plus rooms full
of priceless artwork. Outside, wander the Rose Garden, Italian Garden,
and beyond — all works of famed landscaper William Welles Bosworth.
Union Church
Tucked away in the tiny village of Pocantico Hills, this nondenominational church feels quaint and unassuming. The humble stone walls hold magnificent works of art history: breathtaking stained-glass windows by Henri Matisse
and Marc Chagall, commissioned by the Rockefeller family. One of a handful of churches in the world with a complete set of Chagall windows, the nine panels of shimmering deep blues and ruby reds bring the parable of The Good Samaritan and other biblical moments to life.
Sunnyside
Washington Irving, “America’s Founding Father of Literature,” once paced
the very halls you’ll walk through at Sunnyside. Vistas of the Hudson and the house’s stunning restoration add an extra layer of charm to tours of Irving’s artwork and other possessions. During the fall, experience bewitching tea parties and live performances of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. You can even glimpse the writing desk Irving used to
pen his famed works, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle.
Philipsburg Manor
Trek over the millpond bridge and back into history at this 18th-century mill and trading complex. The manor was part of an overlooked time in the Colonial Era — the presence of slavery in the North. Walk the grounds of this National Historic Landmark and learn about the 23 enslaved Africans who worked on the property, their personal histories and relationships immortalized and preserved in time.
Van Cortlandt Manor
Rich in 18th-century history, Van Cortlandt Manor is a looking glass back to life after the ripples of
the American Revolution. Now sporting newly revamped capital improvements including the modernization of historic pathways, the centuries-old manor is still
home to the Van Cortlandts’ own furnishings. Also on the property, visitors will find a restored ferry house that served travelers on the Albany Post Road, an integral path that connected Westchester to Manhattan.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS